Alaska·United States
Photo: National Park Service, Alaska Region · Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Kenai Fjords National Park is where the Harding Icefield spills down through glaciers that calve straight to the sea. A water taxi from Seward drops paddlers in Aialik Bay or the remote Northwestern Fjord, surrounded by ice, sea otters and seabird colonies.
In season: Jun–Aug · Peak: Jul
Multi-day paddling and beach camping in cold water with ice, surge near glacier faces and changeable weather. Stay well back from calving ice.
Sea otters and puffins out of Seward
Paddling to a tidewater glacier face, water taxi in
The deepest and least-visited arm of the park
Base in Seward and book a water taxi and kayak rental, or a guided trip. Paddle Resurrection Bay first, then camp in Aialik Bay near the glacier, and save Northwestern Fjord for a longer, more remote trip.
Skiing3 linesUnited States
The steep, fluted spines above Valdez that made the Chugach the benchmark for big-mountain skiing.
Wildlife watching3 routesUnited States
Brown bears snatching leaping salmon at Brooks Falls, one of the great wildlife spectacles on earth.
Mountaineering3 routesUnited States
Three weeks on the glaciers of the highest mountain in North America, 6,190 m above the Alaska Range.
KayakingUnited States
Paddling at night through water that glows blue-green with every stroke, in the brightest bioluminescent bay ever recorded.
Kayaking3 routesUnited States
A week of sea kayaking to the calving faces of tidewater glaciers, with humpbacks, seals and bears along the shore.
Kayaking3 routesUnited States
A thousand lakes linked by portages in the Boundary Waters, the most visited wilderness in the United States.
A short note when a batch of places worth the trip goes up. No spam, no operators, unsubscribe anytime.