Kenai Fjords National Park
Alaska Est. 1980

Kenai Fjords National Park

Glacier Ocean Mountains
Plan a visit Check conditions
Established
1980
Size
669,984 acres
Visitors / yr
418K
Entrance
Free
Best season
May through September
Nearest airport
ANC Ted Stevens Anchorage International
Danger: Canyon from Toe of Exit Glacier to the Outwash Plain +1 more Details Wildfire Tracker
01

Why Kenai Fjords is worth the trip

Alaska · Established 1980

Kenai Fjords is the accessible Alaska. Drive to Seward from Anchorage in under three hours, board a day cruise, and spend the afternoon watching tidewater glaciers calve slabs of ice into the sea while humpbacks, orcas, sea otters, and puffins work the same water. Few single boat rides anywhere pack in this much.

Behind it all sits the Harding Icefield, an ice-age leftover roughly 700 square miles across that feeds every glacier in the park. Meet one on foot at Exit Glacier, the park's only road-accessible corner, where trailside markers show how far the ice reached in years past, a timeline of retreat you read with your feet. If your legs are willing, push up the Harding Icefield Trail. The view from the top is white to the horizon.

Start with our full Kenai Fjords guide, then use the planning below.

02

Top things to do in Kenai Fjords

Where we would start, and what we would plan a day around. Read the full guide.

Kenai Fjords National Park
Start here

12 Things to Do in Kenai Fjords National Park

Read the guide
01 Snowmobile in Kenai Fjords National Park Snowmobiling · nps.gov Snowmobile in Kenai Fjords National Park Explore Kenai Fjords National Park by snowmobile. Once the road to Exit Glacier is snow-covered and closed to cars, it is accessible by snowmobile, 02 Get a Passport Stamp at Kenai Fjords National Park Bookstore and Park Store · nps.gov Get a Passport Stamp at Kenai Fjords National Park Get your Kenai Fjords National Park cancellation stamps and more. 03 Explore Kenai Fjords by Boat Boat Tour · nps.gov Explore Kenai Fjords by Boat Boat tours depart Seward's small boat harbor daily during the summer months, making it easy to travel deeper into the park. 04 Kayak in Kenai Fjords Kayaking · nps.gov Kayak in Kenai Fjords Explore Kenai Fjords by kayak. Paddling in Kenai Fjords can be a once in a lifetime experience. By dipping your paddle into these waters,...
03

Best hikes in Kenai Fjords

The trails that define the park, with the distance and elevation numbers that decide your day.

Hike the Harding Icefield Trail in Kenai Fjords The trail guide Hike the Harding Icefield Trail in Kenai Fjords 10 min read
Before you go

Get the Kenai Fjords heads-up

Permit windows, closures and seasonal alerts, plus our best Kenai Fjords guides, in your inbox before you go. Free, no spam.

04

Plan your trip

Our guides for the big decisions, plus the gear, maps and lodging we would actually use for Kenai Fjords.

Things to Do Best Hikes Fun Facts

Where to stay

Gateway towns with lodging, food and outfitters.

  • Seward, AKGateway town
  • Exit Glacier Campground 12 sites
Compare stays near Kenai Fjords

Maps & guides

Carry paper. Cell service dies fast inside most parks.

Kenai Fjords Trails Illustrated map
Waterproof National Geographic topo of the park.
View on Amazon
Kenai Fjords field guide
Trail-by-trail detail and planning help in print.
View on Amazon
America the Beautiful pass
$80 a year. Covers entrance fees at more than 2,000 federal recreation sites.
Get the pass

What to bring

Field-tested picks we bring on park trips.

  • Bear Spray
    Required carry in grizzly country. Practice the quick-draw before you need it. View on REI
  • Trekking Poles
    Save your knees on steep descents and river crossings. View on REI
  • Rain Jacket
    Mountain weather turns fast. Pack a shell even on clear mornings. View on REI
  • Fleece Jacket
    Mid-layer warmth for alpine mornings and evening campfires. View on REI

Getting there

  • ANC Ted Stevens Anchorage International 125 mi
NPS Official Page Reservations Google Maps

Some links in this section are affiliate links. If you book or buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend what we would use ourselves.

Kenai Fjords map

VC Visitor Center CG Campground Nearby Park
05

When to go

Loading weather...

Month-by-Month Conditions

Tap any month for details

Month
High
Low
Crowds
Roads
Jan
31°
21°
Low
Partial
Feb
34°
24°
Low
Partial
Mar
37°
25°
Low
Partial
Apr
45°
32°
Low
Partial
May Best
53°
39°
Moderate
Open
Jun Best
59°
46°
Peak
Open
Jul Best
62°
50°
Peak
Open
Aug Best
62°
50°
Peak
Open
Sep Best
56°
43°
Heavy
Open
Oct
46°
35°
Low
Open
Nov
36°
27°
Low
Partial
Dec
33°
23°
Low
Partial
Best months to visit Crowd level (low to peak)
06

More Kenai Fjords guides

07

Parks near Kenai Fjords

Within reach if you are building a longer trip.

Lake Clark National Park
Alaska

Lake Clark

147 miles away
Katmai National Park
Alaska

Katmai

213 miles away
Denali National Park
Alaska

Denali

238 miles away
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Alaska

Wrangell-St. Elias

256 miles away

Worth protecting

Kenai Fjords belongs to all of us

Protections that took generations to win can be rolled back in a single session of Congress. We keep watch so they hold.

See what's at stake Join the fight for Alaska

Threatened Lands Map

Follow what's happening on federal lands across the country with our interactive map.

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