Mount Marathon · Seward
Exit Glacier & the Harding Icefield Trail
A strenuous climb to a vast field of ice
Location
Exit Glacier area, near Seward
Distance
~8.2 mi round trip · ~1,000 ft/mi
Season
~Late June through early October
Payoff
Overlook of the Harding Icefield
The Exit Glacier area is the only part of Kenai Fjords National Park you can reach by road, a short drive from Seward. Easy valley paths lead to Exit Glacier's blue ice, while the strenuous Harding Icefield Trail climbs alongside it to a sweeping overlook of the icefield itself — an ocean of ice broken only by peaks. It's the land-based counterpart to a fjords cruise, and one of the great day hikes in Alaska.
From glacier's edge to the icefield
The Exit Glacier area is the only part of Kenai Fjords National Park reachable by road. Easy valley-floor paths lead close to Exit Glacier's dense blue ice, while the Harding Icefield Trail climbs steeply alongside the glacier's northern edge. The trail gains roughly a thousand feet per mile, rising through cottonwood and alder forest, then heather meadows, and finally above the tree line to a sweeping overlook of the Harding Icefield, the source of the glacier below and dozens of others.
A serious day hike
This is a strenuous, all-day hike that rewards fit hikers with one of the great views in Alaska: an ocean of ice stretching to the horizon, broken only by mountain peaks poking through as nunataks. Marmot Meadows and Top of the Cliffs make natural rest stops or turnaround points for those not going the full distance. Snow can linger on the upper trail well into summer, so conditions vary and warmer layers are worth carrying.
How it fits a Seward trip
For travelers who want to earn their views on foot, the Harding Icefield Trail is the land-based counterpart to a Kenai Fjords cruise, and the two together give a full picture of the same icefield from sea and from summit. The area is managed by the National Park Service, and the trail is self-guided. This is bear country with brushy, low-visibility stretches, so carrying bear spray and hiking prepared is standard practice.
Pro tip
This is a strenuous, all-day climb in bear country with brushy, low-visibility stretches — carry bear spray, start early, and be ready for snow on the upper trail into summer. Marmot Meadows makes a good turnaround if you're not going the full distance.
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