On December 1, 1978, President Jimmy Carter invoked the Antiquities Act to protect some of the pristine areas of Alaska. Make sure to bring your own water bottle and plenty of water with you. Ask at the Visitor Center for particulars on where and how. Kenai Fjords National Park lies at the edge of the Kenai Peninsula, in south-central Alaska. She explained that she had told some ranger that she was late when she got back. In time, about 20 miles of coastline was oiled, amounting to about 4% of the total coastline. Coastal cabins are equipped with a heater (propane fuel is provided), a table and chairs, and wooden bunks. You May Like: Cheap Places To Stay In Solvang Ca. For the rest of the park, a boat may be necessary. December 1, 1978 Designated as a National Monument by President Carter December 2, 1980 Designated as a National Park through the Alaska National Interest Seward, AK. Kenai Fjords National Park Visitor Center is situated on the Kenai Peninsula, south of the city of Anchorage. [11], Early studies of possible new Park Service units in Alaska took place in the 1930s and 1940s. Estimated distance from major cities nearby, Estimated Distance from nearby National Park. $0.00 - There is no fee to visit the park. [12] Another study, funded as part of the Alaska Highway in the 1940s drew similar conclusions to the first study's majority opinion. However, the town of Seward is accessible year-round via the Seward Highway. Kenai Fjords National Park is an American national park that maintains the Harding Icefield, its outflowing glaciers, and coastal fjords and islands. Your purchase supports PBS and helps make our programming possible. Lichens and early grasses and shrubs clung to the bare rock and crevasses. Holgate Cabin contains six wooden beds that sleep six people. There are numerous incredible things to do in Kenai Fjords National Park and along the Kenai Peninsula, including hiking, boat cruises, kayaking, fishing, scenic flights, and more! Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. A few miles before Seward a fork to the right leads about 6 miles to the parking lot from which some easy paths lead to glacier observation spots. The following documents have it all. The tours provide views of land and marine wildlife, particularly Steller sea lions, puffins, Dall's porpoises, American black bear, snowshoe hares, Mountain goats, and humpback and orca whales, as well as natural sights such as the fjords and tidewater glaciers. Wildlife cruises into Kenai Fjords NP are very popular too. Willows and alders are followed by black cottonwoods, then Sitka spruce. WebThe National Parks: America's Best Idea is a six-episode series produced by Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan and written by Dayton Duncan. You can choose from a half day cruise or a full day cruise. Almost 200 different species have been identified here, among the best-known bird species in Kenai Fjords National Park are bald eagles, a subspecies of the peregrine falcon, yellow tufted puffin, and Horned puffin. In the park, you can see large land mammals such as grizzly bears, black bears, moose, and mountain goats, but also smaller mammals such as North American otters and beavers. [23] The park was initially administered by a small cadre of permanent and seasonal rangers and technicians who put considerable emphasis on community liaison. Icefield coverage has declined, with a 3% reduction in coverage over a 16-year study period. The task of managing the park, therefore, fell to the federal government, establishing a national park the first in a long line of protected areas that would come to protect not only Americas natural beauty but also its rich cultural heritage. The first oil arrived on April 10. We have a couple of days after our cruise lands in Seward before flying home from Anchorage thought wed stay a couple of nights and see the Kenai NP. Then we hurried to catch up with our group. 4 hour wildlife cruise - Watch for whales, puffins, sea otters, and more on a half-day wildlife cruise through Resurrection Bay. From this massive 700-square-mile icefield, countless tidewater glaciers pour down, carving fjords and icebergs. Drones are not allowed to be flown within National Park Sites. [49][50] Smaller mammals include coyote, beaver and river otter. If you are coming in the wintertime, then you are likely used to handling yourself in extremely cold and snow environments without our advice! Spring, like fall, can be a great time to visit Alaska. While there is no additional lodging within the national park itself, except camping, there are a variety of places to stay, including bed and breakfast and motels, in Seward, as well as in a Kenai Fjords Native owned sanctuary nearby. It is turning fall and the main group of tourists has left. Seward, AK. The park is home to one of the largest ice fields in the United States, the Harding Icefield. Source: National Park Service. Major Marine Boat Tours You can also book charter flights to Seward. No other mining trail on the Kenai Peninsula climbs as high or takes in more extensive views as the 6mile-long Crown Mine Trail. McCullough docked at Seward, Alaska, circa 1900-1927. The process has lowered the elevation of the Kenai Mountains, gradually pulling glacial features down into the sea, which is at the same time rising. Also, the