Just moved to Homer, or getting back into it after a while? These groups are beginner-friendly and welcoming — no need to be fast, experienced, or know a soul.
Select Friday evenings in winter, 6–7pm
McNeil Canyon trails
Torch- and candlelit trails for all ages and abilities — bring a headlamp; warming fire and hot chocolate. Schedule depends on snow and daylight.
Thursdays at 6pm
Rotates among local restaurants (check the club’s Facebook for the week’s venue)
Free, open to all — runners, walkers, kids, and dogs welcome. About 3 miles, casual and social with a post-run hang.
Monthly, August through May
Varies (Homer Spit, Beluga Slough, Seaside Farm on East End Road, and more)
Free, no membership fees, every skill level welcome — borrow the group’s collective know-how on a different patch each month. Dates and locations posted on the website.
Saturdays 1:00–2:30pm, late Jan through Feb
Kachemak Nordic Ski Club trails (see club for venue)
Youth learn-to-ski program; ski-kids equipment rental available through the club. Runs a short winter session each year.
Groomed through the winter season as conditions allow
Baycrest, McNeil Canyon-Eveline, and Lookout Mountain trailheads
80+ km groomed for classic and skate across three trail systems. Free to ski; membership and donations fund grooming. Not a scheduled meetup — a standing place to show up and ski.
Group rides and trail days posted seasonally
Varies (Diamond Creek and Eastland-unit trails, plus road routes)
The club hosts group rides and trail-work days but doesn’t publish a fixed weekly day — watch its Facebook and Strava club for the next ride. Trail building is in the Cottonwood-Eastland unit of Kachemak Bay State Park.
Road group rides posted seasonally
Varies — see club channels
The club promotes road as well as mountain riding; check Facebook/Strava for scheduled road rides.
By reservation, timed to the tides
Cycle Logical, Pioneer Avenue, Homer
Guided fat-bike rides on the beach; book ahead (best ~2 hours before low tide or ~3 hours after high tide). Shop also rents bikes and Nordic ski sets.
Monthly public meetings, August through May
Often the Islands & Ocean Visitor Center, Homer
Open public meetings where members share photos and trip reports. Specific evening/date varies month to month — confirm on the website.
Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies
Regularly scheduled in summer; book a tour
Homer Harbor docks (Yurt on the Spit)
One-hour naturalist-led walking tour of marine life on the harbor docks — sea stars, anemones, tunicates. Family-friendly. A walking tour rather than a hike, but the closest fit among the activity tags.
Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies
Seasonal guided hikes, roughly April–October
Inspiration Ridge Preserve (transport arranged via CACS)
Naturalist-guided hikes over rolling trails and wildflower meadows with Kachemak Bay views. Offered on a seasonal schedule — book ahead.
Friends of Kachemak Bay State Parks
Volunteer trail-work outings through the summer
Across Kachemak Bay State Park (water-taxi access; see group)
Volunteers maintain the park’s trail system — a hands-in-the-dirt way to hike and learn the park with regulars. Dates posted seasonally on the site and Facebook.
Tuesdays & Thursdays 6:00–8:00pm
Homer Bay Club, 2395 Kachemak Drive
Indoor rock-wall sessions with staff belaying; harness and shoes included (about $13 + tax). Also runs a Tue/Thu 4–6pm kids’ climb. Members can add open-climb access.
Daily in summer; reserve a seat
Across Kachemak Bay near Yukon Island (water-taxi from Homer)
Guided sea-kayak day trips an individual can join — all ages, no experience needed, safe-paddling instruction included. Run daily through the summer season.
Annually, late winter (typically Feb–Mar)
Homer (classroom + field days at Homer Rope Tow and across Kachemak Bay)
Multi-day recreational avalanche course offered in Homer each season — essential, since the Kachemak backcountry has no avalanche forecast. Check the school’s calendar for the year’s dates.
Guided trips through the season; by booking
Anchor Point / Anchor River area (~15 miles from Homer)
Guided and Spey-casting trips on the Anchor River, Deep Creek, and other Kenai Peninsula waters — king salmon in May/June, silvers and steelhead in fall. The nearest fly shop to Homer; not in town proper.