The Kenai Fjords National Park maintains a unique topography with its frigid water and flourishing forest, interwoven around millennia old ice and snow. The crown jewel of the park is the Harding Icefield, with over 30 glaciers stemming from this remnant ice sheet. These historic glaciers carved out fjords, leaving behind the deep, narrow inlets the park is named for. Here the ice age lingers at the intersection of cautious exploration and intentional preservation. With such diversity, there are many ways to gain an appreciation for the pristine, immense wilderness, so we detailed everything you need to know about the Kenai Fjords, to help make the most of your time.
Alaska is home to eight national parks, and the Kenai Fjords is arguably the most accessible park in the state, only two and a half hours away from Anchorage— Alaska’s largest city. Not only does the park itself have a worthy draw, but the Kenai Fjords are the beloved backyard of Seward, a popular fishing town on the Kenai Peninsula. Between the two, this pocket of Alaska is a must-visit for anyone keen to experience the beauty of pristine, immense wilderness!
Fast Facts About the kenai fjords National Park
Size: 607,805 acres
Visitors: 411,782 visitors (data from 2021)
Distance from Anchorage: 130 miles — 2.5 hour drive
Became a National Park: December 2nd, 1980
Most unique feature: the Harding Icefield — over 30 glaciers stem from this icefield!
While park stretches into a vast expanse, we did our best to explore as thoroughly as possible. From float planes to kayaks to good ole fashion boots, we set out to see everything there was to see. Below we have detailed your hike options, all of the various tours available in the area, and ways to ensure you catch a glimpse of the unique wildlife — as well as all the tips and tricks to ensure you have the best time.
Up, Up, and Away
Nothing like catching a bird’s eye view! Due to the expansive nature of the park as well as the hardiness of the topography, a plane tour can be a fantastic way to experience the lay of the land, from a bird’s eye view. We were headed to the Seward area via Moose’s Pass, so we stopped by Scenic Mountain Air for a float plane tour. The hour-long jaunt explored the south-central Kenai Peninsula. From our vantage point, we were able to see the Harding Icefield, Chugach Mountains, endless lakes and waterfalls, as well as a handful of wildlife sightings. My favorite spot to see was Bear Glacier Lagoon and the many icebergs it houses.
If you’re looking for a flightseeing option a bit closer to Seward, Seward Air Tours is a small plane experience with eight different tour options to choose from. If you’re keen to chopper through the skies, Seward Helicopter Tours offers not only a flight tour but they also have an option to go dog sledding over a glacier. While we didn’t do this in the park, we did something similar near Girdwood at Punchbowl Glacier and can attest that it is so beyond cool.
These Boots Were Made for Hiking
Having already appreciated the park from above during our float plane tour, we were excited to explore with our boots on the ground. The hiking options in the park are limited to the Exit Glacier Overlook Trail and the Harding Icefield Trail. Basically you get to choose between very easy or very challenging.
Trekking out to the Harding Icefield is a 9.2 mile out and back trail that tackles over 3,600 feet of elevation. During the summer months there can be ice and snow on the trail, so be sure to wear appropriate footwear. Even in later summer or early fall months, consider bringing spikes if you plan to walk on the icefield once you arrive. This rugged trail is prime real estate for all kinds of wildlife sightings, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled!
If you arrive at the park around 10am or 2pm, park rangers lead walking “tours” along the Exit Glacier Overlook trail. While the 2.2 miles of trail doesn’t take that long to hike, they provide additional commentary and insight regarding the park, evolution of the glacier, and local preservation. No advanced registration is needed, and there’s no cost associated with the walking educational opportunity.
For travelers that live by their own set of rules, the trail is easily navigated independently and the views are just as spectacular! As you walk out to the glacier overlook viewpoint, you will notice low-profile makers with years on them. These denote where the glacier extended to at various points throughout history. It’s one thing to hear how our glaciers are melting but another to see the receding line for yourself. Regardless of whether you go with a group or explore solo, the Exit Glacier is humbling to experience.
Whatever Floats Your Boat
Exploration by land, by air, and next up: by sea! We went adventuring with Major Marine Tours and loved it. Their Kenai Fjords Wildlife tours run for four hours, six hours, seven and a half hours, or eight and a half hours. We opted for a four hour tour (mainly because we were going as a family and our dad doesn’t always fare well on boats). While the longer tours will dive deeper into the park, we felt four hours was a perfect amount of time to see glaciers, fjords, and an outstanding breadth of wildlife. Our favorites were the puffins, humpback whales, seals, and mischievous otters. It was so thrilling to see these guys out in the wild.
What to expect? Upon entry on the boat, each group was assigned to a “home base” table, to store their things at and use as they pleased. In addition to the tables, there was ample space inside the boat as well as on the decks for people to observe as they pleased. And observe we did!! The captain was fabulous and any time we were near any sort of wildlife that may be of interest, he would linger (at an appropriate distance) to ensure everyone had an opportunity to see. They had snacks and drinks available for purchase, but you can also bring your own food and drink on board with you as well.
Paddle Powered
For a more immersive boating experience, hop in a kayak! If you’re not a big kayaker, it can certainly feel intimidating to be out in such a tiny boat; however, it is immensely serene to feel so small in the magnitude of nature’s magnitude. The interaction with nature is so much more intimate, with curious harbor seals popping their heads up a couple feet from your kayak– checking out what you’re up to.
We embarked on this adventure through Miller’s Landing, and wholeheartedly recommend them! Full disclosure, we suited up for a dusk kayaking trip to Bridal Veil Waterfall, so technically we stayed within the confines of Resurrection Bay and didn’t quite make it into the national park waters; however, this was more than enough adventure for us. They do offer all kinds of full day kayaking trips for more committed paddlers. Regardless of your paddling destination, it is humbling to experience the fjord environment and wildlife in this way.
