Kenai Fjords National Park
Alaska · National Park · Alaska Region
Exit Glacier is one of the only NPS glaciers in Alaska you can drive to and walk up to in under an hour. The Harding Icefield Trail climbs 3,500 feet to a 700 square mile sheet of ice that stretches past the horizon in every direction. Boat tours out of Seward run through the fjords with regular sightings of humpbacks, orcas, Steller sea lions, and puffins. Bear Glacier Lagoon, the largest tidewater glacier lagoon in North America, sits 40 minutes by water taxi from town and fills with turquoise icebergs the size of houses. Three completely different landscapes, one park, one gateway town.
- Best season
- May through September
- Permit required
- Yes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Permit info verified
- April 2026
Permit Information
NPS Special Use Permit required for weddings. $100 non refundable application fee. Submit NPS Form 10 930 at least 2 weeks in advance; longer lead time needed for ceremonies with significant park impacts. Contact the Office of Special Park Uses at 907 318 2040. Exit Glacier accessible by road; fjords by boat.
Seasonal Planning
May: Exit Glacier Road opens late in the month; snow still on Harding Icefield Trail; fewer tourists; calving already active. June: green growth along Exit Glacier trails, long daylight (17+ hours), snow lingering above Marmot Meadows. July: peak wildflowers, Harding Icefield fully walkable by mid month, warmest water for Bear Glacier trips. August: best overall weather window, peak wildlife on boat tours, salmon running in Seward. September: fall color in the brush along Exit Glacier, fewer boats, weather turning; Exit Glacier Road closes mid October. Rain gear is not optional any month.
Photography Notes
Kenai is overcast more days than not, and that works in your favor. Flat light wraps glacier ice evenly and pulls out the blue in deep crevasses. On bluebird days the ice goes stark white and contrast gets ugly fast, so shoot early or late. Bring a weather sealed body, a 24 70 for ceremony and scene, a 70 200 for ice detail and wildlife from the boat, and something wide for the icefield. Pack rain covers and lens cloths. Wildlife sightings on boat tours are reliable but fast moving, so shoot at 1/1000 or faster handheld.
Planning Your Day at Kenai Fjords National Park
One-Spot Day
Kenai Fjords rewards a one spot day when the weather is soft. Exit Glacier alone, Bear Glacier Lagoon alone, or Harding Icefield Trail alone, each is its own full day. The glacier you drive to, the iceberg lagoon, and the 3,500 foot climb to the icefield are three completely different landscapes that share a single gateway town in Seward. Pick the one that matches your energy and commit.
Ceremony + Portraits Split
Splits work best when they stay on the road system. Exit Glacier for ceremony, then a Seward beach, Lowell Point, or Tonsina Trail for portraits, all of that pencils out in one day. Trying to combine a boat access location like Bear Glacier with anything else is how you end up watching the water taxi leave without you. Overnight in Seward if you want the fjord and the glacier both.
A Note on Light
Kenai is overcast more days than not, and that is actually the best light for ice. Flat cloud cover pulls out the blue in the glacier face and the turquoise in Bear Glacier Lagoon. Bluebird days flatten the color and create harsh contrast on white surfaces, so on sunny days shoot first thing in the morning or the last hour before the Exit Glacier Road gate closes. June has 17 plus hours of daylight, which gives you real flexibility on timing.
Ceremony Spots at Kenai Fjords National Park
- Exit Glacier — Walk up glacier ceremony with ice in the background and mountain views on all sides
- Bear Glacier Lagoon — Remote tidewater glacier ceremony among icebergs in a turquoise lagoon, accessible only by boat or kayak
- Harding Icefield Trail — Above treeline ceremony overlooking a massive 700 square mile ice field stretching to the horizon