Kenai Fjords National Park - Exit Glacier (U.S. National Park Service)

Visitors hiking on the Exit Glacier overlook loop trail

NPS Photo

Exit Glacier's overlook loop trail

Exit Glacier is the only part of the park accessible by road. Here you can stroll the trails, walk very close to an active glacier, or take a ranger-led walk. It is a place where you can witness up close how glaciers re-shape a landscape and learn how plant life reclaims the barren rocky land exposed by a glacier’s retreat.

Directions:
To get there, turn onto the Herman Leirer/Exit Glacier Road at mile 3 of the Seward Highway. The 8.6 mile road to the Exit Glacier Area is paved, making it easily accessible to all types of vehicles. Taxi/shuttle service is available from Seward.

Seasons:
Exit Glacier is open year-round. Upon the arrival of snow, usually in mid-November, the road is closed to cars but open to a wide-range of winter recreation – from snow machines to dogsleds and cross-country skiers. The road often remains closed through early May so be sure to check current conditions if you are visiting during the shoulder seasons (spring or fall).

NPS Photo

View of Exit Glacier from the Nature Trail

Trails:
From the Exit Glacier Nature Center several short trails lead to the foot of the glacier. The first ¼ mile of the main trail is paved and handicap accessible. The pavement ends at a kiosk with benches and interpretive signs about area geology. At that point you can continue along the main trail on a gravel path to the Glacier, or pass through the kiosk and follow the accessible trail to a panoramic viewpoint of Exit Glacier, the surrounding peaks and the outwash stream.

Once at the glacier, you can wander along the relatively flat outwash plain, or head up the moderately strenuous Overlook Loop Trail that leads up to an area of recently glaciated terrain, with a spur trail continuing to the edge of Exit Glacier.You can return by the main trail or take the Nature Trail back to the parking lot. This slightly longer, more wooded route includes interpretive signs describing the progression from pioneer plants to temperate rainforest that occurs after a glacier recedes. If you are looking for a longer day hike, don’t miss the Harding Icefield Trail. A map of all the trails in the Exit Glacier area is posted near the Nature Center.

Visitor Facilities:
The Exit Glacier Nature Center includes hands-on exhibits and an Alaska Natural History Association book store. Flush toilets, near the Nature Center, are operable from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The rest of the year pit toilets are available. Exit Glacier has a 12-site, walk-in campground.