Kenai Fjords National Park: A Simple Guide
Did you know that Alaska is home to 8 of the country’s 63 national parks. Of those 8, Kenai Fjords National Park is one of the most popular. In recent years, it has hit record high visitation. In 2023, it saw 389k visitors. For comparison, the highest visited National Park, Great Smokey Mountains, sees 13.3 MILLION visitors per year. Why is Kenai Fjords so low? It’s remote. Some may need to take multiple flights, then car, and even boat to get to parts of it. 40% of it is covered in ICE. Alaska is a wild and special place.
Kenai Fjords National Park has hit its highest visitation ever in recent years.
Best Time to Visit Kenai Fjords National Park
Generally, people visit Kenai Fjords National Park between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Different parts of the park, or services, are closed for winter, which I will mention below. Temperatures are chilly throughout the whole year- so you do need to be prepared with proper gear and clothing. Even in peak season (June, July, August), temperatures rarely get over 55 degrees and sunny days are few and far between. Which is OK- it is beautiful regardless of weather. I visited for the first time on Labor Day Weekend- the end of peak season- and I loved it.
MAY TEMPS: 25-39, JUNE TEMPS: 30-45, JULY TEMPS: 35-50, AUGUST TEMPS: 35-48, SEPTEMBER TEMPS: 29-41
Where is Kenai Fjords National Park?
Kenai Fjords National Park is located in Southcentral Alaska. Alaska is split into regions. You may be familiar with Southeastern Alaska, which is the “tail” that sits along Canada, that cruises normally go through. There is also Southwestern Alaska, Interior Alaska, and Far North. We will talk about the different ways to get to Kenai Fjords National Park, but it is generally accessible by flying into Anchorage (the main airport in the state), and driving town to Seward, Alaska (2 hr drive).
How to Explore Kenai Fjords National Park
Alright friends, let’s get into HOW and WHERE to explore Kenai Fjords. As I mentioned, it is remote and a bit hard to get to. But that makes the adventure so much better! I created a graphic below to give you a lay of the land, and I will explain each of them afterwards.
1. Explore Via Car and By Foot: Exit Glacier Area
jacket info: FP Movement Singing in the Rain Jacket. I rent from Nuuly (use my discount code here), to get cute outfits for vacations!
The Exit Glacier Area is the only part of Kenai Fjords National Park accessible by car. This spot is only 15 miles from Downtown Seward, making it convenient if you’re in the area. The road down to Exit Glacier is stunning, too. Amenities include a tent/car campground, a nature center/ visitor center, flush toilets, potable water, picnic tables, roadside viewpoints, hikes, and parking. Keep in mind, the Exit Glacier Visitor Center is only open Memorial Day to Labor Day. In addition, the road to Exit Glacier does close in the winter, weather dependent, usually sometime in October. The park itself is open year-round.
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Exit Glacier Hike
The most common thing to do in Exit Glacier Area is hike the Exit Glacier Trail. It is about 2 miles long and ends in a beautiful view of Exit Glacier. There is a part of this loop that is wheelchair accessible as well. I definitely underestimated this hike. It’s beautiful. 100% recommend as one of the best things to do in Kenai Fjords National Park.
jacket info: FP Movement Singing in the Rain Jacket. I rent from Nuuly (use my discount code here), to get cute outfits for vacations!
Harding Icefield Hike
If you’re interested in a more difficult hike, try out Harding Icefield. This gets you up and over the canyon to see a larger portion of the glacier. This hike branches off the Exit Glacier Hike. It’s about 8.6 miles and over 3,000 ft elevation gain. If you’re new to hiking, this is A LOT. I didn’t do this hike due to time limitations (it would probably take 5-7 hrs). But, the views are stunning.