The 30-Second Scoop on Seward
The Kenai Fjords National Park Visitor Center is actually located in the heart of Seward, making it very centrally located; however, not where you might expect to find it. Be sure to stop in and chat with a park ranger, stamp your national park passport, and collect any park mementos. While it’s not the true visitor center, the Exit Glacier Nature Center is a visitor center-like building near the trails in the park, so it’s not completely wilderness out there!
If you’re feeling a bit peckish, you have loads of restaurants to choose from. The Lone Chicharron Taqueria is going to have some fantastic tacos, while Gold Rush Bistro boasts an impressive bowl of clam chowder. Sweet Darlings has chocolates and gelato that are guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth. If you’re looking to crack open a cold one, Seward Brewing Company is an awesome local craft brewery.
Sampling different restaurants was easy because Seward is pretty compact. The main populus of the city stretches about a mile and a half long and is rather walkable. However, if you struggle with mobility impairments, Seward has a free shuttle to aid in transportation (and exploration!).
A majority of Alaska’s national parks are reachable only by bush plane and/or boat. Not only are the Kenai Fjords a breathtaking reflection of the wilderness Alaska is hailed for, but the accessibility of this park only adds to its charm. Any additional plane or boat trips taken once you arrive only add to the fullness of the experience.
If you’re eager to encounter more of Alaska’s astounding natural beauty, Denali National Park and Preserve is less than five hours outside of Anchorage, and boasts grandiose heights as the highest peak in North America. You won’t regret adding this mammoth park to your Alaskan bucket list. Happy travels!
written by Hannah
Hannah has learned the hard way to be careful what you wish for— sometimes happily ever after lands you with a husband and puppy… in the Midwest. Despite leaving Florida to move to Wisconsin, Hannah maintains her bossy big sister role with regular phone calls to keep up with all the little sister shenanigans. Notoriously chatty with her patients as well, Hannah stays busy as a physical therapist, but loves spending weekends exploring newfound hikes.
Denali National Park and Preserve is home to not only the highest peak in North America but abundant wildlife as well. If you visit in the summer, the nearly endless daylight provides ample opportunity to maximize your exploration time. When you’re heading to a park as massive as Denali, it can be daunting to plan your trip. Whether you’re staying for a day or a week, we’ve compiled a list of unique adventures to have, to make the most of your time in Denali National Park.
While the national park system certainly caters to the outdoorsy, adventurers of any tenacity can enjoy the beauty of the park. From breath-taking hikes to picturesque plane rides and all the sled dogs in between, you won’t regret visiting this humbling reflection of nature’s boundless might.
Fast Facts About Denali National Park
Size: 6.1 million acres
Visitors: 427,562 (data from 2022)
Distance from Anchorage: 240 miles — 4 hour drive
Became a National Park: February 26th, 1917
Most unique feature: Mount Denali reaches up 20,310 ft, making it the highest peak in North America!
As with any national park, nature’s beauty shows off in a surreal way. Below we have detailed eight unique activities to allow you a robust Denali experience. Denali National Park is a perfect embodiment of the stark, Final Frontier allure Alaska is known for. Here’s to happy adventures!
1. Hike Horseshoe Lake Trail
Depending on where you’re departing from, getting to Denali can be a way. If you’ve spent a couple hours in the car, and are looking for a nice hike to stretch your legs out, the Horseshoe Lake Trail is a perfect option. It’s an awesome hike for everyone in the family to get out and enjoy nature.
Two miles goes by quickly, with all of the sweeping views. On this particular hike, we crossed paths with another group that saw three moose traipsing through. While we missed seeing them on our Hourseshoe jaunt, we ended up seeing at least one moose every day we were in the park and the surrounding Healy area!
2. Conquer the Mount Healy Overlook
The Mount Healy Overlook Trail is a perfect hike to start the day with– the early bird gets the worm, and the early risers get an empty trail! We were after it by 7am, and didn’t see anyone else out on the trail until we were heading back down the mountain! The 7 miles and over 2,700 feet of elevation was an energizing kick in the pants. Once we made it to the top, it was hard to want to head back. Looking out at the horizon was as beautiful as it was peaceful.
While any hiker could certainly crush this route, the elevation and length kept some of the less outdoorsy members of our family away. Not a terribly technical hike but just lengthy… and the elevation a little cumbersome if you’re from the flatlands of Florida!
3. Grab a Bite at Morino Grill
When you’ve tuckered yourself out and need a bite, be sure to stop by the Morino Grill. It’s the only restaurant in the park, so they run the monopoly on sustenance for hungry hikers. The menu has all the hearty staples, so there’s bound to be something to hit the spot– especially since they maintain gluten free and vegan options.
It’s conveniently located next door to the Visitor Center, so it’s easy to get your national park passport stamped and snag any park mentos. Alaska’s tourism runs year-round, but the large majority of visitors arrive over the summer, so the Morino Grill is closed through the winter season.
4. Explore Denali from a Bird’s Eye View
Denali National Park and preserve stretches out to cover over six million acres. With such a vast magnitude, it’s impossible to see everything by foot. To expand your exploratory reach, a flightseeing tour can take you to new heights! This kind of aviation adventure was a humbling way to observe the magnitude of the Alaskan mountain range, see Denali up close, and appreciate the complete isolation of the Alaskan wilderness. While it’s guaranteed to be a breathtaking view regardless of what plane or helicopter you’re in, we explored with Talkeetna Air and could not recommend them more!
