“USA 🇺🇸 Alaska ~Seward’s Kenai Fjords National Park at Exit Glacier”

• June 26, 2023
• By Pen
• 0 Comment

How do I describe the drive to Kenai Fjords National Park?

SHORT!

A very short drive, that led to a great hike!

Kenai Fjords National Park ⬇️

Kenai Fjords National Park is one of the best parks for wildlife viewing. There is also no charge for entering this National Park.

On land; by boat, or driving to the trail head and hiking, you might see Moose, Black Bears, Brown Bears and Wolves.

By boat: Sea Lions, Seals, Dolphins, Humpback Whales, Orcas, Sea Otters, and Fin Whales can be spotted in the sea.

Kenai Fjords National Park Facts:

*Established in 1980

*Covers 699,983 acres

* Sparsely populated, the Kenai Peninsula is 25,600 square miles, which averages out to be about 400 acres per person

*The longest day is June 21st, and it’s 19 hours and 21 minutes long, and the shortest day is December 22nd and it’s only 5 hours and 28 minutes long

⬆️ Exit Glacier, as seen from the roadway, in to the park

What to expect on land in Kenai Fjord National Park

The Exit Glacier, just outside Seward, is one of only a few glaciers that can be seen from the road in south central Alaska. This road; (Herman Leirer) is closed during the winter months.
You can also get up close to the Glacier, on a fairly short hike.
The easiest hike there is a 2.2-mile one; the Glacier View Loop.

It took us about 2-hours for the two mile round-trip and the elevation incline of just under 308 feet is at the end. It’s a nice trail.

We did not see any wildlife, as it’s a popular area, with plenty of people. Oh, and heads-up, no pets are allowed on this hike.

⬆️ The first loop from the right is the 2.2 mile trail we did.
The furthest trail is over 8 miles

Exit Glacier is only one of 35 Glaciers, that pour out of the Harding Icefield. 

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When it came time to choose our excursion, while in Seward, Alaska, I leaned toward us taking the Kenai Fjords National Park boat tour, but in the end, I chose a Kenai Fjord boat tour, instead.  

My thinking was this: Kenai Fjords National Park and the Resurrection Fjord tour are quite similar; only geographically do they differ, other than glacier viewing, with a line “draw in the water,” so there weren’t many differences: Same waters, essentially and same wildlife. 

The fjord tour we did go on, can not be done by driving, whereas, the Kenai National Park can be; though a very limited drive, with a hike.

In addition, we have more marine boat tours and fishing trips coming up; including more  glaciers.

In the end, we got a fabulous Marine Tour right next the Kenai National Park, for less money, and we did the additional driving road to the Exit Glacier, inside Kenai National Park, as well; which was a seven minute drive from our campground. 

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The current weather system that has been hanging above the Kenai Peninsula, (there, since before we arrived), is a bummer.
The constant rain/drizzle and cold temperatures aren’t so bad, but the low-lying clouds hamper some of the most beautiful views in the state! 

By day five of our stay in Seward, the fog lifted some, around the mountains, so we could see some blue sky and, in part, what we knew were there; and just how surrounded we actually were, by the beautiful mountain scenery.

By day six, no rain in the afternoon!

We’ve talked to enough locals to know this is not typical June weather, here. I’ve also visited this same peninsula in June, before, and know how summer-y it was back then. I also have a friend who lives here, and she left for a tropical location, below the lower 48!

The saving grace for me, here in Seward, as the days passed us by, have been watching many American Bald Eagles that come into view from our large picture windows, from inside The Whale, where it is warm and cozy, while I’m reading many books, near the fireplace view.

The Eagles are flying all around us; all day. Some are carrying sticks and fluff to their nest, and others have been clearly fishing, quite successfully with their talons gripping their prey, whilst still others are just soaring and landing in nearby trees.

THIS has been quite special!

Regardless of the weather, the campground we are in, continues to be full, as other RV travelers, just like us come and go, steadily.

We are mostly grateful we have all summer in Alaska. Being retired makes a big difference on an epic trip such as what we are doing.
Many others make this same trip up by RV, and leave after ten days, or two weeks; having very limited time, and not usually by choice. 

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Our next stop on the Kenai will be by tomorrow, in Soldotna; due (north) east from where we are, now. Will we see some summer weather, there? Who knows. BUT, we will make the best of whatever we have.

⬆️ Kenai Peninsula