Driving access to Kenai Fjords National Park is limited to a single specific area: the Exit Glacier section, located on the Kenai Peninsula mainland near Seward. This is the only portion of the park that can be reached by a standard vehicle. The remaining 90% of the park, which includes the vast Harding Icefield, rugged fjords, and tidewater glaciers, is exclusively accessible by water or air travel. Planning a visit requires a dual approach to experience the park’s full range of land-based and marine environments.
Road Access to Kenai Fjords
The only road that provides access directly into Kenai Fjords National Park leads to the Exit Glacier area. Visitors approach this section by following the Seward Highway, the primary route connecting the region to Anchorage. This highway leads to a spur road, Herman Leirer Road, commonly known as Exit Glacier Road.
This approximately nine-mile paved road ends at the park’s nature center and parking area, providing a direct path to the only glacier reachable by car. The geographic reason for this restricted access is the massive Harding Icefield, an immense expanse of ice that covers the park’s interior. The icefield acts as a barrier, with Exit Glacier being one of its outflowing glaciers that terminates on land, not in the ocean.
Exit Glacier’s position within a valley carved by ice makes it the single land-based viewing point for the Harding Icefield. Visitors can witness the process of glacial recession firsthand, observing markers that indicate the glacier’s terminus position from past decades. The land-locked nature of this glacier contrasts sharply with the park’s coastal features, which are defined by deep, water-filled valleys.
The park’s overall structure is defined by three major components: the Exit Glacier area, the Harding Icefield, and the rugged coastline of the outer fjords. While the drive allows for exploration of the terrestrial environment, the road ends at the edge of the icefield’s vastness. Seeing the marine and tidewater portions of the park requires a completely different mode of transportation.
Exploring the Fjords by Water
The majority of Kenai Fjords National Park’s dramatic landscape, including its tidewater glaciers and abundant marine ecosystem, must be explored by boat or air transport. Boat tours are the most common way to access the deep fjords, which were carved into U-shapes by glacial action and then flooded by rising sea levels. These tours originate from the small boat harbor in Seward, offering visitors a range of experiences from half-day to full-day excursions.
Shorter tours, typically four to six hours, often focus on the protected waters of Resurrection Bay, providing excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing. These routes frequently encounter active seabird colonies and marine mammals like Steller sea lions, harbor seals, and sea otters, which thrive in the nutrient-rich cold waters.
Longer full-day excursions, sometimes lasting up to nine hours, venture further into the Gulf of Alaska to reach the more remote fjords, such as Aialik Bay and Northwestern Fjord. These extended trips provide views of the park’s magnificent tidewater glaciers, which flow directly into the ocean.
The experience of watching a tidewater glacier involves observing the phenomenon of calving, where immense blocks of ice break off and crash into the saltwater. This ice is characterized by its dense, compressed structure, which reflects the high-energy blue light, giving the ice its distinct color. The glacial meltwater supports large seasonal aggregations of harbor seals, which use the floating ice as a pupping and molting habitat. The longer tours often enter areas known for feeding humpback and orca whales, offering a comprehensive view of the park’s geological and biological diversity.
Essential Driving and Parking Tips
Visitors planning to drive to the Exit Glacier area should be aware of specific logistical considerations. The Exit Glacier Road is subject to seasonal closures due to heavy snowfall, typically restricting vehicle access from late October through mid-May. During this winter period, the road is not plowed, and the distance from the road gate to the glacier is only passable via cross-country skis, snowmobiles, or dog sleds.
During the peak summer season, parking availability at the Exit Glacier Nature Center is limited, particularly midday. Visitors should arrive before 10:30 am or after 3:30 pm to secure a parking spot and avoid the busiest hours. Carpooling or utilizing local shuttle and taxi services from Seward is recommended to mitigate congestion.
There is no entrance fee to access the Exit Glacier area of Kenai Fjords National Park. However, a small fee is collected for the use of the walk-in tent campground located near the nature center. Travelers should check the official National Park Service website for current road status and trail conditions before beginning their drive.