Other Things to Do: Exit Glacier
The most common things to do in the Exit Glacier Area are hiking either Exit Glacier Loop or the Harding Icefield. If you’re staying longer, or want to do more, consider hiking the Resurrection River Trail. If you want to camp, you can find info HERE. If you like tours, there are multiple companies that do tours by foot or by air in the Exit Glacier Area, like the Exit Glacier Guides, out of Seward.
2. Explore Kenai Fjords By Boat Tour
Another option to exploring Kenai Fjords National Park is to go on a boat tour. Boat tours leave out of Seward, Alaska. To get to Seward, either get a rental car, or ride the Alaska Railroad Train from Anchorage to Seward ($183 RT). The schedule from May to September leaves at 6:45am and arrives in Seward at 1120am, and leaves Seward at 6pm to get back to Anchorage at 1015pm.
I’ve heard the train is beautiful, but going from train to boat right back to train (making your day 16 hrs long) is TOO MUCH for me. Highly consider NOT doing both the train and boat if you struggle with motion sickness.
Another option to exploring Kenai Fjords National Park is to go on a boat tour. Boat tours leave out of Seward, Alaska. To get to Seward, either get a rental car, or ride the Alaska Railroad Train from Anchorage to Seward ($183 RT). The schedule from May to September leaves at 6:45am and arrives in Seward at 1120am, and leaves Seward at 6pm to get back to Anchorage at 1015pm.
I’ve heard the train is beautiful, but going from train to boat right back to train (making your day 16 hrs long) is TOO MUCH for me. Highly consider NOT doing both the train and boat if you struggle with motion sickness.
A boat tour will take you up close to parts of Kenai Fjords National Park that you can’t see any other way. One of the most photographed landmarks in the world is on this tour- Spire Cove, listed below. I added my own photos to the map of routes below so you have an idea of what you’d be able to see. We took the 6 hour tour (green loop) from 1130 am to 530 pm. They serve lunch (included) and there is a bar with drinks and snacks as well! Personally, I could have done the 4 hr tour (you wouldn’t see the glacier, but we saw one hiking so I would have been OK). Definitely don’t feel the 8 hr is necessary. On our tour, we saw whales, otters, sea lions, puffins, and all other types of birds. It was so fun! You get an indoor table assigned, and then there are 3 levels of outdoor covered viewing.
Motion Sickness Tips
On any given tour, it’s common for up to 30% of the crowd to have some symptoms of motion sickness. Come prepared with multiple ways to prevent and treat it. I suggest taking over the counter dramamine at the start of your trip. You can also ask your primary care provider (I am a PCP!) to prescribe you ondansetron tablets and a scopolamine patch (goes behind your ear, preventative). Last, I suggest getting these goofy motion sickness goggles from amazon. They look silly, but work for me!!
3. Explore Via Air: Plane and Helicopter Tours
fleece info: Outdoor Afro + REI Pullover Fleece
One of the best ways to see Kenai Fjords National Park is by air. We’ve taken 2 helicopter tours in Alaska now and they were both incredible and 100% worth it. If you’d like to take a tour out of Seward to see Kenai Fjords, I highly recommend Marathon Helicopters. We actually did a $75 pp Mt. Marathon drop off and hike down (a hike in Seward), but they fly around Kenai Fjords for scenic tours and even landings if you want! 3 people per heli tour.
Want to Tour Kenai Fjords by Air?
4. Explore Kenai Fjords By Cruise
The last option to seeing Kenai Fjords is by cruise ship. I have personally never done a cruise, but many people choose to travel to Alaska via cruise. While I was there, the Viking Cruise ship was there. I attached their map of travel below. They seem to start or end at Seward, so you’d have time to explore the area as much as you want!
Final Thoughts About Kenai Fjords National Park
I hope this blog clears up any confusion you may have had about Kenai Fjords National Park and helps to plan your trip. If I had to rank ways to see Kenai Fjords out of the 4 I gave you, 4 would be cruise, 3 would be by boat, 2 would be by foot, and 1 would be by air. Happy hiking friends!!!!
