Kenai Fjords National Park

Overcast and cool days are frequent in this maritime climate of abundant rain. Summer daytime temperatures range from the mid-40s to low 70s (F). The wet, stormy fall begins in September. Wool or synthetic clothing and sturdy rain gear - pants, coat and hat - are essential.

There are no entrance or camping fees.

Reservations are required for the Park's Public Use Cabins.

Ranger Programs:

Joining a ranger for a short walk, interpretive talk or day hike is a great way to learn more about Kenai Fjords National Park. Programs are offered between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day unless otherwise noted.

Ranger-led walks to Exit Glacier are offered at 10am, 2pm and 4pm daily. These walks are approximately 1-2 hours in length. No reservations are required. Meet outside the Exit Glacier Nature Center.

Guided hikes on the Harding Icefield Trail are offered on Saturdays in July and August. The hike departs from the Exit Glacier Nature Center at 9am. Please come prepared with sturdy footwear, layered clothing, water and food as this is approximately a 7-8 hour activity. No reservations are required.

Ocean Alaska Science and Learning Center Programs are offered at the Alaska SeaLife Center daily at 11am and 3pm. The 11am program centers around the Alutiiq Native Alaskan culture through Archeology research. The 3pm program covers various topics related to glaciers and climate change. Admission to the Alaska SeaLife Center is required.

A Self-guided Junior Ranger Program is available for children ages 4-12. Pick up a booklet at the Information Center, Exit Glacier Nature Center or from any ranger. Complete the activities for your age to earn a Junior Ranger Badge.

The only maintained trails in Kenai Fjords National Park are those in the Exit Glacier area. These include several short trails on the valley floor and the Harding Icefield Trail.
Most of the backcountry is trail-less wilderness. Off-trail hiking is not recommended. The terrain is steep and rugged, and often requires scrambling through dense vegetation.
Other hiking trails near Kenai Fjords National Park are located within:

• Caines Head State Recreation Area
• Chugach National Forest - Seward Ranger District
• Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

The Harding Icefield offers excellent mountaineering possibilities. Parties wishing to explore the icefield should be well versed in glacier travel and crevasse rescue techniques and should be experienced skiers. However, people can also travel on the icefield with snowshoes. Travelers should rope together whenever moving on the icefield as buried crevasses can be encountered anywhere.

Access: April is generally the best time of year for crossing the icefield. The days are getting longer and warmer but there is still plenty of snow to ski and pull sleds on the approach and descent. The easiest access points are Exit Glacier on the east side and Tustemena or Chernof glaciers on the west. The most popular routes are from Tustemena Glacier to Exit Glacier and from Chernof Glacier (via the Fox River on Kachemak Bay) to Exit Glacier. Exit Glacier is the ideal ‘exit’ since it is the one access point where you don’t have to rely on meeting a boat or a plane. There is no way to predict exactly how long a traverse will take, so it is easier to end the trip where you don’t have to have a pre-arranged pick up date/time.

Successful traverses have taken anywhere from six days to two weeks, but many parties have been turned back by the weather. Storms from the Gulf of Alaska can sweep in at any time of year, bringing winds in excess of 100 miles per hour. Anyone attempting to travel on or transverse the icefield must be prepared for the possibility of being pinned down by winds and whiteout for days at a time.

Camping: Carry a shovel and always build a snow wall around your camp – even if it looks like a beautiful evening. Storms can come up quickly and unexpectedly and high winds can tear up an unprotected tent.

Food Storage: Proper food storage is required throughout the park. Bear resistant food storage canisters are recommended for icefield crossings. You may encounter bears and other wildlife several miles from the icefield’s edge and there are no other viable food storage options.

Human Waste Disposal: Human waste should be disposed of in a deep crevasse or packed out.

Don't Forget these essentials:

* Stove and plenty of fuel (enough for cooking and melting snow for drinking water)
* Extra stove and repair kit
* Four season expedition quality tent
* Shovel
* Foot care products (to combat blisters, etc.)
* Climbing gear for glacial travel and crevasse rescue
* Maps, Compass and GPS for navigation (especially in poor visibility)

Those lucky enough to have good weather can experience an awesome glimpse back into the ice age, when entire continents were dominated by glaciers. Isolated nunataks jut up from the vast white expanse like dark islands in a smooth sea, begging to be explored. The view from the summit of one of these jagged peaks is indescribably beautiful and eerie.

