How do I visit Kenai Fjords National Park? The community of Seward, Alaska, is the gateway for Kenai Fjords National Park. Seward is located 126 miles south of Anchorage. You can travel to Seward via car, train, shuttle or cruise ship.

Kenai Fjords National Park can be divided into three main areas: the Coast, the Exit Glacier Area and the Harding Icefield. The most common way to view the Park's coast is by a taking a boat tour, offered daily, from Seward. Although, water taxi services and kayak trips are available as well. Exit Glacier is the only part of the park accessible by road. You can access the Harding Icefield via a strenuous hiking trail or a scenic overflight.  

Which boat tour should I take? Will I see whales, puffins, and tidewater glaciers on my cruise? Many private boat companies offer boat tours of the fjords. When planning a boat tour, please consider that there are no tidewater glaciers in Resurrection Bay. Tidewater glaciers are those that calve or break directly into the ocean. To visit a tidewater glacier you would need to reserve a tour that travels deeper into the National Park, such as those to Aialik or Northwestern Bay. However, to access these bays requires travel into the unprotected, North Gulf of Alaska waters, around Cape Aialik. Please take precautions for sea-sickness. 

During the summer months, late May through the beginning of September, puffins, whales, and other wildlife are prevalent. Although it cannot be predicted where, when, or if you will have the opportunity to view such wildlife, the longer boat trips do have a higher probability of viewing more due to being on the water for a longer period of time.

How do I get to Exit Glacier? Exit Glacier is the only part of the park accessible by road. To get there, travel 8.6 miles down Herman Leirer/Exit Glacier Road at mile 3 of the Seward Highway. Several companies provide taxi/shuttle bus service from Seward.

Are there hiking trails in the Park? The only maintained trails in Kenai Fjords National Park are those in the Exit Glacier area. From the Exit Glacier parking lot a 3/4 mile trail takes you to the foot of the glacier. The first 1/4 mile is paved and handicap accessible. Once at the glacier, you can wander along the relatively flat outwash plain or head up the moderately strenuous Overlook Loop Trail along the glacier's edge. You can return by the same path or take the Nature Trail, a slightly longer, more wooded route, back to the parking lot.  If you are looking for a longer day hike – don’t miss the Harding Icefield Trail. The Icefield Trail will take approximately 6-8 hours to complete. It is a strenuous eight mile hike in which you gain nearly 4,000 feet in elevation to an overlook of 500 square miles of snow and ice.              

Does Kenai Fjords National Park have a Junior Ranger Program? Kenai Fjords has a Junior Ranger Program for children ages 4-12. Pick up a Junior Ranger Activity Booklet at the Information Center or the Nature Center. Once children complete the activities for their age group they can earn a Junior Ranger Badge.

Does Kenai Fjords National Park have a cancellation stamp for my Park Passport Book? Cancellation stamps are located at the Information Center and the Exit Glacier Nature Center.  

What is a fjord?   A fjord is a glacially carved, U-shaped valley that is filled with sea water. Glaciers act as giant bulldozers, transforming V-shaped river valleys into wider U-shaped valleys. As the glacier melts and ocean levels rise, these glacially carved valleys fill in with sea water and become fjords.