Kenai Fjords National Park entry requirements

Kenai Fjords National Park does not charge an entrance fee.

• Kenai Fjords charges no entrance fee, no camping fee, and does not sell or require any park pass. Boat tours out of Seward are commercial concession trips priced by their operators, not NPS entrance fees. The only NPS fees are the three public use cabins.

Nothing here is required in 2026.

• No permit, timed entry or reservation is required to enter, camp or go into the backcountry. Reservations ARE required for the park's three public use cabins. A Land Use Permit may be required to cross Port Graham Corporation-owned land on the coast. Special events, research, commercial activities and some filming require their own permits. Entire park

Nothing here is required in 2026.

• Exit Glacier Road (Herman Leirer Road) closes to cars each winter — the park is then unreachable by vehicle. The closure is to automobiles only. In winter the road is open to cross-country skis, fat-tire bikes, snowmobiles and other non-motorized or over-snow travel. Access to the Exit Glacier Area by snowmachine was CLOSED at the time of checking (see the park's snowmobile regulations page for boundaries). The park's coastal backcountry is separately inaccessible late fall through early spring due to rough seas. The closure is a State of Alaska road closure, not an NPS gate; check Alaska 511 for the Seward Highway.
• Exit Glacier Road current status: OPEN to automobiles (as of the park's July 20, 2026 update). Parking at Exit Glacier is limited in summer, especially 10:00 am - 3:30 pm in June, July and August; the park suggests off-peak hours, carpooling, bicycling, or a shuttle or taxi. The Exit Glacier canyon itself is under a separate safety closure (glacier outburst flood risk), covered by its own rule.
• Exit Glacier canyon safety closure — glacier outburst flood risk. Designated trails remain open and do not pass through any outburst-flood-susceptible area. The Exit Glacier View Loop and Overlook Trails were clear of snow and open at the time of checking; the Harding Icefield Trail still had snow past Top of Cliffs as of 7/16/2026.

Nothing here is required in 2026.

• No NPS shuttle — private shuttles and taxis serve Exit Glacier from Seward. There is no mandatory shuttle and no shuttle ticket needed to enter the park; driving yourself is fine when the road is open. In winter the road is closed to cars and there may be only limited shuttle options or guided trips.

Public use cabin reservations apply on every date in 2026.

• Public use cabin reservations

  Dates

  Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026

  Hours

  All day

  Fee

  $75

  Opens

  Not published

  Applies to Two coastal public use cabins (summer only) on the Kenai Fjords coast; the Willow Cabin at Exit Glacier (winter only)

  • Coastal public use cabins (summer only): $75 per night. Willow Cabin at Exit Glacier (winter only): $50 per night.
  • Cabins are optional — free first-come camping and free backcountry camping need no reservation.
  • There is no entrance fee or entry permit for a cabin booking to cover.

• Exit Glacier campground: There are no RV campsites in the park and overnight stay is not permitted in the Exit Glacier parking lot.

Kenai Fjords National Park has no headline activity permit that visitors confuse with entry.