Discover 5 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Kenai Fjords National Park (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Harding Icefield, Aialik Glacier, and Holgate Glacier. Also, be sure to include Tustumena Lake in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska).
Table of Contents
Harding Icefield
Icefield in Alaska. The Harding Icefield is an expansive icefield located in the Kenai Mountains of the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. It is also partially located in Kenai Fjords National Park. It is named for U.S. President Warren G. Harding.[1]
Aialik Glacier
Glacier in Alaska. The Aialik Glacier is a glacier in the Kenai Peninsula Borough of Alaska. It drains into Aialik Bay. Part of Kenai Fjords National Park, it drains the Harding Icefield. Aialik Glacier, a little over 15 miles from Seward, is the largest glacier in Aialik Bay, located in Kenai Fjords National Park. While fairly stable, the glacier calves most actively in May and June.
A mural of two kayakers near the glacier painted by Byron Birdsall is at the office of the Kenai Fjords National Park.[2]
Holgate Glacier
Glacier in Alaska. Holgate Glacier is a glacier located in the U.S. state of Alaska, in Kenai Fjords National Park. It flows outward from the Harding Icefield toward Holgate Arm of Aialik Bay. Tour boats from Seward, Alaska offer tourists the opportunity to view the glacier.[3]
Tustumena Lake
Lake in Alaska. Tustumena Lake is a lake on the west side of the Kenai Peninsula in southcentral Alaska, within Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and near the town of Kasilof. Access is only via the Kasilof River, there are no roads that lead directly to the lake.[4]
Tustumena Glacier
Glacier in Alaska. The Tustumena Glacier is a glacier located on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska. The Tustumena Glacier begins in the Harding Icefield and makes its way down west for about 20 miles until its terminus roughly 5 miles before Tustumena Lake. The glacier is retreating due to global warming.
A small lake called Arctic Lake sits alongside Tustumena Glacier, with its outflow underneath the ice. This lake periodically fills up and then drains as the glacier moves, leaving icebergs stranded in the sand.
The Alaska Marine Highway ferry M/V Tustumena derives its name from this glacier.[5]