A Surreal Day Kayaking in Kenai Fjords National Park

My National Parks Passport book is full of stamps across the regions. However, an August 2020 stamp from Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska wins for the most unique experience. You can only drive to a small area of the national park, near Exit Glacier. The real attraction is taking a boat tour from the Seward area to experience more of the park and get up close and personal with the glaciers. I highly suggest the adventure traveler does a tour that includes kayaking deep in the Kenai Fjords for the ultimate experience.

More information and tips for your trip to Alaska: Fall in Love with Alaska on this Road Trip.

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Picking a tour company

There are several operators and tour options in the Seward area. We were limited to a certain day, so we booked with Miller’s Landing as they had a boat available for our two families. Their boat held our group of ten plus guides — so we essentially had a private tour. BONUS! Ask for Nate — he was an awesome guide!

Be sure to ask what food and drinks are included. While there was plenty of food to fill our stomachs, our tour did not include beverages, not even water. Of course, that is easy to bring along if you have the information ahead of time.

Which tour?

Talk with the tour operators to see what they suggest based on your group’s size and abilities. There are closer fjords in Kenai Fjords National Park, however after learning that Northwestern was a local guide favorite we had to see it for ourselves.

I do not think you can go wrong, but we choose the all-day tour including kayaking in the lagoon. If your fitness level and budget allow, I highly recommend including the kayaking. Go big or go home!

NORTHWESTERN FJORD DAY TRIP REVIEW

The boat ride out to Northwestern Lagoon

This is an all-day tour with an early start. The water taxi ride was about two hours long including stops for wildlife viewing. We had bagels along the way and they gave us granola bars for our pockets. Be sure to bring water and bug repellent for your lunch stop.

GOD’S COUNTRY! The sun rose from the horizon as six orca whales played around our boat for twenty minutes. We later passed an island dotted with sea lions and glided through a channel with puffins floating and flying nearby. Wildlife is unpredictable — but there is so much here that you will get a showing on this outing.

Kayaking amongst the glaciers

I got that feeling of being small amongst nature in the Kenai Fjords National Park — similar to the Grand Canyon. This is unique, however, because the glaciers are melting and may not be here for the next generation. Witnessing the size and length of at least a dozen glacier calvings, even my teenagers easily understood how fortunate we were to be here.

It was awe-inspiring to float in a kayak in this remote location — you feel more immersed in nature + a great workout. Several bald eagles flew overhead. We also got up to watch sea otters and a baby sea lion playing nearby. The kayaking is not easy — you will kayak for about five hours and through rough ocean waves at times.

A unique ice field experience

Kayaking through a maze-like field of ice in the Northwestern Lagoon is darn right cool. It is surreal to navigate around the countless chunks of ice that seem to be floating on the water. However, most are just the tip of an ice form that extends deep below the surface. Hey Jerry and Phil, this would be fun to feature on The Amazing Race!

The boat ride back to Seward

Don’t get worried if you have to wait a bit for the water taxi boat back to Seward — more time to explore the area on foot. It got a little chilly, so our guides put up a tarp using the kayak paddles and made a bonfire on the beach.

Photography note

I had my Sony A6000 camera plus a 50mm lens in a dry bag strapped right in front of my kayak skirt. I really like the MARCHWAY dry bag. While it comes in several sizes, the 20L has worked well on our trips.

You can also snap some really great photos using an iPhone. The cameras on these phones just keep getting better!

Take photos early and often because every turn can give you a different wind level and sun exposure. We had fantastic weather until about 4 PM and then we were surrounded by storms. While it was pretty cool to experience, it was not so great for photography! Our guides showed us how to make a tent with the kayak paddles and started a fire while we waited for the water taxi.

FITZ BITS TIP: Do not delay taking photos along the way because the weather may change quickly.

Seward lodging

We spent two nights at this cute and comfortable two-bedroom apartment in Seward. It is close to town and has fantastic views. There was a grocery store nearby and my boys loved the massage chair. I loved the views!

Our friends enjoyed staying at the Best Western in the town of Seward. Who doesn’t love the free (included!) breakfast? Make your reservation early so you can hopefully get a choice of queen bed versus a double bed.

Visited August 2020