Located just south west of Seward, Alaska, Kenai Fjords National Park is all about ice. The center of the National Park is the Harding Ice Field, and most visitors come here to see glaciers like Exit or Bear Glacier. While there are parts that you can drive to, the best way to see the park is by water.

Depending on your activity level, you can take a boat tour, kayak for a day, ice climb, or spend a night on a remote beach.

For my visit, I booked a half day kayak trip to Bear Glacier (through Liquid Adventures). Leaving from Seward, we started on a small motor boat. Our boat ride was about an hour to the Glacier, and along the way we were given a closer look at the coastline along Aialik Bay. At low tide, star fish (sea stars) clung to the rocks; up in the trees, bald eagles perched in the boughs; and in the water, sea lions and puffins floated at the surface.

While it was a mild 60 degree day when we left Seward, the temperature quickly dipped as we neared the glacier. Be sure to bring layers for the trip.

Like most days in Seward (they have only had 12 days of sun this summer), the weather was foggy & raining. We lucked out with just a misty day, but it was much worse in the afternoon. The weather prevented us from actually seeing Bear Glacier, but the cloudy backdrop helped illuminate the soft whites & blues of the icebergs.

After traveling up a small river, the boat left us off on the coast where the tour company had kayaks waiting for us. The next 2 hours gave us plenty of time to leisurely (and safely) make our way through the glacier ice. Our guide told us about the different names of the ice formations, made sure that we understood the danger or getting to close to one, and helped us spot harbor seals in the distance.

The color, size, and shapes of the ice were awe inspiring. While above the surface, the ice seemed big, what we could see was only a small part of the whole form. Some of the ice formations were bigger than a building; most were the size of a car.

While we didn’t see any bears (thankfully), we say lots of evidence of their presence, so I don’t know how comfortable I would be camping on one of these shores. What we did get to witness were the harbor seals playing in the current, and the icebergs breaking apart and floating down the river.

It was a magical day, and the pictures don’t do justice to the beauty of the place.