We actually landed on a glacier and were able to appreciate the immense landscape from the ground up. It is beyond humbling to realize how truly isolated one can be in the snowy Alaskan range– even in summer.
5. Visit the Denali Sled Dogs
Denali National Park remains steeped in its traditional roots and has maintained their pack of sled dogs since 1922. The temperature of the winter can make machinery unreliable, but the dogs thrive in the cold. They have the intuition a snowmobile lacks, which becomes life-saving in a white out or when avoiding dangerous ice. You can meet these hard working boys and girls at the kennels, just under two miles from the Visitor’s Center. Not only are there puppies to meet, but in the summer, you can pretend to drive a sled and learn more about the dog sledding culture.
6. Mush in the Park
While the park dogs will take your for a ride in the summer, they’re busy working in the winter time, so if you want a mushing experience, tracking down Denali Dogsled Expeditions is a must! They’re the only company that currently is permitted to offer dogsledding tours inside the park premises.
As we visited in the summer, this wasn’t an option, but we did have the opportunity to dogsled elsewhere. We can attest that it’s big cool to be pulled through the snow by eight very eager dogs.
7. Spend a Night Under the Stars
Looking for a fully immersive experience? Go camping! Denali doesn’t house a lodge with sleeping accommodations for guests, so if you’re looking to spend the night in the park, you better pack a tent!
There’s six campgrounds to choose from, with a whole world of backcountry camping available as well. The Riley Creek Campground is the closest to the entrance of the park and houses a shower and laundry facility— which can be rather nice at the end of a long day. As an additional bonus, the Riley Creek Mercantile is right next to the campground. It maintains a supply of items such as water bottles, bear spray, sunscreen, and such. They also sell sandwiches and some pre-packaged food if you’re in a pinch.
Some campsites can be booked in advance while others are first come, first serve only. You can find out more information about each campground here, to ensure you arrive prepared.
8. Bus or Bust!
Intra-Park Transit
There’s only one road through Denali National Park, so in order to mitigate traffic and parking snafus, there are free busses that transport visitors about 15 miles into the park, with their final stop at Savage River. If you’re keen to explore a bit further into the park, there’s an alternate bus options that will take you the rest of the 92 miles along Denali Park Road. This bus system has a nominal fee, depending on how far you plan to go. Both of these options are non-narrated bus rides, existing exclusively for transportation needs. As such, riders are free to disembark and re-board different buses as they please.
Narrated Tours
There’s a bus ride for everyone! For anyone less keen on transportation to a remote hike and more interested in a cultural history lesson, there’s a trained naturalist waiting for you. These tours run anywhere from 4 hours to 13 hours, depending on how deep into the park you’re looking to adventure. These bus options can be thought of as more of a paid tour— i.e. it will not stop at campgrounds and is not designed to ridden in a hop on/hop off style.
The Denali Park Road is 92 miles long, but landscape anomalies can close the road down, so be sure to check conditions out before you go.
Denali National Park and Preserve boasts some outstanding feats of nature, and we had such fun exploring the little slice we did. We stayed in this region for two nights and felt it was a perfect amount of time to explore the park and surrounding area. Our stop in Denali was part of a two-week road trip, exploring a beautiful sliver of the gargantuan state of Alaska. Check out the full itinerary here. Happy travels!
written by Hannah
Hannah has learned the hard way to be careful what you wish for— sometimes happily ever after lands you with a husband and puppy… in the Midwest. Despite leaving Florida to move to Wisconsin, Hannah maintains her bossy big sister role with regular phone calls to keep up with all the little sister shenanigans. Notoriously chatty with her patients as well, Hannah stays busy as a physical therapist, but loves spending weekends exploring newfound hikes.
Alaska is so immense it can be intimidating to even begin to plan a trip. With so much to see, where do you even begin? With endless mountain ranges and more coastline than the rest of the country combined, the views are unparalleled. Our two-week itinerary begins in Anchorage and explores up into Denali as well as down into the Kenai Peninsula. Whether it’s your first time visiting or your tenth, this action-packed adventure is guaranteed to delight. From North America’s highest mountain top to dog sledding to salmon fishing, and everything in between, our two week roadtrip through Alaska is a once in a lifetime experience.
We’ll walk you through our full itinerary. Not only did we love all our adventures, but we snacked hard and ate often throughout our trip too, so we have endless curated recommendations to share. We’ve compiled the perfect, robust trip to make the most of your time in Alaska!
Day 1
Touchdown in Anchorage
If you’re visiting in the summer, regardless of what time you land, you are almost guaranteed to have daylight to burn! We arrived mid-afternoon, so we picked up our Turo, checked into our rooms at the Holiday Inn Express, and headed downtown. 49th State Brewery has some lovely rooftop seating, so we put our name down on a waiting list and wandered through the downtown area as we waited for our table. We totally recommend this as the rooftop seating was well worth the wait, and a little exploration was a fun way to acquaint ourselves with a new area. The brewery’s beer and appetizers were all delicious, so you can’t go wrong.
Best Pizza Around
This actually kicked off our evening of eating as we picked the rest of the family up from the airport and took the hungry travelers to Moose’s Tooth. Not only was the pizza fantastic, but the desserts were quite memorable as well. As we bounced to different towns along our journey, we were rather surprised at how notorious this tasty pizzeria was. Once everyone’s belly was full, we headed to the hotel and turned in for the night.
Day 2
So It Begins
Getting a reasonable start to the day, we swung by the Walmart to get some snacks before we hit the road. While this doesn’t seem like anything special, a Walmart or a Safeway can be a hot commodity in some of the remote regions of the state, so we made sure to stock up on snacks before we left. From Anchorage, the drive up to Denali takes about 4 hours– potentially more, depending on construction traffic.
