About Kenai Fjords National Park
At the edge of the Kenai Peninsula lies a land where the ice age lingers. Nearly 40 glaciers flow from the Harding Icefield, Kenai Fjords' crowning feature. Wildlife thrives in icy waters and lush forests along the fjords once carved by the vast expanse of ice. Today, shrinking glaciers bear witness to the effects of our changing climate.
Plan a Visit
Core visitor information on this page is sourced from the National Park Service. NPD proximity sections use NPS reference coordinates and straight-line distance. Local source bundle updated Sep 27, 2026. View the official NPS page.
Weather & Conditions
The weather in Kenai Fjords is difficult to predict and can change rapidly. The area generally enjoys a relatively temperate maritime climate, primarily due to the influence of warmer ocean currents that flows through the Gulf of Alaska. Summer daytime temperatures range from the mid 40s°F to the low 70s°F.…
NPS Reference Location
Park state / territory membership: Alaska. This map uses the National Park Service reference coordinate. It may represent an administrative or reference point rather than a park entrance, trailhead, visitor center, or the nearest access point. Use the official NPS directions below when planning travel.
Operating Hours
The park is open year-round. The primary months to visit are June, July, and August. There are reduced services in the area during the months of May and September. The road to the Exit Glacier area is not plowed during the winter months, and is closed to vehicle traffic once it is covered in snow and ice. The park's coastal backcountry in also largely inaccessible late fall through the early spring due to rough seas.
Activities
Current Alerts
Entering an ice fall hazard zone is prohibited in Kenai Fjords National Park. The terminus of Aialik Glacier is a high-risk area, where unstable ice can fall in blocks or columns. This can generate localized tsunami waves that wash over newly deglaciated and nearby beaches. Rapidly collapsing ice and breakage can cause severe injury or death.
The canyon from the toe of Exit Glacier to where Exit Creek opens into the Outwash Plain is susceptible to sudden outburst flood events. These events produce sudden surges of water, ice and rock. For your safety please stick to designated park trails.
On August 7, 2024, a landslide triggered tsunami washed over portions of Pedersen Lagoon near Aialik Bay (59.8842N, -149.7309W). We recommend caution for those visiting the area in and around Pedersen Lagoon. Click more for additional information.
Getting There
Kenai Fjords National Park is located just outside the town of Seward in south-central Alaska, 126 miles south of Anchorage. Even though the park is often inaccessible during the winter months, Seward is accessible year-round via the Seward Highway, a National Scenic Byway. Follow the Seward Highway (AK-1) south from Anchorage. It will become AK-9 around mile 35 (87 miles from Anchorage) with AK-1 heading to Homer and Kenai. Continue on AK-9 to Seward.
View Official DirectionsContact & Address
The NPS-listed address may be an administrative office, visitor center, mailing/contact location, or other park facility rather than a park entrance.
Topics & Themes
Things To Do
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…
Get a Passport Stamp at Kenai Fjords National Park
Get your Kenai Fjords National Park cancellation stamps and more.
Kayak in Kenai Fjords
Explore Kenai Fjords by kayak. Paddling in Kenai Fjords can be a once in a lifetime experience. By dipping your…
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…
Experience Kenai Fjords National Park in winter
Once the road to Exit Glacier is snow-covered and closed to cars, it is accessible by fat bikes and cross-country…
Explore the Exit Glacier area in a couple of hours
Would you like to visit the Exit Glacier area, but only have a couple of hours? These are some suggestions…
More Things to Do
Additional activities and experiences from the National Park Service.
Explore Kenai Fjords by air
Overflights also provide dramatic views of the park's glaciers, fjords, and wildlife. You may catch a glimpse of a mountain goat traversing…
Become a Fjord Junior Ranger
A junior ranger walk focused on fjords. Join a ranger to learn about these amazing ecosystems
Fish in the Seward Area
The area surrounding Kenai Fjords has outstanding opportunities for both fresh and salt water fishing
Become a Glacier Junior Ranger
Earn a Glacier Junior Ranger patch by checking out a Discovery Backpack or an Art for Parks backpack and completing some activities.
Stay in a Public Use Cabin
Consider staying in one of the park's three public use cabins. These cabins provide a great opportunity to stay overnight in Kenai…
Hike the Harding Icefield Trail
The 8.2-mile round trip Harding Icefield Trail is a spectacular day hike. Travel from the valley floor, through forests, meadows and the…
Visitor Centers
Kenai Fjords National Park Visitor Center
The main park visitor center is located in the Seward small boat harbor. The visitor center provides opportunities to view the park film, an Alaska…
Exit Glacier Nature Center
The Exit Glacier Nature Center is the trailhead for all that the Exit Glacier area has to offer, including the Harding Icefield trail. The building…
Campgrounds
Exit Glacier Campground
Exit Glacier has a 12-site, walk-in, tent-campground. Sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. There are no reservations or camping fees. There is a…
Nearby National Park Service Sites
These sites are ordered by straight-line distance between NPS reference coordinates. This is useful for comparison, but it is not road mileage. Trails, parkways, rivers, and distributed units may extend far from their reference point.
Nearby Cities for Trip Planning
These cities are ordered by straight-line distance from the NPS reference coordinate. They are comparison starting points, not official park gateways or road-distance estimates. Trails and other distributed units may extend far beyond this reference point.
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