At the mouth of a small inlet, the pilot of our jetboat looks over his shoulder, analyzing the swells behind us. Kenai Fjords National Park: Glaciers Melting Fast - See 1,687 traveler reviews, 930 candid photos, and great deals for Seward, AK, at Tripadvisor. However, it is thought that a lot of the sites that were rich in history for archaeological studies are now under water because of the rising water levels. Bear Glac­i­er, found in Kenai Fjords Nation­al Park, is a tide­wa­ter glac­i­er and a pop­u­lar spot for kayak­ers, but you can eas­i­ly see it on a cruise from Seward. The park contains the Harding Icefield, one of the largest ice fields in the United States. There aren’t many opportunities in life to be able to immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and the feelings of floating near tidewater glaciers in the Alaskan wilderness. The ADS is operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory under NASA Cooperative Things to Do in Kenai Alaska: From Fjords to Glaciers. Kenai Fjords National Park near Seward, is a place where the mountains towers us making us look like ants, glaciers thousands of years old, dense forests and the icy waters abundant with various wildlife, all meet. Several different types of glaciers can be seen from cruises into the park, including tidewater, piedmont, hanging, and cirque glaciers.. Alexander traveled to Alaska with support from Travel Alaska (. I arrived into Seward, Alaska on a Thursday morning at 7:40 am since I had been camping at the Turnagain pass and the cold temps had awakened me early. While the rugged landscape is remote and nearly inaccessible in some areas, people have been traveling these waterways for over a thousand years. Alexander traveled to Alaska with support from Travel Alaska (travelalaska.com). No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission. We re-established 40 of their photo stations with a confidence level of approximately 5-30 feet. Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska is known for its abundance of steep glacier carved peaks that rise right out of the ocean, cut through by glaciers slowly sliding down from the ice fields above. From so close, I can sense the disappearing act on stage before me. Many visitors will head to Denali National Park, and for good reasons as the park is a must-see while in Alaska. Getting out on a vessel will give you the ultimate opportunity to watch glaciers calving off into the sea, pods of Orcas, sea lions, birds, and Humpback whales! As icebergs melt, they release air bubbles that have been frozen for millennia, exposing prehistoric air to the world. You might assume that kayaking near Alaskan glaciers would be freezing, but actually, in the summer and early fall, the weather is fairly temperate. Many air charters take off from Merrill Field and Lake Hood airstrips right inside Anchorage. He gives a quick rundown of stand-up paddleboard basics: feet parallel and a shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent. Incredible Kenai Fjords Kayaking Trips. This park also has the fjords. Visiting Alaska’s glaciers is one of the state’s most iconic experiences. Traveling by sea kayak is a quieter and more peaceful version of a glacier and wildlife cruise on a boat. Glaciers, earthquakes, and ocean storms have shaped Alaska's Kenai Fjords for centuries, resulting in constantly changing terrain. The engine shudders to a stop, and we hop the gunwales and wade to shore. Glacier's Glaciers - photos of Ice Cave, Boulder Glacier (Glacier National Park) Kenai Fjords Culture & Science Unit Photo Gallery Mountain valley - Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University, Geology 41 are many cirque glaciers in Kenai Fjords National Park, but most of them are unnamed because theyare so small. Transportation to Bear Glacier Lake can be booked through Seward Water Taxi (. Paddling further, the blue world emits its own universe of sound: a marine calm punctuated by the lapping of water against massive objects, but there’s something else, too. In 1909, USGS geologists U.S. Grant and D. F. Higgins mapped and photographed all of the tidewater glaciers and many of the land-terminating outlet glaciers in what is now Kenai Fjords National Park, creating a thorough record of glacier terminus positions and heights. It is thought that there was long term use of the area because of new evidence found. The Harding Icefield covers more than 700 square miles in Kenai Fjords National Park and is the source of over 35 named glaciers. All along the road to the visitor center, signs show the glacier’s retreat over the last century, each marker indicating the location of the edge of the glacier during the year written on the sign. Today, nearly 51 percent of the park is covered by ice. Trails from the parking lot lead to the face of the glacier. The video displays how the glaciers have receded over a century. The Kenai Fjords, like much of Alaska’s landscape, were formed by two incredibly powerful but seemingly opposite forces: tectonic activity and glaciers. Today nearly 56 percent of the park is covered by ice, but all of this land was once buried beneath the ice and still bears its influence. Uploaded by AlbertHerring; Urheber: National Park Service, Alaska Region: Lizenz. Experienced kayakers often travel in and around Resurrection Bay. More than half of the park is covered by glaciers and ice. While many visitors aspire to visit the extraordinary icebound realms like Ruth Glacier in Denali or the Kennicott and Root glaciers of Wrangell-St. Elias national parks, don’t count out the less remote backcountry of the Chugach, Kenai and Talkeetna mountains. Kenai Fjords National Park is found in south central Alaska, on the Kenai Peninsula. The park’s name comes from the many glacial fjords that dot the coastline of the park. Last updated: October 9, 2020 There aren’t many opportunities in life to be able to immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and the feelings of floating near tidewater glaciers in the Alaskan wilderness. Kenai Fjords gives visitors the opportunity to experience Alaska’s rugged coastline, countless