Kenai River Trail

One of the best ways to discover the remote terrain and stunning vistas of Alaska is by taking to its hiking trails. Here, we chart 11 routes that cover some serious ground.
Exit Glacier is one of the few glaciers in Alaska that you can practically get within arm’s length of. To get here, you will walk across Kenai Fjords National Park, which is predominantly flat and runs through a forested area; when at the glacier, the Lower Trail, also known as the Edge of the Glacier Trail, makes for a prime photo opportunity. From the base of the glacier, keen hikers can take the Upper Trail (Harding Icefield Trial) to a 3,500-foot (1,066-meter) summit to get a 360-degree bird’s eye view of the Exit Glacier and the surrounding mountains. Hiking sticks and boots won’t go amiss here. Distance: Exit Glacier 1.8 miles (2.9 kilometers) out and back; Harding Icefield Trail nine miles (14 kilometers) out and back.
This is an updated version of a story created by Alyssa Ament.