If you’re planning a trip to Alaska, you may be wondering how to hit as many national parks as possible during your visit.
We checked off three out of the eight national parks (not including national forests, monuments, etc.) during our September 2023 trip, including Denali National Park & Preserve, Glacier Bay National Park, and spent one day in Kenai Fjords National Park.
As I planned our two-week Alaska trip starting in Anchorage, I realized a two-night stay in Seward, Alaska on the Kenai Peninsula was doable. Plus, Seward offered the perfect location to explore Kenai Fjords National Park, score!
Today we’re sharing how we spent one day in Kenai Fjords National Park.
What’s Special About Kenai Fjords National Park?
When you think of Alaska’s most popular national parks, Kenai Fjords National Park is probably not at the top of your list. However, while it may not be the most popular or well-known national park, it is a very accessible park. Meaning, it’s fairly easy to visit compared to other national parks in Alaska, which cannot be accessed by vehicle or without multiple flights (Katmai, Lake Clark, Gates of the Artic, etc.).
Secondly, when you think of Alaska you probably think of mountains, snow, freezing weather, salmon, and lots of wildlife.
After you visit though, you will definitely associate glaciers with Alaska. We were shocked by was the amount of glaciers and the dramatic impact glaciers have on Alaska’s landscape.
Kenai Fjords National Park offers a front row seat to experience glaciers, specifically Exit Glacier, which is part of the massive Harding Icefield. And when I say massive, I mean it. The Harding Icefield is over 700 square miles in its entirety, and is the largest contained icefield in the United States. Glaciers from the Harding Icefield have formed the incredible landscape within Kenai Fjords National Park.
Kenai Fjords National Park is special because it’s accessible, and you can view several glaciers up close and personal, as well as the Harding Icefield (more on that later!).
What to Do in Kenai Fjords National Park
There are a couple different way to experience Kenai Fjords National Park, and all easily doable in one day! You can drive in and explore on foot, explore via a boat tour, or even take a flight-seeing tour to see the landscape by small plane.
Explore on Foot
The cheapest way to experience Kenai Fjords is to drive in and hike in the park, which is how we decided to spend our day. Pro-tip: Kenai Fjords National Park is free to enter, which is a nice perk since most parks do have a fee to enter.
After grabbing breakfast at our hotel in Seward, we made the 30-minute drive to the Exit Glacier Nature Center. The drive in becomes more scenic, so be on the lookout for wildlife. We learned people spotted a moose alongside the road the morning we drove in, but unfortunately we didn’t see it. You also drive alongside a river that eventually empties into the ocean. It’s very scenic, even if you do happen to have some drizzle and clouds.
Eventually there will be areas to park along the road to take in your first views of Exit Glacier…
Hiking Options in Kenai Fjords National Park
Once parked at the nature center, we stamped our National Park Passport book and spoke to a park ranger about hiking options.
There are several different hiking options departing from the nature center. The shortest is the Exit Glacier View & Overlook trail, a 2.2 mile loop which hits the best viewpoints to see Exit Glacier.
If you are short on time or aren’t up for 2.2 miles, consider the ADA loop which is one mile, and still has views of Exit Glacier. If you are up for it though and have time, I recommend the full loop so you can take in the views at Exit Glacier Overlook (photo at the top was taken at this overlook).
Or, if you are up for a challenge, consider the strenuous Harding Icefield Trail (HIT). The Harding Icefield Trail is a strenuous, 8.4 mile out-and-back trail, with over 3,000 feet in elevation gain. Those who make it to the summit, or at least to the Top of the Cliffs Overlook (2.4 miles in at 2,400 feet) will have tremendous views of the massive Harding Icefield (srsly, Google images of it!).
Secretly I hoped to hike part of this trail, but I knew the weather wasn’t on our side.
After speaking with the ranger about our options, we left with a good plan, given the weather. He shared if we made it to Marmot Meadows (1.4 miles in, ~1,600 feet) on the Harding Icefield Trail we could assess what the views would look like if we continued to Top of the Cliffs.
I will add I was only mildly (hah!) worried about the ranger’s bear warning… He shared a couple had tried to hike the HIT the day before, but came upon a bear sitting on the trail who had no intention of moving.
Note to self: talk loudly and be bear-aware in the park!
First we headed for Glacier View and Exit Glacier Overlook.
Despite the light drizzle and cool conditions (did I mention waterproof rain jackets are a must in Alaska?), we enjoyed taking in various views along the lower trails from the nature center.
After Exit Glacier Overlook, the rain stopped. It was now or much, much later, so we decided to hike some of the HIT. I jotted down our names on the log-book, and hoped no one would need to reference the log book to find us!
It wasn’t long before we were huffing and puffing. This trail is rated strenuous and rightly so. It’s steep. You basically climb up steps the entire way through dense forest/vegetation. The views though were incredible at points, despite the heavy clouds. With the dense vegetation it’s very clear why you need to be bear-aware.
After about 1.5 hours of hiking, we reached Marmot Meadows (I think, never saw a sign). We rested, had some snacks, and decided we had gone far enough. Clouds were moving in and it had started to drizzle again.