With food options along the way being limited, we just stopped at Subway, right off the highway, for some fast sandwiches. Once we arrived, we unloaded our bags at the Aurora Denali Lodge, and put our hiking shoes on. Inside Denali National Park and Preserve, we found the Horseshoe Lake Trail. With everyone in our large family group having varying levels of hiking endurance, this was a perfect hike for the whole family.
Gas Prices Too High
After working up an appetite, we headed back to endeavor on a unique dining experience. In an ode to a bygone era, we loaded up in a covered wagon for a dinner and a drive. Having never traveled by horse and buggy before, it was certainly a different experience. The covered wagon tour included so many family-style courses, everyone left stuffed to the gills.
While riding in a horse covered wagon was certainly a fun, different experience, it was a far less historic tour than we were expecting. The ideal clientele for this tour would be someone that’s particularly interested in horses. For our family, this was one of the only activities from our trip that we agreed that we probably wouldn’t sign up for again. Nothing bad happened, just not really worth the price of admission.
Fast & Furious
What to do instead? The same public trails the horses use for the covered wagon rides are also utilized by Denali ATV Adventures. If cruising on an ATV is more your speed, this makes for an awesome way to explore the area. The ATVs get where the covered wagons can’t and take you to some gorgeous overlooks and rushing riverbeds. Regardless of which adventure you choose, be sure to keep an eye out for moose! We saw quite a few when we were up in the Denali area! Due to the long daylight hours, tours tend to run later than they might elsewhere, so by the time the tour had concluded, we were zonked and ready for bed.
Day 3
Denali National Park & Preserve
The early bird gets the worm, and the early risers get an empty trail! On our third day, we aimed for an early start to the day to conquer the Mount Healy Overlook hike. The 7 miles with over 2,700 feet of elevation was an energizing kick in the pants. Being from Florida, one of the most amazing sights was how the mountains just seemed to stretch forever. This felt especially true from our elevated perch. Once we made it to the top, it was hard to leave.
Once we made our descent, we headed straight for the Morino Grill. As the only restaurant in the park, they run the monopoly on sustenance for hungry hikers. The menu has all the hearty staples, so there’s bound to be something to hit the spot– especially since they maintain gluten free and vegan options.
After lunch, we headed over to meet the Denali sled dogs. Alaska maintains steeped in its traditional roots, and sled dogs are an essential part of that culture. The temperature of the winter can make machinery unreliable, but the dogs thrive in the cold. They also have the intuition a snowmobile lacks, which becomes life-saving in a white out or when avoiding dangerous ice. It’s an honor to meet the eager working dogs that make the park what it is.
Rafting Around
Once we’d had our fill of mountainous hikes and sled dog snuggles, we headed down to Denali Raft Adventures for some white water rafting. Even in the summer everyone suits up in drysuits. Despite the warm temperatures during the day, the Nenana River stays a chilly 38 degrees. While things do heat up in the summer months, this causes the glacier and snow to melt, and the subsequent runoff is just as icy as you’d imagine.
Our family certainly welcomes a reasonable adventure, but we also aren’t a wiley group of adrenaline junkies, so the portion of the river we rafted was mostly class II and III rapids. It was perfect!! We had such fun paddling together and riding through the rapids. This is due in large part to our guide Kyle– he was truly outstanding!! Best rafting guide I’ve ever had. If you want to try white water rafting, but are a bit hesitant, this is a perfect group and river to try it on. It’s so engaging, with abundant, gorgeous views from the river.
Dinner Please
Afterwards, we found ourselves at Prospector’s Pizza for dinner. Parched from our day’s adventures, our server was rather impressed (or overwhelmed) with our abundant water consumption, so he brought out a carafe of water for each of us. Tasty pizza and excellent service from Frankie!!
Day 4
On the Road Again
Before we departed Denali, we swung by Black Bear Coffee House and discovered this hustling coffeehouse just might be the hub of this sleepy mining town! Not only do they serve a reliably good coffee, but they also offer a heavenly selection of gluten free and dairy free breakfast treats. An excellent morning pick-me-up!
The drive down to Talkeetna takes a couple hours, but drives seem to go by quickly with alluring scenery stretching out in front of you. Talkeetna is small, but it has a quaint collection of restaurants and shops spread out over a few blocks. We had some time, so we walked around a bit. The soups at Denali Brewpub were above-averagely delicious, as were the salmon burgers at the food truck next door.
Flying High
We made it to our appointment at Talkeetna Air Taxi just in time. Air taxi seems like an understatement… passage to a mystical mountain feels a bit more appropriate. Oh my goodness, your eyes won’t leave the window pane. Due to Denali’s elevation of over 20,000 feet, cloud coverage can disrupt the magnificent views from afar. When you’re in a plane, you’re afforded a more personal glimpse of this giant beauty. Not only is the mountain beyond immense, it is humbling to see hikers at base camp looking like small, colorful sprinkles on the expanse of white snow below.
After flying around for a bit, we actually landed on the glacier. That’s right, landed on a glacier. We were lucky enough to experience a myriad of amazing experiences during our trip, but this one easily makes the top five. It is truly amazing to have small moments to take in nature’s magnitude, and standing on an ancient glacier in the middle of the Alaska Range is certainly one of them. Guaranteed to be an experience you don’t regret and always remember. Depending on the pilot, one lucky rider gets to ride in the co-pilot seat, so be sure to speak up if you’re interested!
Pro tip: Even if you don’t usually get nauseous on plane rides, it’s not a bad idea to take some non-drowsy Dramamine before hand. We were rather surprised when half of us experienced vary degrees of nausea. This had nothing to go with the pilot’s flying— it was just an unexpected observation.
