The Harding Icefield is actually the largest icefield within the United States, at 4,000 feet deep and sprawling across a whopping 700 square miles of Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. And even cooler, you can actually hike up to see this goliath sheet of ice with your own eyes in Kenai Fjords National Park. Here’s everything you need to know about the Harding Icefield hike, from how to get there to exactly what you need to pack for the trail.
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About the Harding Icefield Hike
Length
8.6 miles
Elevation gain
3,198 ft
Difficulty
Hard (this one is definitely a booty kicker!)
Dog-friendly?
Sadly, no, your furry best friend will need to sit this one out.
Permit or pass?
Kenai Fjords is actually one of the awesome U.S. National Parkss that are totally free to enter—no permit or pass required!
Trail map
Pssst... if you're looking for an easier trail in Kenai Fjords National Park, we'd suggest checking out the Exit Glacier hike instead, which is accessible to hikers of all skill levels!
How to Get to the Harding Icefield Trailhead
The Harding Icefield trailhead is located here, in the Exit Glacier area of Kenai Fjords National Park.
Kenai Fjords is one of eight national parks in Alaska, three of which are accessible via car. It’s actually the most accessible one, though, given that it’s located in the coastal town of Seward, which you can reach via cruise ship, scenic train ride, or a two and a half hour drive south of Anchorage.
That being said, the vast majority of the park is covered in ice and water and only accessible via boat, like on a Kenai Fjords cruise. The Exit Glacier area is actually the only place in the national park that’s accessible via car.
Accordingly, exploring the Exit Glacier area is one of the most popular things to do in Seward! Its parking lot is fairly large, with spaces for both cars and RVs, but can definitely fill up at busier times, like weekends or holidays. We visited the Exit Glacier area twice on the Fourth of July weekend and had to lowkey stalk hikers returning from the trailhead to snag a spot. So if you’re visiting during these busier times, it may be a good idea to get here early!
Tip: If you have a wide vehicle (like a truck camper that overhangs the side of the bed or a Class A RV), I would suggest trying to figure out a different means of transportation to the trailhead. When the park is busy, people park along both sides of the road leading to the trailhead, making it a tight squeeze to get even our midsize SUV down the road!
If you’re arriving in Seward by cruise ship or train, you can also get to the Harding Icefield trailhead on the Exit Glacier Shuttle. It leaves from the Seward Outdoor Store office and costs just $20 per person roundtrip.
What to Expect Along the Harding Icefield Hike
Trailhead to Marmot Meadows
From the parking lot, you’ll walk past the Exit Glacier Visitor Center and start your hike along the Glacier View Loop trail. This flat and paved pathway is definitely a sobering look at how much the Exit Glacier has receded over the last two centuries, with signs indicating where the glacier terminated in years past.
After 0.4 miles, you’ll follow signs for the Harding Icefield Trail off to the right and start making your way through a dense forest. There’s a trail register on the lefthand side of the pathway, where you’re asked to fill out your name, the number in your party, and the dates that you’re entering and exiting the trail.
The next mile and a half is definitely quite challenging (and, to be honest, my least favorite par of the trail!), climbing a seemingly endless series of steep rocky boulders through the forest. As you get closer and closer to the mountain ridge, though, you’ll start getting small peekaboo glimpses of the surrounding valley and the Exit Glacier through the treeline, which definitely helps keep things interesting.
Marmot Meadows to the Top of the Cliffs
After about 1.8 miles, you’ll reach the ridgeline and the forest will open up quite a bit around you. This area is called Marmot Meadows and there’s a nice overlook to the left hand side of the trail that’s an excellent spot to take a breather and drink in the spectacular views of the glacier and the surrounding mountains. In fact, many hikers decide to use this as their endpoint along the trail.
If you’re still up for more of an adventure, though, continue climbing up the switchbacks carved into the mountain. The thick brush along the trail eventually transitions to tundra, allowing the views of the valley to open more and more with each step.
After 2.6 miles, you’ll make it to the Top of the Cliffs, which is, in my opinion, the best viewpoint over Exit Glacier, providing an excellent vantage point of its shades of blue and dramatic moraines. Plus, you get a sneak peak of the Harding Icefield to the west.
It’s absolutely stunning and would be an excellent endpoint if you don’t have the time or energy to make it to the top of the trail.
Top of the Cliffs to the Harding Icefield Overlook
From here, the trail continues to climb, with the landscape changing, yet again, to barren fields of craggy volcanic rock.
When we visited in early July, a majority of this upper section of the trail was covered with slushy snow, making the climb up—and especially, down—quite slippery and challenging. And, in fact, until the very day we visited, most of this portion of the Harding Icefield hike was actually closed due to avalanche risk.
So be sure to check the trail ahead of time, using the National Park website and recent reviews on AllTrails, and come prepared for snow along the trail, including packing along trekking poles and microspikes, if you’re coming during the earlier part of the summer.
Around 3.9 miles into the trail, it will finally flatten out a bit and you’ll spot the Harding Icefield emergency shelter to your right. Given the weather along the trail can turn on a dime, this shelter is meant to protect hikers during unexpected storms or weather flare ups (and is not for camping!). There’s even a couple of shovels in here, in case you get caught in a surprise snow storm!