glaciers, and abundant wildlife. For many, the “crown jewel” of this pretty spectacular park is the Harding Icefield. Kenai is a word adapted from an indigenous group known as the Athabaskans, who previously lived in the region. The road to the Exit Glacier trailhead closes during the winter months (usually mid-November). The Wild Images Team has spent many days kayaking through the ocean inlets of Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska. At several stations, glacier termini were no longer visible. It occupies an area of 2,711.33 square km in southcentral Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. The fjords that have been carved by glaciers over thousands of years have created estuary ecosystems that are only found in five other locations in the world. This was first established in 1980 through the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. After that, the trailhead can be reached by snowmobile, dogsleds, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing. We begin the trek early in the day, hoping to beat the summer crowds that are sure to clog the trailhead as the morning rolls on. I’m on the southern end of Alaska, heading into one of the glacier-cut fjords of the Kenai Peninsula to Bear Glacier Lake. I did the same cruise itinerary you are doing and did not find the Kenai Fjord tour to be repetitive at all. The barren Chiswell Islands, serviced by ferry boat, are an excellent place to see giant Steller sea lions basking, playing, and fighting on the rocks. United States. The field is the source of at least 38 glaciers, th… There are around 20 species of seabirds that make their home in the park, including puffins, bald eagles, and peregrine falcons. As one of the biggest ice fields in all of North America, it is home to over three dozen glaciers. Unlike many other parts of Alaska’s national parks, Kenai Fjords remains relatively accessible year-round. From the turn of the 20th century to 1951, Hiking deeper into Exit Glacier © Alexander Howard / Lonely Planet, Examining a crevasse © Alexander Howard / Lonely Planet, Perched on the edge of Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward is the gateway town to adventure. Use, Smithsonian Der Park ist berühmt für den 1600 Meter hohen Kenai-Berg, der vollständig vom 777 km² großen Harding-Eisfeld verhüllt ist. The video displays how the glaciers have receded over a century. Alongside a small group of other hikers, I follow the lower portion of the Harding Icefield Trail, my pack heavy with gear necessary for the highlight of our trek: walking on Exit Glacier. Perched on the edge of Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward is the gateway town to adventure. Each animation begins with a 1909 Grant and Higgins photograph which fades into the 2004 image. Today nearly 56 percent of the park is covered by ice, but all of this land was once buried beneath the ice and still bears its influence. Kenai Fjords Weather. There are upwards of three dozen named glaciers in the national park—all of which originate from the colossal 700 square-mile Harding Icefield. There are hundreds of glaciers in Kenai Fjords National Park (KEFJ) and Katmai National Park and Preserve (KATM) covering over 2,276 km 2 of park land (ca. In fact, I took so many photos, I have to have 2 separate blog posts. Recommended. In fact, Kenai Fjords National Park is one of the only tree national parks in Alaska that can be reached by road. The park’s rugged landscape includes fjords, mountains, and glaciers. In these instances, new GPS-located photo stations were established within sight of the present day termini. Mountains flank the horizons to the east and west, and to the north, in the distance, a massive wall of ice forms the face of Bear Glacier. The dramatic coastal fjords and valleys of the park reveal a long history of glaciation. Aialik glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park. The fjords that have been carved by glaciers over thousands of years have created estuary ecosystems that are only found in five other locations in the world. Independent travelers have access to the variety of trails around Exit Glacier via the national park, but those wanting to walk on the surface of the ice should go with experienced guides. Lonely Planet contributors do not accept freebies in exchange for positive coverage. From the tip of the glacier, a cloudy stream trickles through the valley, runoff from the melting ice. Ice, ice, baby: You’ll find plenty of it at Kenai Fjords National Park on the edge of the Kenai Peninsula in Southcentral Alaska, near Seward, where 40 glaciers are the main attraction. There’s so much to learn about Kenai Fjords National Park's unique glacial landscape. Here’s how to get up close and personal with the glaciers of Kenai Fjords National Park. On the shore, my guide Ryan Fisher removes a tarp that hides a cache of paddleboards and paddles. Over 38 named glaciers dot the valleys of the park, all coming from a single source, the Harding Icefield, an expanse of ice that extends over 700 square miles. ‎Kenai Fjords National Park: Pictures of the glaciers at Kenai Fjords are compared in sequence. Independent travelers have access to the variety of trails around Exit Glacier via the national park, but those wanting to walk on the surface of the ice should go with experienced guides. The Harding Icefield is here, its host of nearly 40 glaciers calving bergs into Resurrection Bay. At most locations, the change in glacier height and terminus position since 1909 has been dramatic. Explore the Fjords. At each station, we took new photographs duplicating the field of view shown in the 1909 photographs and also showing panoramic views. Kenai Fjords National Park is found in south central Alaska, on the Kenai Peninsula. Grabbing hold of twin hiking sticks with sharp, pointed ends to anchor into the ice, I work my way up the 45° incline, using the crampon teeth at the tips of my toes to dig into the ice. Chances are you are going to Alaska to explore the extraordinary landscape and wildlife that the state has to offer. 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