Kenai Fjords National Park guide · 1 min read
Exit Glacier: The Park's Only Road-Accessible Area
Exit Glacier is the only glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park that you can drive to, which makes it the simplest part of the park to reach.
Herman Leirer Road, often called Exit Glacier Road, is the park's only road. The drive from the Seward Highway to the parking lot covers 8.6 miles, and the area sits about 12 miles from Seward. The road ends at a parking lot beside the Exit Glacier Nature Center, where rangers offer daily programs in summer.
Both the Exit Glacier Trails and the Harding Icefield Trail begin at one trailhead, a short way past the parking lot. The Exit Glacier Trails wind through the valley the glacier carved, and several short routes reach the glacier's terminus and its viewpoints. The routes connect with one another, so hikers can mix and match as they go.
The Harding Icefield Trail is demanding. It climbs to the Harding Icefield, the largest icefield lying entirely within the United States, and the round trip runs more than 8 miles. Guided tours let visitors walk on the glacier or try ice climbing, led by experienced guides.
Markers along Exit Glacier Road show where the glacier's edge once reached, each tagged with a four-digit year. Comparing them gives a clear picture of how far the ice has retreated over roughly the past century, a change largely believed to be the result of climate change. Higher up, the Harding Icefield feeds nearly 40 glaciers, including Exit Glacier.
Once winter arrives, the road goes unplowed and the area feels quite different. Visitors can take a dog sled tour, reserve a snowcoach ride, or go snowshoeing and cross-country skiing on the trails.