Back in Anchorage
The second leg of driving is another couple hours to make it back down to Anchorage. Making it back just in time for dinner, we snagged a table at Spenard Roadhouse. They recently revamped their menu, and we only have good tidings and empty plates to report back. After everyone was full, we headed to the Four Points by Sheraton and blissfully drifted off for the night.
Day 5
The Alaska Railroad
Riding on the Alaska Railroad is not only an amazing way to enjoy sightseeing, but it also carries a most charming nostalgic touch. With an array of destinations to choose from, we enjoyed coastal views on our way down to Seward. Leaving from Anchorage, our departure time was 6:45am, but they ask you to arrive about an hour early to ensure everyone has enough time to collect their tickets. The train ride lasted about four and a half hours, putting out arrival time in Seward right around 11:15 am.
We splurged a bit to be in the “gold star” section of the train, which provided access to an awesome open air viewing platform on the second floor of the train. The train ride would have been awesome regardless, but being able to experience the wind in your hair, one step closer to nature made this an unforgettable experience. Gold star perks also included two complimentary alcoholic drinks as well as breakfast in the reserved gold-star-only dining car. It was a truly lovely, nostalgic way to travel.
The Seward Sights
Once you’re in Seward, you have a few options. Due to its proximity to the Kenai Fjords National Park, you’re going to find a plethora of different tour options. Major Marine offers a 4-hour wildlife cruise that works perfectly with the train schedule. It departs at 12:30pm and returns at 4:30pm.
We actually looped back to Seward at the end of our trip, so we saved the cruise and headed down to the Alaska Sealife Center. This multifaceted hub is home to a research clinic as well as an aquarium of sorts. Not only is it fun to see arctic aquatic life up close and personal, but they also have a two-finger-touch tank to allow kids and adults alike an up-close experience with nature.
Good Eats
If you’re feeling a bit peckish, you have loads of restaurants to choose from. The Lone Chicharron Taqueria is going to have some fantastic tacos, while Gold Rush Bistro boasts an impressive bowl of clam chowder. Sweet Darlings has chocolates and gelato that are guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth. If you’re looking to crack open a cold one, Seward Brewing Company is an awesome local craft brewery.
Sampling different restaurants was easy because Seward is pretty compact. The main populus of the city stretches about a mile and a half long and is rather walkable. However, if you struggle with mobility impairments, Seward has a free shuttle to aid in transportation (and exploration!).
Historic Roots
The Iditarod is a nationally recognized race that has been taking place in Alaska for almost a century. Prior to being a race, the National Iditarod Historic Trail was used to transport mail and supplies from steamships into more interior communities. You can find the old Mile Marker 0 near the sealife center, with Resurrection Bay in the backdrop. If you’re interested in the roots of the iconic race, there’s a handful of statues and placards to read.
Before we left, we stopped by the Seward Museum (located in the community library), to learn more about the local history. An excellent stop any time, but especially if you’re looking for something to do on a rainier day. Departure time back to Anchorage was at 6pm, and the return trip is just a little shorter, with arrival back in Anchorage at 10:15pm. If you’re looking to get back a little faster, there’s also an option to take a coach bus back. Our dad is a train aficionado, so we knew he would love the train rides, but the Alaska Railroad was actually a top five favorite adventure from the trip for all of us. We highly recommend it!
A few notes
If you’re doing a shorter trip and looking to avoid renting a car, the train is an excellent alternate mode of transportation. They are able to transport luggage.
Additionally, since we were planning to drive around most of the Kenai Peninsula, the destination of the train ride was less important than the qualitative aspects of the train ride itself. If you’re thinking you want to ride the train to a city not on the itinerary, you could always take the train to Whittier. Alternatively, you could take the train up to Denali and back and rent a car for Kenai exploration once you return. The options are many— you can see a full list of depot locations here.
Day 6
After waking up rather early the day before, we enjoyed a nice restful morning, packed our bags, and hit the road. It didn’t take long to make it to Portage Lake, where we hopped on a Portage Glacier boat tour. The tour lasts about an hour and is narrated throughout. While we were out there, we watched a huge piece of the glacier calve off into the water below. They also had a chunk of glacier ice aboard the boat, so anyone interested in taste-testing a glacier could give it a try!
Reindeer, Bison, and Bears— Oh My!
We headed to the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center next, which is best described as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them meets Alaskan wilderness. Alaska is home to such unique wildlife. While you will certainly encounter some wild animals as you explore, it’s a pretty awesome experience to see such large animals up close. There are bison, coyotes, reindeer, lynx, musk ox, black bears, brown bears, and elk… just to name a few!
A looped path leads you to the various enclosures, but most of the animals can be seen from a gravel road. This allows mobility impaired visitors to enjoy the animals as well. While it’s impossible to replicate an animal’s home environment, the conservatory does an excellent job providing large enclosures, with acres and acres of space for animals to roam. We stood less than three feet away from a brown bear (with a fence between us), and it was beyond thrilling. Definitely worth your time to stop and check it out.
Dinner with a View
Upon arrival in Girdwood, we unloaded at the Carriage House, changed, and headed off in search of food. The Seven Glacier Restaurant at the Alyeska Resort isn’t just dinner, it’s fine dining! Perched at the top of Mount Alyeska, this culinary experience is a reflection of the luxury the Alyeska Resort is known for. If you’re interested in eating here, it’s ideal to make your reservation in advance, because the tram ride up to the restaurant is complimentary this way ($38/person otherwise).
The namesake of the restaurant are the seven glaciers visible from its vantage point, but you will also love taking in the Turnagain Arm and the endless peaks of the Chugach mountains. Not only was the food and service impeccable, but the views were amazing as well.
