Kenai Fjords National Park

🧊

Glacier calving

Top hazard

💵

Entrance fee

🛣️

Exit Glacier only

Road access

🏔️

700 sq mi

Harding Icefield

🏕

12 sites

Exit Glacier Campground

📷

None

Live cameras

⚠️Glacier & Boat SafetyCalving danger▾

🧊 NPS's dedicated Kayak and Boat Safety guidance: stay at least 1/2 mile from any tidewater glacier terminus — calving can generate large waves even from that distance — and land or camp at least 2 miles away. NPS notes "calving is a daily occurrence at many of our glaciers," and cites a 2015 M6.3 earthquake that triggered a 1-mile swath of ice calving from Bear Glacier. Hypothermia is also flagged as one of the park's greatest dangers, and the nearest hospital is 2–3 hours away. NPS boat safety info ↗

Quick Stats

Established1980

Icefield Share of Park~51%

Harding Icefield Trail8.2 mi RT

Gateway TownSeward

🚗Access & EntryNo entrance fee▾

🛣️ NPS is explicit: Exit Glacier, via Herman Leirer ("Exit Glacier") Road off the Seward Highway, is "the only road-accessible portion of Kenai Fjords National Park." The road closes to vehicles late-October through mid-May (winter shuttle service operates in that window); the rest of the park — fjords, tidewater glaciers, the Harding Icefield — is boat or small-plane access only. NPS Exit Glacier info ↗

🚤 NPS "does not have any authorized concessioners or park rangers on boat tours, nor can it recommend specific companies." Established local operators (Kenai Fjords Tours, operating since 1978; Major Marine Tours, 30+ years) run wildlife and glacier cruises out of Seward, but these are private businesses, not NPS-affiliated.

Entry Fees

Entrance FeeNone

Entrance PassNot required

🥾Exit Glacier & Harding Icefield3 trails▾

Trails3▾

Glacier View Loop TrailEasy, ~1 mile, loops through cottonwood forest back to the parking area

Glacier Overlook TrailModerately strenuous 0.6 mi extension

Harding Icefield Trail8.2 mi round trip, strenuous, ~1,000 ft gain/mile, 6–8 hrs recommended8.2 mi

Harding Icefieldcontext▾

Size700 sq mi — nearly 51% of the entire park

GlaciersMore than 30 glaciers flow from the icefield (current NPS figure — supersedes the older "38 glacier" count)

Retreat markersNPS research indicates ~2.5 km of terminus retreat at Exit Glacier since 1815

🏕Camping12 sites · FCFS▾

Exit Glacier CampgroundFirst-come, first-served▾

Sites12, tent-only, frequently full by evening in July–Aug

Stay Limit14 days max

Capacity2 tents / 8 people per site, no RVs, no pets

AmenitiesCentral food/cooking shelter, pump water, pit toilets (2 ADA)

NPS camping info ↗

Backcountry & Public Use CabinsPermit / reservation▾

BackcountryBoat/kayak access, bear-safe food storage required

Public use cabins$50–$75/night, reservation required

NPS cabin info ↗

📍Landmarks4 stops▾

Key Locations4 stops▾

Exit GlacierThe only road-accessible glacier in the park

Aialik BayBoat-access fjord with tidewater glaciers

Holgate GlacierPopular tidewater glacier on tour boat routes

Northwestern FjordRemote fjord, boat-access only

Park Contact Information

📞 Phone: (907) 318-2040 · Visitor Center: (907) 318-2064 (seasonal) · Mailing Address: PO Box 1727, Seward, AK 99664 · Official NPS contact page ↗