Finally, at 4.3 miles into the trail, you’ll reach the endpoint, a series of rocky outcroppings with jaw-dropping views of the Harding Icefield stretching back as far as the eye can see to the west and the Exit Glacier and the surrounding valley to the east.
You can actually see nunataks from here, mountain peaks poking out of the top of the Icefield—it’s wild to think that there’s an entire mountain range buried beneath thousands and thousands of feet of snow.
When you’re done taking in the insane views, you’ll simply retrace your steps back to the trailhead.
Pssst… if you’re looking for a real adventure, consider joining a tour, like this option, where you’ll get to hike and even ice climb on the Exit Glacier!
When to do the Harding Icefield Hike
The Harding Icefield hike is generally accessible to hikers from May through October.
That being said, the trail—and how much of it you can access—definitely depends on snow conditions.
As mentioned above, we visited at the beginning of July and actually hiked the trail on the very first day it was fully open (after being closed for the winter due to high avalanche risks along the trail). So if you visit in the late spring or early summer, be prepared for a portion of the trail to be closed and to encounter snow along the pathway.
Additionally, be sure to check the weather forecast before your hike—the Kenai Peninsula is quite rainy and the trail will be a lot more safe and enjoyable if you go on a clear day.
Even if the weather forecast looks decent, I’d suggest bringing along a rainjacket (like this one for men or this one for women) and being prepared for anything along the trail. The weather here is famously fickle (that’s why there’s an emergency shelter!) so it’s not unusual for it to turn from sunny to hailing and completely fogged over in a manner of seconds.
Due to the heavy snowfall that the park receives, Exit Glacier Road is closed during the winter months.
What to bring on the Harding Icefield hike
Waterproof hiking boots
Given the length and difficulty of this trail, I’d definitely recommend wearing proper hiking boots, like the pair that I wear for women or the pair that Justin uses for men, which provide additional traction and support along the rocky trail. I’d also strongly suggest making sure your boots are waterproof (like the ones I suggested above!), given we encountered a LOT of snow and mud along the trail.
Lots of layers
The temperature along the trail is kind of all over the place—you’ll likely be sweating your buns off as you’re hiking the first few miles, but as you climb higher and higher, the temperature drops pretty significantly, due to the wind blowing across the icefield. Bring along several warm layers, including a rainjacket (like his and hers).
Trekking poles
The trail is super steep, rocky, and, depending on when you go, even full of slippery snow. I’d HIGHLY recommend bringing trekking poles—we were so grateful for ours along the trail!
Microspikes
If you’re heading to the trail anytime earlier than mid-July or after mid-September, I’d suggest bringing along microspikes for icy patches that you may encounter.
Water
This trail is DEFINITELY a butt-kicker so bring along plenty of water. Justin and I each have one of these comically giant Nalgene bottles and I honestly even wish that we had also brought our water filter to refill up our bottles from the multiple water sources along the trail.
Bear spray
There’s both grizzly and black bears, both of which are regularly seen along the trail.
Bears generally do not harm humans, but may act aggressively if they’re trying to protect their young or are startled. Bring along bear spray and be sure you actually know how to use it, in case you have an encounter along the trail.
Sunscreen
You’re exposed to the sun for about half of the trail, so remember to sunscreen up!
Bugspray
When we visited in July, the mosquitoes were TERRIBLE in the forested section along the first couple of miles. We didn’t bring bug spray and this was a big mistake, HUGE mistake.
Camera and telephoto lens
If you’re photographers like us, you obviously need to bring your camera, but I’d also suggest bringing along your zoom lens.
You have a good chance of spotting wildlife along the trail (while we were hiking, someone actually thought they saw a bear in the distance, but, with our telephoto lens, we were able to tell it was just a marmot!) AND you can get some cool photos of the glacier and any people climbing on it!
Binoculars
For wildlife spotting and better views of the glacier and icefield.
Sunglasses
If you go on a sunny day, the snow and Icefield can be BLINDINGLY bright. Justin and I were both wearing sunglasses and baseball hats and were still complaining that our eyes hurt from the brightness along the snowy parts of the trail.
Tips for the Harding Icefield Hike
Budget enough time
Between the hike’s difficulty and all of the stopping to take in the incredible views along the way, doing the Harding Icefield hike will pretty much eat up your entire day. I’d budget at least six hours for it, but it took us closer to eight!
Follow the orange flags
On the snowy patches, the park sets up orange flags for hikers to follow, both for their own safety and to minimize damage to the tundra below. Please follow these flags!
You can camp along the Harding Icefield Trail
We actually originally planned to backpack along the trail, but couldn’t quite figure out a safe place to store our RV for the night.
If you want to have a backpacking adventure here on our behalf, you don’t need a permit to camp along the trail, but you are required to set up your tent at least an eighth of a mile from the trail on bare rock or snow.
The wind along the Icefield definitely makes this a frosty place to camp, so be sure to have sleeping bags with a low temperature rating, like this option, as well as a sleeping pad with a high R-value, like this option. And remember to have good bear hygiene, including bringing along a bear canister!
Pssst… I definitely wouldn’t suggest the Harding Icefield hike for newbie backpackers, but if you want to get into backcountry camping, be sure to check out our backpacking gear list for beginners!
I hope you loved the Harding Icefield hike as much as we did—it’s one of our favorite hikes in Alaska! Do you have any questions about this trail? Let us know in the comments below!
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