Day 7
Dog Sledding
Our time in Alaska was filled with so many incredible adventures, but our jaunt with Alpine Air Alaska might just have been my favorite. We all loaded up into helicopters, and headed out to Punchbowl Glacier. Having never ridden in a helicopter before, it was a bit of a surreal experience. It’s wild to just be lifted straight up into the air! The ride to the glacier was short, but exceptionally beautiful. When we landed we were immediately greeted by eager little puppies. We got to walk around and meet all the puppies before we loaded up and took off on our mushing adventure.
The mushing dogs were a bit smaller than expected but they were so excited to get out after it. These dogs are used in the Iditarod Race, so they train to run at an endurance pace of 8-10mph. This past year, they ran for Gerhardt Thiart. Before the helicopter came to fetch us, we had a chance to talk to him about his experience running the Iditarod. This in and of itself was an amazing opportunity. All in all, it is truly a once in a lifetime experience to ride on a sled in the middle of a glacier, only accessible by helicopter, pulled by eight energetic puppies.
The Girdwood Scoop
The Bake Shop makes for a tasty lunch. A perfect stop if you have a hankering for soups, sandwiches or cinnamon rolls! Once you’re full of sustenance, there’s a handful of local hikes to explore. The Virgin Creek Falls hike is super short to a lovely waterfall, while the Winner Creek hike is a bit longer stretch to enjoy nature. If you’re looking to crack open a cold one after your hike, Girdwood Brewing Company is the spot of choice.
Our abode at the Carriage House was rather convenient for a few reasons. It’s certainly nice to eat out and have someone else do the cooking and cleaning up, but sometimes it’s nice to just make a meal at home. The full kitchen set-up gave us the space and tools to make meals with ease. The location was also rather convenient to go on a nice post-dinner walk. You can’t beat the scenery in Alaska!
Day 8
On our eighth morning, we packed our things and hit the road… Homer or bust! As is any given drive in Alaska, it was rather scenic, and we pulled off whenever anything struck our fancy to stop and look. With small bladders and endlessly hungry stomachs, we found the Safeway in Soldotna to be an excellent spot for a bathroom and snack break along the way.
The Scoop on ‘The Spit‘
Homer is a charming seaside town, and the most endearing part of the town was the Homer Spit. The spit is a long, thin peninsula of land that stretches out into the Kachemak Bay. Our hotel in Homer was the Land’s End Resort, at the very end of the Spit. We felt it was perfectly located to walk up and wander around all of the shops about a half mile away. And wander we did!
We had a tapas-style lunch, sharing entrees at various restaurants to sample the wide variety of options. Make no mistake, this is definitely a touristy area, but the shops had high quality locally goods and wares, as opposed to some of the usual cheap knick-knacks found in tourist shops. Of all the places we wandered through, Carmen’s Gelato was the family favorite. We found ourselves stopping by at least once (if not twice) every day we were in Homer!
We finished the day with dinner at the Fresh Catch Cafe, and boy was the food delicious. Kayla maintains a gluten-free and vegan diet, so often it was difficult to find non-salad or french fry meals for her, but they had an amazing curry that fit her dietary needs. Not only was her curry delicious, but they served one of the best fish and chip meals we ate all trip (and we sampled a bunch). The restaurant is on the smaller side, so if you have a big group, it’s not a bad idea to call ahead.
Day 9
Halibut Fishing
Homer is known to be an excellent spot for Halibut fishing, so if you enjoy the thrill of a day spent out on the boat reeling ‘em in, you’re going to want to find a fishing charter. Salvador and Kate spent the day out with Bob’s Trophy Charter, and this was Kate’s favorite adventure of the trip. With two guides and four other chartered fish-persons, there was a nice camaraderie to the group, without feeling overcrowded. Everyone bagged out for halibut and rockfish, taking home as much fish as possible!
Out & About
For those that didn’t go fishing, it was a day of exploration. The spit stretches on for a couple miles, so it made for a lovely morning walk route. The Homer Farmer’s Market is more centrally located, but we wandered up there and sampled some tasty coffee, cookies, popcorn, and Indian food. Kayla happened upon a honey stand that actually led us to our next stop.
Stoked Honey is a small, local honey farm that offers fun interactive tours of their property. After we were all honeyed out, we drove up to Homer Overlook Point to take in the Kachemak Bay from an elevated vantage point. I don’t think it would ever get old, looking out and seeing the stretches of water with the mountains on the horizon.
There’s a few spots on the Spit that will cook your catch for you, but Captain Pattie’s was an easy choice. They will cook your fish however you request and everyone gets their choice of side as well. Dinner is served family style, so everyone can pick and choose what they want. We had some outstanding seafood during our trip, but nothing compared to our freshly caught dinner. So delicious!!
Day 10
The Kenai River Fest was in Soldotna when we were passing through, so we stopped by to check it out for an hour or so. We also highly, highly recommend stopping by the Safeway for groceries while you are in Soldotna. “Real” grocery stores are few and far between in more rural parts of the Kenai, so be sure to have all your essentials before you head out into a food desert.
Cooper’s Landing is a great spot in the heart of salmon fishing season. Repeat, this is a great spot for people interested in doing some salmon fishing. If you’re all in on fishing, then Cooper’s Landing and more specifically, the Salmon Run Lodge is a great fisherman’s stay. The rustic log cabin was basic but roomy, and it had a full kitchen as well as a grill to make cooking a breeze. Additionally, they can help secure your fishing licenses and set up a salmon fishing excursion. As a bonus, the closest thing this town has to a grocery store is steps away!
