Exit Glacier

The feel

A network of short trails starts at the nature center and the parking lot. The Glacier View Loop Trail is an accessible one-mile loop through a cottonwood forest to a panoramic view of Exit Glacier spilling down from the Harding Icefield, then back to the lot.

For more, continue 0.6 mile on the moderately strenuous Glacier Overlook Trail to the Exit Glacier Overlook, or take the 8 mile round trip Harding Icefield Trail. There is no cell phone service or public wifi here.

What to expect

What it is

The only part of Kenai Fjords National Park you can reach by road, with short trails and a nature center.

Crowds and best time

Most people visit in June, July and August. Parking is limited, especially from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm.

Parking

Herman Leirer Road (Exit Glacier Road) leaves the Seward Highway and runs 8.4 to 8.6 miles to the lot at the nature center.

Fees and passes

No entrance fee is charged, and no park passes are sold or required.

Dogs

Pets are not allowed on the trails. Leashed pets are allowed on the road and in the parking lot.

Hazards

A safety closure runs from the toe of the glacier to the end of the canyon because of unpredictable outburst flooding.

Bathrooms and water

Flush toilets near the nature center work from Memorial Day through Labor Day, with pit toilets the rest of the year.

Season and access

Open all year, but from late October to mid-May the road is closed to cars, usually because of snow, and it often stays closed into mid-May.

Mingo says

Aim for June through August, when the road is open and rangers lead programs daily. Arrive early, because parking is limited from late morning to mid-afternoon.

Before you go

• Check road and trail conditions on the Recorded Information Line, 907-318-2088, before an off-season drive.
• Take the shuttle or a taxi from Seward if you will arrive midday.
• Call (907) 318-2040 with questions.

Written October 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page.