Fishing

The area surrounding Kenai Fjords National Park has outstanding opportunities for both fresh and salt water fishing. Within the park’s backcountry you can fish coastal streams for salmon and Dolly Varden. The Fjords and Resurrection Bay are hotspots for salmon, halibut, rockfish and lingcod. You can fish right from shore in Seward and opportunities abound for freshwater fishing in the lakes and streams in nearby Chugach National Forest.

State Fishing Licenses are required. Fishing charters are available year-round.

Kayaking

Traveling with a guide is strongly recommended for inexperienced paddlers. The Kenai Fjords are exposed to the Gulf of Alaska, with only a few protected coves. These are not waters for beginners! Landings often involve surf, particularly when afternoon breezes kick up from the south. Wind and rainfall can be excessive, and summer storms often push an ocean swell of three feet or more into the fjords.

Most kayakers access the park by water taxi or charter boat from Seward and get dropped off in Aialik Bay or Northwestern Lagoon. Another alternative is to fly in to the less-visited Nuka Bay area from Homer. Paddling directly from Seward is okay for day trips in Resurrection Bay or overnight visits to Caines Head or Bear Glacier, but rounding Aialik Cape in a kayak is not recommended. There are long stretches of exposed coastline with no landing sites between Callisto Head and Aialik Cape, and the waters around the Cape can be extremely treacherous.

Boat Tours

Boat tours depart Seward’s small boat harbor daily in the summer months. It’s a good idea to make reservations in advance. Many companies offer full-day tours that venture out to the park’s tidewater glaciers and half-day tours that give you a taste of the park’s wildlife and scenery while staying in the more protected waters of Resurrection Bay.

Once the Exit Glacier Road is snow-covered and closed to cars, it is accessible by cross-country skis, snowmobile or dog sled. Winter recreation generally starts in early November and the snow can last into May. This can vary greatly from season to season, so be sure to check on current conditions before starting out.

Winter is one of the best times of year to spot moose at Exit Glacier. Enjoy viewing them from a distance, since they are likely to be stressed in this season of food scarcity.

Facilities

A warming hut with firewood and benches is available for day use. The Willow Public Use Cabin can be rented by the night, providing visitors with a once in a lifetime winter backcountry experience.

Snowmobiles

Snowmobiles are allowed in the park once there is at least 18 inches of snow with a solid base. The Harding Icefield has adequate snow cover year round, but the rest of the park is generally open to snowmobile use from November through April. The use of snowmobiles is prohibited within the Exit Glacier Developed Area, except on the Exit Glacier Road, in the parking areas, and on a designated route through the Exit Glacier Campground to Exit Creek. Riders must follow the Alaska State Laws and NPS regulations that govern snowmobile use in the park.

Ice Climbing

Technical ice climbing is permitted on the glacier’s terminus from November through March. The rest of the year, climbers must be at least ½ mile above the terminus. Ice climbing opportunities are very limited due to unstable ice conditions.

Nearby Attractions

• Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge
• Alaska Sea Life Center
• Caines Head State Recreation Area
• Chugach National Forest - Seward Ranger District
• Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

Kenai Fjords can be divided into three main areas; Exit Glacier, the coastal fjords and the Harding Icefield. Each provides visitors with very different opportunities to experience and explore this place where mountains, ice and oceans meet.

Exit Glacier: Exit Glacier is the easiest part of the Park to access. Short trails to the Glacier's terminus, ranger programs and interpretive displays make it a popular day use area.

The Coast: Boat tours and kayaks are great ways to experience the park's backcountry coastline, tidewater glaciers and marine wildlife.

The Harding Icefield: This is the park's dominant feature. It is somewhat harder to access, but a scenic overflight gives you a sense of its vast size and hikers can get great views from the Harding Icefield Trail.