For a small town, the Cooper’s Landing Brewing doesn’t mess around. Not only are their beers good, but they also have a nice outdoor seating area. Getting hungry? The Rod and Reel restaurant at the Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge is just down the road and will have some tasty options for dinner, with views of the Kenai River in the backdrop. If you’re looking for a nice post-dinner walk, there’s walking trails near the lodge, waiting to be explored.
Day 11
Five Fab Fisherwomen
Rise and shine for an earlyyy morning on the river. The early bird may get the worm, but you have to be a really early riser to snag prime real estate for fishing. Our fishing guides came to pick us up at 4:45am, so we could be launching our boats by 5am. While the sun is certainly shining this early, that does not guarantee warmth! Salmon fishing is usually done in the water, and our fly-fishing was no exception.
We were a mixed bag of fishing experiences, but all of us loved the exciting thrill of catching a fish and reeling it in. There’s something about standing knee-deep in the river, fly-fishing your heart out, that makes you think “oh man, this is the Alaska fishing experience”. To make it even more surreal, we had a black bear come wander over to the waters edge to assess our fish situation. So crazy to see a wild bear— only in Alaska!
You may not think of packing your wool socks for a summertime trip, but your feet will get cold after a couple hours in the river!
Half Day vs Full Day
Due to the early morning start, a full day of fishing runs from 5am to 1pm, whereas a half day only goes to 9am. If you are a dedicated fisherman, you will want the whole day. We were moderately dedicated, and did a full day of fishing. We actually split the day into two experiences. In the morning, we learned how to salmon fish, and in the afternoon, we learned how to fish for trout!
If you’re thinking you want to give fishing a try for the heck of it, but are worried about your little piggies getting cold, the half day will be perfect for you! If you are stoked to get out and catch as many fish as you’re allotted, the full day will feel like it went by too fast. Regardless of how long you plan to be out on the water, remember to bring snacks!
Fresh Caught Dinner
When our “full day” of fishing finished around 1pm, we were all ready for an afternoon nap. Once our stomachs started getting hungry, we grilled up some of the salmon we caught! It was a perfect meal to share after all of our hard work. A gravel sidewalk across the street from our lodge made for a scenic evening walk to end the day.
Day 12
Flight-Seeing
On the twelfth day of our Alaskan adventure, we headed over to Moose’s Pass for a float plane tour with Scenic Mountain Air. Due to the size of the planes, we went up in two separate groups, and we were surprised at some of the different things we saw. The hour-long jaunt explored the south-central Kenai Peninsula. From our vantage point, we were able to see the Harding Icefield, Bear Glacier Lagoon, the Chugach Mountains, endless lakes and waterfalls, as well as a handful of wildlife sightings. Pictures cannot even begin to capture the beauty of this pristine, immense wilderness!
On the Hunt for Views
In the afternoon, we headed out for a bit of a wilderness adventure. Not far from Cooper’s Landing, the Skilak Lake Road Wilderness Drive is an 18-mile-long loop gravel road, known to be a good locale for spotting wildlife. Along the road, there’s a couple different places to pull off and hike. We took the Hidden Creek Trail to Skilak Lake, and were rather relieved that we didn’t run into any large wild animals while we were hiking. Late afternoon was a perfect time to go hiking, but if you wanted to see wildlife along the looped path, you would be better off going early in the morning, before the day’s traffic has started up.
While we didn’t see any wildlife on the drive, on our way back, we saw bears playing in the river along the side of the road. It was so worth making the effort to get out and enjoy nature. Seeing the bears playing the river together was one of the most simply amazing moments from our trip. A quintessential example of the nature Alaska is known for.
Day 13
Whatever Floats Your Boat
Heading out to the final city on our road-trip town, we hit the road for Seward. The drive went smoothly, and our luck continued when we were able to check into our hotel early and drop our bags off.
We had just enough time before our boat tour to swing by Safeway for some snacks and sandwiches. We moseyed on over to the dock, and made it to our Kenai Fjords Wildlife Cruise with time to spare. The setup on the boat was relaxing as each group was assigned to a “home base” table that they could store their things at and use as they pleased. In addition to the tables, there was ample space inside and on the decks for people to observe as they pleased.
We enjoyed a four hour tour from 12:30pm-4:30pm. We felt this was the perfect amount of time to see glaciers, fjords, and an outstanding breadth of wildlife. Our favorites were the puffins, humpback whales, seals, and mischievous otters.
Kayaking Queens
You can’t spend all day on the water if you don’t stay out into the evening! We suited up for a dusk kayaking trip to Bridal Veil Waterfall. Initially, it was almost intimidating to be out in the bay in such a tiny boat, but it was immensely serene to feel so small in the magnitude of nature’s magnitude. The interaction with nature is so much more intimate, with curious harbor seals popping their heads up a couple feet from our kayaks, checking out what we were up to.
We got to cruising and made it to our hiking spot in good time. The “hike” itself was more of a short, rugged walk to a pretty waterfall. It was nice to stretch our legs and reach a spot available only to supreme adventurers! Since we had already established our rhythm, we were a well oiled machine on our way back. The tour ran from 7pm to 10:30pm, so we were beyond pooped by bedtime!
A few notes
We didn’t have much guidance regarding attire for the kayaking trip, so we want to give you a leg up. You will not receive a drysuit for this aquatic adventure, so we recommend bringing your rain jacket and most waterproof pair of pants along.
While you won’t get soaked, the rain jacket keeps the water dripping off your paddle from progressively water-logging your sleeves (even in the summer, you will likely still want long sleeves on). You will have a kayak skirt on to keep a majority of the water out, but waterproof-ish pants will keep you comfy if some water infiltrates your skirt. Make sure you cinch that skirt up as high on your torso as you can!!
