Seward and Kenai peninsula, Alaska
We did a 1350 mile road trip of pristine Alaska and the main highlight of the road trip was drive through the breathtaking Seward highway. Seward Highway starts in Anchorage, Alaska and meanders south 127 miles from sea to mountains to sea across the Kenai Peninsula, ending in the harbor town of Seward on Resurrection Bay. It runs through the scenic Kenai peninsula, Chugach National forest, Turnagain Arm and Kenai mountains. Take my advice – give a pass to the cruise ships , rent a car and plan a road trip to Seward and Kenai Peninsula, Alaska.
The U.S. government has named the Seward Highway an All-American Road, suggesting it‘s a destination unto itself. In my opinion the Seward highway is the most stunningly beautiful highway in North America. I would rate the daring Beartooth highway in Cook city , Montana as a close second.
How to Get to Seward and Kenai Peninsula
By Car
Driving the Seward Highway offers scenic highlights around every turn, and you can stop and go as you please. Once you arrive in Seward, you’re already set for transportation-around town, out to Exit Glacier, or down to Homer, for example. It’s the fastest way to get to Seward (other than by plane, which very few people use because Seward’s so close and flying’s so expensive), taking about 2.5 hours.
By Train
If your Alaska trip is a once-in-a-lifetime deal, you can choose to experience the historic Alaska Railroad. The trip between Anchorage and Seward-the Coastal Classic-is arguably its most scenic section, and you can take the train one-way. The route parallels the Seward Highway along the Turnagain Arm, but then you head up into the mountains, away from the road-you won’t see these glaciers and alpine meadows by car. The train is fairly affordable ($79 o/w, $125 rt), the rail cars are historic, and it’s nice to get up and walk around. It does take more time than driving (4 hours, 20 minutes), however, and there’s only one departure daily from Anchorage-6:45am.
By Bus
The bus provides an alternative to driving, letting you check out the scenery instead of keeping your eyes on the road. It is a bit cheaper than the train ($55-65 o/w, $90 rt), a bit faster (3 hours), and offers a few different departure times from Anchorage (7am, 2:30pm, 3pm).
When to Get to Seward and Kenai
The summer season runs from mid-May to mid-September and is the best time to visit if you’re hoping to see wildlife with temperatures ranging from 40° to 60°F (4.4° to 15.5°C). You may also visit in the spring or fall, but snow can fall at any time, so be prepared for cold or unexpected weather,
Tips for Spotting Wildlife
Every summer visitors flock to Seward to see whales, sea otters, and more in Kenai Fjords National Park. Day cruises are the best way to see marine wildlife and tours of varying lengths are available all summer long.
Day cruises also offer great shorebird viewing opportunities so be on the lookout for puffins, cormorants and kittiwakes. While onboard your attention may be directed to the shoreline to look for mountain goats high on the cliffs or bald eagles perched in the trees as well.
Other wildlife opportunities in Seward include sightings from area hiking trails where you may spot a moose or a black bear.
Over 22,000 California Gray Whales embark each year on a 5,000-migration from Mexico’s Baja coast to their feeding grounds in the Bering and Chukchi seas. Get an up close view of these mammoth travelers as they pass Resurrection Bay on one of the local boat tours of Kenai Fjords National Park.
This almost urban wilderness, tucked in a curve between the ocean and the Chugach foothills, is a favorite stop for migratory birds. Eagles soar overhead while waterfowl nest amid vividly green grasses. Beyond the marsh, the road squeezes between cliffs and ocean. On one side, gray rock reaches up into Chugach State Park. On the other, silty Turnagain Arm stretches across to the sharp angles of the Kenai Mountains. Stop at the Turnagain House (mile 103.1) to admire the view. At the end of the road lies Seward. This tidy town of about 3,000 has some 40 B&Bs. Around here, fish is on every menu, from deep-fried halibut by the harbor to fragrant cedar-planked salmon .
You can catch your own, too, from a charter boat or along the town beach, where several blocks of prime downtown waterfront are available for camping. Fishermen and campers enjoy a view of the busy harbor, where hundreds of white masts and hulls stand out against the dark blue backdrop of the Resurrection Peninsula.
If you‘re looking for whales and waterfalls, blue glaciers and sharp-toothed mountains, calm trout ponds and stormy ocean fjords, there‘s enough visual overload here to fill a hard drive with digital pictures. We checked into a charming historical hotel – Hotel Seward with amazing views of the snow clad mountains from our room.
We Took the day long cruise to Kenai Fjords glaciers and a helicopter ride over the glaciers. The heli ride was totally amazing and it was surreal to fly over the deep blue glaciers and land over them. highly recommended.
Cruise ship getting up close to Bear Glacier, Kenai Peninsula
PORTAGE GLACIER
One of Alaska’s most accessible glaciers and most popular attractions, Portage Glacier is the crown jewel in a valley studded with alpine glaciers. The Portage Valley was literally shaped by glaciers and today is a perfect spot for exploring.
Floating iceberg near portage glacier, Kenai Peninsula. Portage glacier is part of the Chugach national forest.
Floating iceberg near Portage glacier, Alaska
Picture of Bear glacier calving and of Humpback whales breaching. We had to wait a couple of hours to see the whales breaching. The glaciers were calving every half hour or so. Aerial view of the glacier was surreal.
CHUGACH NATIONAL FOREST
Picture postcard like waterfalls deep within Chugach national forest in south central Alaska.
Amazing waterfall hidden in Chugach national forest, Alaska
WILDLIFE AT ITS BEST
The Alaska Wildlife conservation center at Portage, Mile 79 of the Seward Highway is a great place to see Alaska’s wildlife upclose. Plan half a day to visit the centre.
Flying in an open door helicopter was a unique experience. The heliride companies will remove the door of the helicopter upon special request. This allows for better views while photographing aerial shots of glaciers or wild life. I was lucky in getting a picture of two adorable seal pups floating on a iceberg . It is highly recommended to do the helicopter ride if this fits into your plans. We had to rent two helicopters as these are small crafts and can’t take more than three to four guests.
AERIAL SHOT OF SEAL PUPS
Helicopter ride to the Kenai fjords Glacier
For more stories on Alaska read on Top 5 things to do in Denali National Park, Alaska
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