Kenai Fjords National Park

Kenai Fjords National Park

Kenai Fjords National Park

Location: Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska
Length: 4.5 miles
Difficulty: Difficult
Features: icefield, glaciers, fjords, terrestrial mammals, marine mammals

About the Kenai Fjords National Park

Located to the west of Seward, in the south-central part of Alaska, Kenai Fjords was named a national park in 1980. It takes after the name of the Kenai Peninsula where this 669,984 acre park sits and the many glacial valleys or fjords visible from the icefield going downwards the mountains. Inside it you can find one of the largest natural ice field in the US, the Harding Icefield. It is made up of 38 glaciers, including Bear Glacier and Exit Glacier.

Boat tours from Seward’s harbor going through Kenai Fjords and Resurrection Bay are popular way to access the park. You can also have a glimpse of the Gulf of Alaska, a variety of birds and mammals. The park can also be enjoyed by hiking the 8.2 mile loop Harding Icefield Trail from the Exit Glacier. If you choose to drive before taking the trail, you can take the Exit Glacier. When you get there, there’s a selection of trails to take including the 1 mile Glacier View Loop trail with a view of Exit Glacier,  then proceed 6 miles towards the Exit Glacier Overlook by taking the Glacier Overlook Trail.

Top 3 Adventure Hacks

1) Rich biodiversity

The park is inhabited by a variety of terrestrial and marine mammals, including brown and black bears, moose, sea otters, harbor seals, humpback and killer whales.

2) Don’t stray from the trail

The ice trail is delicate and easy to erode. So it is required and proper to stay on the trail.

3) Active glacier

Visit the Exit Glacier transform landscapes.