Kenai Fjords National Park
An Icy Destination

Kenai Fjords National Park is another great place to visit for wild and rugged beauty. It is part of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge which covers a good portion of the Kenai Peninsula from north to south.



Only a small section around Seward and a wide strip along the west coast of the Peninsula are not part of the Refuge. But if you want to see lots of glacial ice, and wildlife living is this type of habitat, you're going to the right place.

There is much detailed information about this Park on the National Park Website, so this is a brief overview to give you an idea of what to expect.

How to Get There:

• There's only one road, so that's easy - the Seward Highway, and it's about 125 miles from Anchorage to Seward. There are tourist buses if you are not driving your own vehicle.

There are NO ENTRANCE or CAMPING FEES, but there is a FEE for the public-use cabins in the park. Cabin fees run from $35 to $50/night, but there are only a few of them.

Though Kenai Fjords National Park is open year around, the fjords are inaccessible from late Fall to late Spring because of rough seas and the road to the glacier is closed most of the way because of snow. You can take snowmobiles, sled dogs or go cross-country skiing in the winter, if you'd like.

After You Get There, What Can You Do?

The only road into Kenai Fjords National Park is 3.7 miles north of Seward, west from the Highway. It is a 9 mile, paved road to the Ranger Station and then a fairly easy 1/2 mile walk right up to a sheer wall of ice which is the side of Exit Glacier.

The last quarter mile is over some rocky ground. There are a number of different, short trails in this area that you can take to give you different views of the glacier. This is an active glacier and ice falls off of it regularly so follow the posted warning signs and stay off the glacier.

And you can also hike on the Harding Ice-field Trail which is close to 4 miles one way. It is a rather strenuous hike as it goes up about 1000 feet for every mile - there are also some rocky sections.

There is another very long trail which takes off from the Old Exit Glacier Road and follows Resurrection Creek along the eastern edge of the Park quite a ways, then continues on, almost to Upper Russian Lake which is in the central part of the Kenai Peninsula. But this trail is not considered to be part of the National Park--it is part of the Alaska State Trails System.

Other than visiting Exit Glacier, you'll have to take watercraft into the Park's fjords from Resurrection Bay which is at the Port of Seward. There are many local business that provide water exploration of Resurrection Bay and the fjords. Or you can rent or take your own watercraft. But if you are not very experienced, it's best to go with a guide into the Fjords. As part of the trip, you have to go into the Gulf of Alaska which can have some unexpected events and could make them dangerous waters.

Not part of Kenai Fjords National Park, but Resurrection Bay itself is loaded with many of the sea mammals and birds that Alaska is famous for. You'll be able to photograph and watch these creatures in the water or on the rock ledges along the coastline.

Kayaking in Alaska is a great way to explore the fjords. There are many great landing beaches where you can camp. But most kayakers go with an Alaska tour guide water taxi, who drops them off in one of two main areas. Then you can kayak from those beaches. There are a number of permanent food lockers in these fjords which are provided by the Park Service that you'll need to use. And there are hiking trails you can take but this is bear country, so be alert for them as well as other wildlife.

Unfortunately, there is no other access to this beautiful and wild Park.

Be sure you stop at the Visitor Information Centers in Seward, and get all the information you need before you head out into the fjords or on a cross-country hiking trip. There are many things to know about the area such as kayaking precautions, how and where to camp, about the use of the food lockers and many other important pieces of information you'll need.

Kenai Fjords National Park, like all of Alaska's Parks, is wild and remote and there is no immediate assistance if you get in trouble. Cell phones don't work in most places, so you should take a marine radio with you.

If you are the adventurous and hardy type of person who loves remote areas and challenges, you'll remember the Kenai Fjords National Park as one of the best places you've ever visited.

And if you are in search of other Parks to visit, check into our other Alaska National Parks or Alaska State Parks...

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