Yang Lu Photography - Kenai Fjord National Park, Alaska

We spent 3 days in the park from July 1st to 3rd, 2012.

The only trail in the park is Harding Icefield trail. It is said if you want to do only one hike in Alaska, this is the one. I totally agree with that. The view becomes better and better as you ascend on the trail. It is absolutely breathtaking at the end of the trail. There is no photo that could make you feel what you would feel when you stand on top of the mountain and look at the snow covered Harding Icefield. The feeling is indescribable and you must be there to feel it.

We camped on the top of the trail. The night was so quiet up there. We and a Dall Sheep were the only residents. Even in July the last mile of the trail was still covered by snow. Micro spikes would be really helpful. If you decide to camp there you will need snow camping equipment and enough fuel to melt snow for drinking water. Along the trail, there were many streams coming down from melted snow. You could pump water from them until the last mile. Bear canister is also required if you camp.

To explore the park more, a boat tour is a must. I highly recommend the Captain's Choice from Kenai Fjords Tours. Their boat holds only 18 people. Smaller vessel allows us to visit more places and get closer to wild animals and glaciers. During the 9-hour cruise we saw everything we expected to see, including killer whales, gray whales, porpoises, sea otters, harbor seals, Steller sea lions, puffins, oystercatchers, bald eagles, and many other sea birds.