Resurrection Bay, also known as Blying Sound, and Harding Gateway in its outer reaches, is a

fjord In physical geography, a fjord (also spelled fiord in New Zealand English; ) is a long, narrow sea inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Antarctica, the Arctic, and surrounding landmasses of the n ...

on the

Kenai Peninsula The Kenai Peninsula ( Dena'ina: ''Yaghenen'') is a large peninsula jutting from the coast of Southcentral Alaska. The name Kenai (, ) is derived from the word "Kenaitze" or "Kenaitze Indian Tribe", the name of the Native Athabascan Alaskan tribe ...

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Its main settlement is Seward, located at the head of the bay. The bay received its name from

Alexandr Baranov Alexander Andreyevich Baranov (; 1747 – 1819), sometimes spelled Aleksandr or Alexandr and Baranof, was a Russian trader and merchant, who worked for some time in Siberia. He was recruited by the Shelikhov-Golikov Company for trading in Russ ...

, who was forced to retreat into the bay during a bad storm in the

Gulf of Alaska The Gulf of Alaska ( Tlingit: ''Yéil T'ooch’'') is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the ...

. When the storm settled it was

Easter Sunday Easter, also called Pascha (Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek language, Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, de ...

, so the bay and nearby

Resurrection River The Resurrection River is a large river on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. It rises near Upper Russian Lake in the Kenai Mountains and flows to empty into Resurrection Bay near Seward. Part of the river passes through Kenai Fjords National Pa ...

were named in honor of it. Harding Gateway refers to the passage between Rugged and Cheval Islands. Resurrection Bay is the location of Caines Head, at the summit of which

Fort McGilvray Fort McGilvray was a United States military fortification located on Caines Head, a cliff 650 feet above Resurrection Bay south of Seward, Alaska. The United States Army established a series of defensive positions along the coast of the bay durin ...

is situated above sea level. This

fortification A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...

was constructed by the

United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...

to defend against a possible invasion by the

Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The bay remains ice-free even in winter, making it easily navigable. It is called the "gateway to the Kenai Fjords" as many water taxis, kayak tours, anglers, and recreational boaters use the bay to access nearby

Kenai Fjords National Park Kenai Fjords National Park is a national park of the United States that comprises the Harding Icefield, its outflowing glaciers, and coastal fjords and islands. The park covers an area of on the Kenai Peninsula in south-central Alaska, west ...

Geography

Resurrection Bay has a maximum depth of , near the coast at Caines Head. It contains many deep coves, most notably

Thumb The thumb is the first digit of the hand, next to the index finger. When a person is standing in the medical anatomical position (where the palm is facing to the front), the thumb is the outermost digit. The Medical Latin English noun for thumb ...

Humpy A humpy, also known as a gunyah, wurley, wurly, wurlie, mia-mia, or wiltija, is a small, temporary shelter, traditionally used by Australian Aboriginal people. These impermanent dwellings, made of branches and bark, are sometimes called a ...

Bulldog The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is a stocky, muscular dog of medium size, with a large head, thick folds of skin around the face and shoulders and a rel ...

Pony A pony is a type of small horse, usually measured under a specified height at maturity. Ponies often have thicker coats, manes and tails, compared to larger horses, and proportionally shorter legs, wider barrels, heavier , thicker necks and s ...

and

Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...

Coves. To the west, Resurrection Bay is bordered by the

Aialik Peninsula Aialik Peninsula is a peninsula on the larger Kenai Peninsula of the U.S. state of Alaska, which lies roughly 15 miles southeast of Seward. The peninsula has a peculiar Swiss cheese-like shape, making it appear partially sunken. It contains very r ...

and the adjacent

Aialik Bay Aialik Bay, (Russian:) also known as Dora Passage between Harbor Island and the Harris Peninsula, is a fjord on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska, United States. It has no permanent settlements, but there are two public use cabins located on the ba ...

. To the east, the bay is bounded by the

Resurrection Peninsula Resurrection Peninsula is a peninsula on the larger Kenai Peninsula of the U.S. state of Alaska, which lies roughly 8 miles southeast of Seward. It contains very rugged geography, with very little flat land existing between sheer peaks and the dee ...

and

Day Harbor Day Harbor is a bay on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska, United States. It received its name in 1787 from Captain Portlock, because travel to the head of the bay from Seward typically takes 12 hours. The bay is 25 miles from Seward, and is accessib ...

Parks

Several parks are located in and around the bay.

is primarily accessed by boat from Seward. Caines Head State Recreation Area is here. Many visit it by boat, but there is a trail from Lowell Point State Recreation Site, a park with beach access and trailhead parking. Parts of the trail between the two parks are only accessible at low tide, so visitors must plan accordingly. Sandspit Point State Marine Park is a undeveloped park, popular with kayakers, with beach camping and tidepooling. Sunny Cove State Marine Park is a park on Fox Island. It is also undeveloped and has no source of fresh water. The park consists of a beach area used for camping and landing of small boats, and steep, rocky cliffs. Thumb Cove State Marine Park is one of the few developed parks in the area, featuring offshore mooring buoys for small boats, beach camping, and two public-use cabins. Visitors can view Porcupine Glacier, Spoon Glacier, and Prospect Glacier from the park.

References

External links

{{Authority control Bays of Alaska Bodies of water of Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska Seward, Alaska Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area