A hub of activity at Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska, the Exit Glacier area offers visitors a chance to witness up close the power and beauty of a massive river of ice. The nearby Exit Glacier Nature Center continues your education and the trailhead for the Harding Icefield Trail is your gateway to an incredible experience on a frozen landscape. Summer and fall are the best times to visit, as colorful streaks of wildflowers and changing leaves perk up your photos and memories. Photo by National Park Service.

Nearly 40 glaciers flow from the Harding Icefield in Kenai Fjords National Park, their summer waters eventually running into the Gulf of Alaska. Tens of thousands of years of glacial carving and strong waves have scoured much of the existing shoreline in the fjords, creating a dramatic meeting of land and ocean. Visitors with a sense of adventure can brave the waves and experience the awe-inspiring power of a tidewater glacier, while dipping a hand into these frigid blue waters. Photo by Courtney Wright (www.sharetheexperience.org).

The Harding Icefield and its outflowing glaciers cover 700 square miles of Alaska’s Kenai Fjords National Park. Over 30 glaciers flow outward from it, some ending at the ocean where summer visitors watch huge chunks of ice splash into bright blue water. The Harding Icefield is thousands of feet thick, but it does not completely bury the underlying mountains. Dark stone peaks rise out of this dramatic landscape, creating an unforgettable vista of rugged beauty. Photo by National Park Service.

You don’t have to get up to enjoy a spectacular sunrise this time of year at Kenai Fjords National Park. Alaska’s short December days mean the sun comes up around 9:45 in the morning and sets before 4:00 in the afternoon. So bundle up and take your time finding the perfect spot to enjoy it among the coastal mountains of this incredible park. Photo by Jim Pfeiffenberger, National Park Service.

Exit Glacier is the only part of Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska accessible by road. From the Nature Center, visitors can explore trails, walk very close to an active glacier or take a ranger-led walk. It’s a place where you can witness up close how glaciers re-shape a landscape and learn how plant life reclaims the barren rocky land exposed by a glacier’s retreat. In the summer, the wildflower blooms and endless views make the experience magical. Photo by Catherine Danley (www.sharetheexperience.org).

One of the most spectacular hikes in Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska, the 8.2-mile round trip Harding Icefield Trail starts on the valley floor, winds through cottonwood and alder forests, passes though heather filled meadows and ultimately climbs well above tree line to a breathtaking view of the Icefield. The trail is strenuous – it gains about 1,000 feet of elevation with every mile – and hikers should allow at least 6-8 hours. Although the view from the top is well worth the effort, you don’t need to hike all the way up to experience the wonders of this trail. This stunning photo shows the view of the wildflowers and valley below from part of the way up the trail. Be sure to check current conditions for the trail on the park’s website before heading out out on the trail. Photo by Chandra Sekhar Gantha (www.sharetheexperience.org).

Even in winter, there is plenty of amazing outdoor activities to do at Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska. From early November to May, visitors can explore the park by fat bikes, cross-country skis, snowmobile and dog sled. No matter your experience, you’ll enjoy the stark beauty of winter at Kenai Fjords. Photo by National Park Service.

There are so many ways to explore the unbelievable beauty of Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska. Take a boat tour or kayak in a remote fjord to be surrounded by pristine scenery and abundant wildlife. Hike to the top of the Harding Icefield Trail or book a scenic overflight to get a sense of the park’s vastness. Cast a line into the icy cold waters for some outstanding fishing. Pictured here is one of the small islands in Aialik Bay. Photo by David Breslauer (www.sharetheexperience.org).

June is National Oceans Month! Covering over 70 percent of the planet, oceans are vital to our climate, food supply and way of life. Wherever you live, everyone is connected to the ocean. Interior is a principal steward of America’s oceans, Great Lakes and coastal resources. With 88 ocean and coastal parks and 183 marine and coastal national wildlife refuges, there are countless ways to experience our country’s waters, marvel at its unique wildlife and explore its maritime heritage. Photo of a whale breaching at Kenai Fjords National Park by Kaitlin Thoreson, National Park Service.

Visiting Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska is an epic experience. Seeing a humpback whale breach in the wild is one of the most exhilarating moments possible for nature lovers. These massive mammals swim 3,000 miles from their winter waters near Hawaii and Mexico to spend the summer feeding in the rich ocean waters off the Alaska coast. All the added blubber doesn’t seem to hurt their leaping ability. Photo by Dragana Connaughton (www.sharetheexperience.org).