location was great-it was quiet, and made for a shorter drive to the Exit Glacier area. It is largely barren of life because of its high silt content from pulverized rock caused by the glacier. Courtesy National Park Service. Buy onREI.comand REI will donate 10% of pass proceeds to the National Forest Foundation, National Park Foundation and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities. Photo below: Sunset along the Harding Icefield Trail at Kenai Fjords National Park. Exit Glacier . On December 2, 1980, the monument was changed to a national park, along with all other Alaskan national parks, by the Alaska Native Interests Land Conservation Act. On December 1, 1978, President Jimmy Carter, signed a proclamation making Kenai Fjords part of a group of 15 natural areas in Alaska new national monuments. Alerts In Effect The park's glaciers have retreated through the twentieth century, exposing new lands to colonization by plant and animal life. To get there from Anchorage, follow the Seward Highway south. December 2, 1980, Designated as a National Park through the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). Established as a National Park in 1980, Kenai Fjords is located just west of the small harbor town of Seward. Please consider the hours you come, carpooling, ortaking a shuttle or taxi, when you plan your trip. Seward has history beyond the national park. There's the history of the 1964 earthquake and the Exxon Valdez as well. As the only wilderness lodge within Alaskas 700,000-acre Kenai Fjords National Park, a stay at Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge offers unparalleled wilderness access for your Alaska vacation! [8] A lodge was developed by the Port Graham community on Aialik Bay. This proposal allowed logging and mining in the area. Filmmaker Ken Burns shares insights into making The National Parks. The northern section of Kenai Fjords lies west (and above) the town of Seward (population 2,500). Today, those twenty-three thousand year old natural features remain, to be visited, since 1980, in the national park of Kenai Fjords. Also Check: Best Places To Stay In Aberdeen Scotland. Courtesy National Park Service. It was a gorgeous afternoon, in the low 70s and sunny. Seward and Mining History - The town of Seward is replete with history of Russian traders who had come to Alaska in 1784 to establish permanent settlements, the mining districts out in the Kenai fields and coastlines, plus the southern end of the Alaska Railroad that would take the ore to market. The park was featured in the 1994 Passport stamp set. The best time to visit the park to enjoy the most services is during the summer. If youre flying into Alaska, youll want to fly to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, then drive or take the train or bus to Seward. The most accessible glacier, and the only portion of the park accessible by road, is Exit Glacier. Better have a good notebook to jot down that timeline. Kenai Fjords National Park. Park Mission Now the glacier wasnt even visible from it. I have three kids 4, 7 and 9 and a fisherman husband. In 1851, word spreads across the country of a beautiful area of Californias Yosemite Valley, attracting visitors who wish to exploit the lands scenery for commercial gain and those who wish to keep it pristine. Several companies offer tours, many guided by the rangers of the national park. Explore the physical majesty of this greatest of all achievements of the industrial age. Although the proposal had support in Congress and from the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, it was overcome by difficulties with native land claims. It is only one of three national parks in Alaska that can be reached by road, via the Exit Glacier Nature Center. Located on Alaska's Kenai Peninsulanear the town of Sewardthe park spreads out across 669,984 acres. Park temperatures are always cool, with highs averaging in the low 60s in summer, and only reaching the low 30s during the winter months. Physical Record Geologic Study What we couldnt have known at the time was that almost exactly a week and a half later, President Obama would stand exactly where we now were. In 1964 George B. Hartzog Jr., director of the National Park Service, initiated a new study entitled Operation Great Land, advocating the development and promotion of the existing Alaska parks. Marine mammals include sea otter,[51] harbor seal[52] and Steller sea lion. Filmed over the course of more than six years at some of nature's most spectacular locales from Acadia to Yosemite, Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon, the Everglades of Florida to the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska. Terry Tempest Williams talks about what the Grand Tetons mean to her. It was unimaginable that the glacier had once filled the valley in front of us to the height of 2,000 feet. These tours should be reserved in advance and are expensive. Uncover the mysteries of an ever-changing landscape; rocks revealing the signature of past glacial advance, valleys growing as ice retreats, and Sign up to get updates about the film and future projects from Ken Burns and Florentine Films. Kenai Fjords National Park is open year-round, but you really want to visit in the summer months to see the park as the roads to Exit Glacier is not