Attractions and Places To See in the Kenai Mountains - Top 20

Spacious location far away from the hustle and bustle of Homer

The hike to Russian River Falls on the Kenai Peninsula takes you through Alaska's impressive nature on a well-developed and mostly flat path. The approximately 2-mile trail starts at the Russian River Campground and runs through dense forests that offer you a view of the native flora and fauna. The hike is relatively easy, making it ideal for relaxed exploration. At the end of the trail, two observation platforms await you, perfectly placed to experience the impressive waterfalls up close. This place comes alive especially during salmon season in summer. Thousands of salmon fight their way upstream here, and with a little luck you can even watch bears fishing - a unique spectacle of nature that will stay with you for a long time. Other wildlife, such as eagles and the occasional fox, also take advantage of the abundance of fish and make the scenery even more impressive. The chance of seeing animals is particularly high early in the morning or towards the evening. The Russian River Falls Trail is more than just a hike; It gives you the feeling of diving deep into Alaska's wild nature and offers an unforgettable experience for nature lovers and adventurers.

What a unique place. Hikes of varying difficulty levels allow everyone to enjoy a breathtaking view of the glacier. In a few years, however, you will have to climb a few more meters in altitude to still be able to see the glacier tongue.

The Harding Icefield is a huge field of ice and snow. And when I say huge, I mean that it goes beyond your imagination. This icefield "feeds" around 40 glaciers that "emerge" from it. The hike there is the icing on the cake of a trip to Alaska. It takes you over 15 kilometers (there and back) and 1000 meters in altitude through the most beautiful picture-book landscape. Magnificent views motivate you from the start to definitely walk the trail to the end. When you arrive at the Harding Icefield, you are simply overwhelmed by this place, which seems as if you are standing at the end of the world. Everything becomes quiet. Everything is perfect. You absolutely have to do it!!!

A boat tour from this harbor is a must when you are in Seward. There are two large providers (Major Marine Tours & Kenai Fjord Tours), which certainly do not differ in quality. In any case, we can definitely recommend booking the large 8.5-hour tour, where you travel in much smaller boats and have a very intense nature experience. There were not even 20 people on board and we saw a lot of wildlife. 🐳🐬🦭🐦‍⬛🦙 You could feel the crew's love for the sea every minute and learned an incredible amount about its creatures. To prevent any seasickness (the waves were sometimes really rough), there were various chewy candies at check-in or on board.

Absolutely unique landscape. You get very close to a glacier very quickly.

This trailhead is accessible only by water; the usual method is to hire a water taxi from Homer. The taxis do not run in loops like a bus or mass-transit ferry, so you do need to arrange (and pay for) transport in advance. Although you can reach several trails from here, the most popular by far is the hike to the shore of Grewingk Lake, with Grewingk Glacier on the other side. If you plan to do that hike, make sure your pick-up plans with the water taxi company are very explicit. Most hikers will ask to be dropped off at this trailhead (Glacier Spit) but picked up at another trailhead (Saddle Trail), as you can link the two trails together into a short, but beautiful, thru-hike.

Expect to pay $5 for parking in this trailhead lot. From here, you can make the relatively easy hike out to Tonsina Point, or you can hike all the way to Caines Head (sometimes known as North Beach, because you arrive at the north beach of Caines Head). If you plan to hike all the way to Caines Head, please be aware that some parts of the trail are underwater at high tide. Alaska has some of the most extreme tidal differentials in the world, and the water is cold and fast-moving. Alaska State Parks recommends leaving Seward at least two hours before low tide to make sure you don't get stranded, but you'll also need to make sure the tide is sufficiently low for you to cross those areas; get more information here: https://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits/kenai/cainesheadsra.htm It's too far to hike out to Caines Head and back in a single tide, so if you do go, either arrange for a water taxi to meet you at the beach and bring you back, or be prepared to wait until the next low tide (about 12 hours). This is also a very popular backpacking destination; people sometimes hike there with tents and other camping gear, then camp out overnight as they wait for another tide. If you plan to do this, be aware that the shale beach can make it challenging to properly stake out a tent, so you might need to employ some creative solutions (like tying guy lines to driftwood, if there is any available).