3 Best Hotels in Kachemak Bay State Park and State Wilderness Park, The Kenai Peninsula and Southcentral Alaska

In a small cove 9 nautical miles from Homer Spit (boat transportation is included in the room rates), this resort co-owned by renowned chef Kirsten Dixon offers the incredible luxury, amazing food, and utter relaxation—albeit at a steep price. Deluxe modern cabins adjacent to Kachemak Bay State Park have private baths, comfortable beds, and amenities that include a cozy main lodge, beachfront outdoor hot tub, steam room, yoga classes, complimentary massage, daily wine tasting, and daily adventure activities. Dixon, who also conducts cooking classes for locals and guests, handpicks her award-winning culinary team to ensure that all three daily meals are divine. Guests can hike into the park from the lodge for day trips, kayak in the bay, and watch eagles and otters just offshore. Fly-out bear-viewing and glacier exploration trips, and deep-sea fishing are included in the five-day stays.

Three public-use cabins are within Kachemak Bay's Halibut Cove lagoon area, another (called Sea Star) is near Tutka Bay lagoon, and a fifth is at China Poot Lake. All but the lakeside cabin are accessible by boat; China Poot can be reached only on foot from the boat landing on the beach or by floatplane to the lake. The cabin furnishings are sparse, but include wooden bunks and sleeping platforms, a table, and chairs; there's no running water or electricity. Four of the five cabins sleep up to six people (the other, the Overlook cabin at Halibut Cove, sleeps eight), and all can be reserved up to six months in advance. There are also yurts in the parks available through   alaskanyurtrentals.com.

Across Kachemak Bay from Homer, this family-run lodge provides five-night stays with wildlife-viewing opportunities and panoramic mountain and bay vistas in an intimate setting for up to 12 guests. The main lodge has a piano and a big stone fireplace to warm you after a day of hiking, fishing, kayaking, or touring in one of the five guided boats (some of the guided fly-out trips may cost extra). Scattered through the woods, the rustic cabins—all with electricity, full baths, and decks—are decorated with antiques, original artwork, and homemade quilts. Cabin layouts differ slightly; some are best suited for couples, others for groups or families. Included are use of the sauna, hot tub, transportation from Homer, and three gourmet meals per day. Dinners focus on seafood—clams, mussels, and fish—caught in the bay. Shorter stays of two to four nights are available at in spring, at the very start of the season.