Kenai Fjords

Overview

Kenai Fjords National Park protects 670,000 acres of coastal wilderness where the Harding Icefield — one of the largest icefields in the United States — feeds nearly 40 glaciers that flow from the mountains into the Gulf of Alaska. The park's defining feature is the meeting point of ice and ocean, where tidewater glaciers calve house-sized chunks of ice into deep blue fjords teeming with marine life. The most accessible glacier is Exit Glacier, reached by a short drive from the town of Seward. A paved trail leads to the glacier's face, and interpretive signs along the way mark where the ice stood in past decades, making climate change viscerally visible. The more ambitious Harding Icefield Trail climbs 3,000 feet over four miles to a viewpoint above the icefield itself — a vast white expanse broken only by rocky peaks called nunataks. Boat tours from Seward cruise into the fjords past Aialik and Holgate Glaciers, where passengers watch ice calve into the water while humpback whales, orcas, sea otters, Steller sea lions, and puffins patrol the surrounding waters. The combination of accessible glaciers, rich marine wildlife, and dramatic coastal scenery makes Kenai Fjords one of Alaska's most rewarding day trips.

Things to Do

• Hike to Exit Glacier face
• Trek the Harding Icefield Trail
• Take a boat tour to Aialik Glacier
• Watch for whales and sea otters on a fjord cruise
• Kayak among icebergs in Aialik Bay
• Photograph calving tidewater glaciers
• Visit the Exit Glacier Nature Center

Wildlife

Keep an eye out for these animals during your visit:

Weather & Best Time to Visit

Maritime climate with cool, wet summers. Highs reach 55-65°F from June through August. Rain is frequent, and fog can obscure glacier views on boat tours.