Clam Gulch Beach Access

The feel

The recreation area sits on bluffs overlooking Cook Inlet, with a view of the Aleutian Mountain Range and its three tallest peaks: Mount Iliamna, Mount Redoubt and Mount Spurr. The bluff drops steeply to the beach, and the climb back is the workout.

The beach is clam-famous, but the Department of Fish and Game has closed clam digging for this area until further notice. Moose, bald eagles, gulls and many small birds and mammals live in the area, and lupine, Jacob's ladder, wild geranium and the prickly rose grow here.

What to expect

Route and terrain

Out and back, 2 miles total, with about 150 ft of gain; a steep drop down the bluff to the beach and a steep climb back.

Time

About 1 hour.

Crowds and best time

Popular with families because of easy road access to the beach.

Parking

Take Sterling Highway mile 117.5 onto Clam Gulch Road, a two-mile gravel road; the road ends two miles farther at the Cook Inlet shoreline.

Hazards

Two-wheel drive vehicles cannot be safely run on the beaches, and the lower beach around larger rocks has pockets of glacial silt, which is mud. Off-road vehicles are limited to the campground loop road, the beach access road and the saltwater beach.

Bathrooms and water

The campground has drinking water and outhouses.

Season and access

The area is periodically closed for clamming, and digging is closed until further notice.

Mingo says

Come for the view and the bluff climb, not the clamming, while digging stays closed. If it reopens, time your visit for a tide of minus two feet or lower.

Before you go

• Keep to the five miles an hour speed limit on all recreation area roads.
• Carry a sportfishing license if digging is open.
• The campground has 120 campsites and a covered picnic area.

Written October 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page.