{"id":2628,"date":"2012-04-30T06:14:23","date_gmt":"2012-04-30T06:14:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.backroadswest.com\/blog\/?p=2628"},"modified":"2022-09-14T04:36:51","modified_gmt":"2022-09-14T04:36:51","slug":"kenai-fjords-national-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.backroadswest.com\/blog\/kenai-fjords-national-park\/","title":{"rendered":"Day Trip to Kenai Fjords National Park"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A visit to Kenai Fjords is an microcosm of what Alaska is all about \u2013 big, wild, rugged and beautiful.<\/strong> The landscape of Kenai was formed by the same mammoth force that created many other beautiful landscapes of Alaska \u2013 ice \u2013 and lots of it \u2013 in the form of glaciers. Just like Alaska\u2019s famous Glacier National Park, there are no roads leading into Kenai Fjords National Park.\u00a0 The only way to visit the park is by going out onto the open sea.\u00a0 Trips of all types into the park can be chartered out of the nearby town of Seward.<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Many cruises to Alaska begin and end in Seward.\u00a0 If this is your method of travel, be sure to check the shore excursions available from your cruise ship company to see what types of tours cover the park.\u00a0 If there are no shore excursions, then use the Internet to find a private tour company out of Seward harbor to book a day trip to the park on the day you plan to visit. If you are in the Anchorage area and are looking for a great side trip to fill two days, Seward might be the place.\u00a0 The trip down from Anchorage offers spectacular scenery and, once you get into Seward, there are several places to enjoy, such as Exit Glacier.\u00a0 Plan on spending at least two full days poking around Seward and spending a night or two there.<\/p>

Getting There<\/h3>

As discussed, Seward is the starting and ending point for many Alaskan cruises.\u00a0 However, since the improvements to the tunnel leading to the port town of Whittier were completed in 2001, many cruise lines have switched over to Whittier because it is closer to Anchorage. If Seward is where your cruise starts\/ends, you may look into making arrangements to spend an extra night in Seward so that you have two full days to explore the area and take tours.\u00a0 There are plenty of tour operators available to choose from in Seward, but make reservations before you go.<\/p>

If Whittier is where your cruise starts\/ends, Seward is located roughly 90 miles to the south.\u00a0 Because of the tricky scheduling of traffic through the Whittier tunnel (it is a one-lane tunnel that shares a railroad track and waits can be up to two hours), it may be difficult to arrange transportation to Seward.\u00a0 Renting a car is your best bet. Driving from Anchorage to Seward is a wonderful way to experience a whole lot in a short distance, relative to other Alaskan road distances.\u00a0 Seward is roughly 125 road miles south of Anchorage.\u00a0 Plan on spending 3-4 hours on the one-way trip.\u00a0 You begin by taking SR 1 (New Seward Fwy) south out of Anchorage.\u00a0 Continue south for 88 miles to the junction with SR 9.\u00a0 Continue straight through the junction following SR 9 for another 37 miles and you will be in the middle of downtown Seward. You can also reach Seward using the Alaska Railroad via the Coastal Classic<\/em>.\u00a0 There is daily service between Anchorage and Seward.\u00a0 Much of the rail line goes through wild country not accessible by any road.\u00a0 The trip takes just over 4 hours.\u00a0 Check the Alaska Railroad<\/a>website for schedule and rates.<\/p>

More…<\/p>

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Pictures<\/h3>

Below are some pictures of what you will see along the way.<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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