If you hike to Marmot Meadows, be aware you will not have views of Exit Glacier until you nearly reach Marmot Meadows. And even then, the picture you see on the right below was taken from a mostly overgrown, small off-shoot trail. And, only because my husband is tall and stood on a rock to take the photo. At 5’3, I was not able to see the glacier very well through the vegetation. Honestly that was a bit disappointing; we didn’t feel like we got a good payoff for our effort.
Pro-tip: We experienced much better views of Exit Glacier from the short, paved trail from the Nature Center, and adding the extra .6 mile spur trail to Exit Glacier Overlook–keep this in mind if glacier viewing is your biggest priority!
So, was it worth the effort to Marmot Meadows on the HIT? Probably not, but I’m still glad we did it. This was the most strenuous activity we did in Alaska, and it just felt nice to be out in nature, mostly alone, moving our bodies. At points we hiked in a steady rain.
I am glad we turned around when we did though, as my right knee started acting up as it usually does on steep descents (I need to figure that out!).
Soaking wet from the rain, we arrived back at our vehicle around 1:00, after a bathroom stop at the nature center. All told, we did the easy loop, Exit Glacier overlook, and hiked to Marmot Meadows (and took a break with snacks), and back in about 4 hours. I’d estimate this was about 5 miles, maybe more.
We were exhausted, but it was the perfect way for us to spend one day in Kenai Fjords National Park.
Gear to Bring
If you plan to enter Kenai Fjords National Park and hike, be sure to plan ahead with proper gear.
Given the ranger’s comment to us about bears, you may want to consider bear-spray. When I expressed concern over our lack of bear spray, the ranger didn’t seem too concerned. If you have it bring it, but it’s not a requirement.
Waterproof rain jackets are essential for Alaska in general, in our opinion. I upgraded to REI’s rain jacket and was pretty happy with it, while he upgraded to Patagonia’s Torrentshell before we left. I would definitely wear layers as the weather can change quickly, especially if you hike the HIT and have the significant change in elevation. Plus, did you know glaciers create their own microclimates? Nature is wild, I tell you!
I invested in these new hiking pants before we left and was happy with their performance for several physical activities, including our Matanuska Glacier hike and hiking in Kenai Fjords.
You know we never go anywhere without our trusty day pack, or our Nalgene bottles for water.
Be sure to bring lots of water, especially if you plan to hike the HIT. We ran out of water about 30 minutes from the parking lot on our descent, so we did not plan well. You’ll also need to bring snacks and any food you want as there are no concessions at the nature center. Our go-to is beef jerky and some type of energy bars. Salty snacks help provide electrolytes you may need if you are sweating and drinking lots of water. Which, trust me, if you hike any of the HIT you will sweat!
Follow leave no trace principles! Be aware there are no toilet facilities on the HIT. Plan to pack out everything you bring in, including used toilet paper.
We didn’t pack our hiking poles for this trip, but they would have been very helpful to traverse the HIT (up and down).
And of course, don’t forget your camera!
Explore by Boat
If hiking isn’t your thing or you don’t have a car to drive around the area, consider a boat tour to explore Kenai Fjords National Park.
During my research and planning for this trip, I bookmarked the Major Marine 6-hour tour out of Seward. This specific tour included viewing a tidewater glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park, as well as lots of time to view wildlife. However, I’m glad we didn’t book this tour in advance.
We didn’t have the best weather to take a boat tour during our time in Seward. Steady rain began during our drive from Anchorage to Seward, and continued on and off for the following two days. In addition, the seas were rough.
The high seas were enough to be a hard no for my husband. He was traumatized from a whale-watching tour last year where we learned the hard way small boats and rough water are a terrible combination. Plus we inadvertently sat in the front of the boat, which is the worst place to feel the boat move. He did not puke, but was miserably seasick for a majority of our 3+ hour tour. I digress…
I do regret missing out on the Major Marine boat tour. However given the weather, sea conditions, and the overall cost of the tour we made the right decision at the time.
Long story short, there are several tour operators to explore Kenai Fjords by boat. Do your research and understand cancellation policies!
Explore by Plane
We talked to several people during our time in Kenai Fjords National Park who planned to take a flight-seeing tour of the area. While we didn’t take a flight-seeing tour in this area, I can imagine seeing the landscape from above would be amazing!
If a flight-seeing tour sounds like something you want to do, check out the NPS website for more information. Again, always be sure to understand cancellation policies, as these tours are not cheap.
Other Ways to Explore
If you are seeking an even more adventurous way to explore Kenai Fjords National Park, you can find more details on kayaking, mountaineering, fishing expeditions, etc. on the NPS website.
No matter how you choose to explore you’ll be in awe of this park’s wild, sheer beauty.
Kenai Fjords National Park really made our visit to Seward worth it. Despite the less than desirable weather, we’re glad we didn’t let the weather deter us from exploring this park. There aren’t many national parks where a half-day suffices to “see” the park, but Kenai Fjords is definitely one of them. Even if you have a just a couple hours you can enjoy and appreciate this spectacular park!
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