Day 14
Kenai Fjords National Park
Kenai Fjords National Park is the beloved backyard of Seward. Having already appreciated the park from above during our float plane tour, we were excited to explore with our boots on the ground. The hiking options in the park are limited to the Exit Glacier Overlook Trail and the Harding IceField Trail
Basically your hiking options are very easy or very challenging. We went hiking as a family, and decided on the two mile hike to Exit Glacier.
If you arrive at the park around 10am or 2pm, park rangers lead walking “tours” along the Glacier Overlook trail. While the 2.2 miles of trail doesn’t take that long to hike, they provide additional commentary and insight regarding the park, evolution of the glacier, and local preservation.
No advanced registration is needed, and there’s no cost associated with the walking educational opportunity.
The Kenai Fjords Visitors Center won’t be found on the park premises, but within the city of Seward itself. We stayed right across the street at the Gateway Hotel, which was beyond convenient to get our national park passports stamped and snag any park stickers we wanted. I also enjoyed chatting with a park ranger before we went to the park, to ensure I had a reasonable game plan before we left.
Shop ‘Til You Drop
While all of the hikes and activities are delightful, sometimes it’s nice to have some down time to wander and explore. Seward has a myriad of shops to meander through. While many of these places are certainly geared towards tourists, they offer a wide variety of goods from local small businesses and vendors. It’s always preferable when tourism money can be kept local! With Resurrection Bay as the backdrop, it’s easy to spend a couple hours walking through the city.
For being a small town, Seward has quite the collection of restaurants to choose from. We landed at the HighLiner Restaurant for dinner, and actually celebrated an early Father’s Day for our dad. With all of us living in different places, it was nice to share one final, delicious dinner all together.
Day 15
Departure day always seems to arrive too quickly. Depending on what time your flight is, you might have time for a bit more adventure. Since construction traffic can be unpredictable, it’s best to head back up towards Anchorage sooner rather than later. The drive felt like it went by pretty quickly— the silver lining to any drive in Alaska is that the scenery is guaranteed to be beautiful.
Once you’re back in Anchorage, you have some options for final explorations. The Anchorage Trolley Tour was far more interesting and informative than we originally expected. It was a cheeky, fun way to both see and experience Alaska’s biggest city. We ran out of time to visit the Anchorage Museum, but this would be an especially worthwhile stop for anyone interested in the ancestral heritage aspects of Alaskan culture.
The day goes by all too quickly, and before you know it, it’s time to head to the airport!
Things to Know Before You Go
Logistics
If you’re planning on doing a bunch of driving, an app like GasBuddy can be helpful to maximize your economy on gas prices. When we were leaving Homer we almost just filled up before we left, but Salvador found a gas station 20 minutes up the road that saved us 50¢ per gallon! We were driving two cars (one of which was a truck), so it was nice to not have wasted money unnecessarily!
Due to the long season of darkness and winter weather, the summer months are for getting construction work done. While we didn’t run into any schedule-ruining traffic, they are common in the summertime– especially as more and more tourists begin to fill the roads. We always left earlier than was necessary to account for the potential back-ups.
There’s a running joke that the mosquito is the state bird of Alaska. You won’t regret packing some bug spray or some light layers to keep your skin bite-free.
It may sound a little silly, but keep an eye on the clock for dinner! With long daylight hours and an action packed schedule, it’s easy for the day to get away from you. If you have a hankering for dinner at 9:15pm on a Tuesday night, your options will start whittling down quickly!
While we are all about supporting local small businesses and grocery stores, some towns in Alaska just don’t have them. It’s not like the Kenai Peninsula is a wilderness frontier, but stores like Walmart or Safeway aren’t as abundant as you may be used to. If you are a notorious snacker, be sure to stock up on your favorite treats whenever you’re in a “bigger” area.
Getting Your Catch Home
Don’t pay an arm and a leg to ship your fish home!! If you go fishing in Alaska and want to take your catch back with you, it may be more feasible than you think. Whatever city you’re fishing in has a processing company that will clean, filet, package, and flash-freeze your fish. When you pick it up, it will be packaged in a cardboard box with enough gel packs to keep your fish secure and frozen. This box is a perfect size to be a checked bag on your flight home.
If you are fishing at the end of your trip, you can just pick the fish up from the processing company right before you leave town. If you arrive at the airport early there’s a “valet” service at the airport that lets you keep your fish cold if you want to spend one last afternoon bopping around.
When you plan to fish at multiple towns throughout your trip, you just need to call ahead to your subsequent accommodations to ensure they have freezer space available for your catch. There may be a nominal cost to keep your fish frozen but this is a worthy investment! Sending about 50lbs of fish home will run you at least $450, if you do it through a company such as this one. There’s nothing wrong with that, and sometimes the convenience is certainly worth it! Inversely, we only paid about $100 per box to send our fish back home. Just a nifty “hack” to know about!
the wildest, wildest West
If you fancy time spent in the outdoors, nature’s magnitude, and an environment completely contrary to the norm, Alaska should be at the very top of your bucket list. It was amazing to enjoy a small part of this incredibly beautiful state.
Alaska is so huge, it can sometimes be difficult to decide where to visit. If you’re thinking you’re more keen to explore the Fairbanks to Valdez route, check out our 7-Day Camping Road Trip in Alaska.
written by Hannah
Hannah has learned the hard way to be careful what you wish for— sometimes happily ever after lands you with a husband and puppy… in the Midwest. Despite leaving Florida to move to Wisconsin, Hannah maintains her bossy big sister role with regular phone calls to keep up with all the little sister shenanigans. Notoriously chatty with her patients as well, Hannah stays busy as a physical therapist, but loves spending weekends exploring newfound hikes.