plowed. Some sites had been active into the 1980s. [26], Seward is a departure point and destination for large cruise ships from Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line, Royal Caribbean International and others. The departure was at Homer on April 17 and after eight days they finally arrived at the Exit Glacier (Seward). Several cruises from Seward also provide access to the park through Resurrection Bay. Park Ranger Programs include interpretive talks, day hikes, or short walks to learn more about the park. There are a couple of public use cabins within the park. You will quickly find out that everything is very expensive from getting there to hotel stays, rental cars, meals, gas, etc. Kenai Fjords NP is currently ranked at 17 out of 63 National Parks by Size. We grabbed our day packs from the hotel and set off through Seward to the shuttle. WebOil can still be found on the coastline today. Nearly 40 glaciers flow from the Harding Icefield, We saw glaciers calving, fall-colored leaves, and even hiked to a glacier. The Willow Cabin is available during the winter months by contacting the park. Whether these be along the Exit Glacier trail or in the park pavilion, information that these wonderful guides provide is a wonderful way to learn about the land and history of Kenai Fjords. WebEarly settlers to the Seward area only dates back to 1884, and the town itself notes a 1903 beginning. Established as a National Park in 1980, Kenai Fjords is located just west of the small harbor town of Seward. It is located in the Exit Glacier area with twelve walk-in tent sites that fill up early in the summer season. Keep reading for in-depth details on each activity and tour recommendations. An extension of the trail leads hikers closer to the glaciers current toe. Although there was a steady stream of people visiting the glacier on this gorgeous afternoon, we were relatively alone on the hike back down. The Harding Icefield Filmed over the course of more than We noted that there was a ranger-led hike to the glacier at 2pm, so we decided to join the group rather than set out on our own. The Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area is a place whose valleys and mountains, communities and people tell the larger story of a wild place and a rugged frontier. WebOn December 1, 1978, President Jimmy Carter, signed a proclamation making Kenai Fjords part of a group of 15 natural areas in Alaska new national monuments . Early settlers to the Seward area only dates back to 1884, and the town itself notes a 1903 beginning. Lodging within the park itself is confined to three public use cabins, two available during the summer, one in winter, and requiring transportation, extra, to get there. A single ranger was assigned to Seward as a local liaison. We recommend staying in or around Seward, AK. America's Best History where we take a look at the timeline of American History and the historic sites and national parks that hold that history within their lands. That's when the railroads came. The paths to the site are on crushed rock or asphalt. Eventually these would establish communities of alpine plants. The white-striped dolphin is also found in these waters. It was in anticipation of a visit by President Obama in a week and a half. Seward is located 126 miles south of Anchorage and is accessible during summer and winter months down Seward Highway (AK-1) and (AK-9). Climate Normals Quick Access (19812010)", Full list of all state parks, recreation areas and sites, historic parks and sites, and marine parks, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenai_Fjords_National_Park, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, Seward Ranger District, Chugach National Forest, USGS Topo Map: Seward A-7 SE (Southcentral Alaska), USGS Topo Map: Seward A-7 NW (Southcentral Alaska), USGS Topo Map: Seward A-7 NE (Southcentral Alaska), USGS Topo Map: Seward A-6 SW (Southcentral Alaska), Source 1: NOAA (average snowfall/snow days 19812010), This page was last edited on 3 May 2023, at 06:31. [25] Most of the lands claimed were on the coastline. That being said the primary months to visit are June, July, and August. Its breathtakingly beautiful landscapes were first Exit Glacier is the only part of Kenai Fjords NP that is accessible by road. Exit Creek is fed mostly by melt from the glacier. Printable list of US National Parks in Alphabetical Order, Printable List of all 424 US National Park Sites, List of US National Parks in Alphabetical Order, Things to do in Petrified Forest National Park. Balancing these contradictory missions of preservation and visitor use can be challenging. In 2017, the Adult price for some of the full day tours was $159. A glacier cross was repeatedly attempted, but only in the spring of 1968, a group of climbers succeeds. A chronicle of the worst man-made ecological disaster in American history that nearly decimated wheat supply. Also Check: Cheap Places To Stay In French Quarter New Orleans. In particular, Sitka alder is capable of fixing nitrogen, supporting itself and enriching the soil. We each ordered sandwiches, and my ham sandwich came stuffed with macaroni and cheese. These are popular and must be reserved. The junior ranger program is perfect for all ages to learn more about the park. 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