Some of the earliest people to live near and use the Kenai Fjords National Park were Pacific Eskimos from the Chugachigmiut, Unagalakmiu and Unixkugmiut tribes, according to an article by John William Uhler for "Alaska National Parks." These groups probably used the park as their hunting and fishing grounds. During the late 19th century, Russian groups established a port and trading posts on parts of the park. In 1980, the National Park Service established the park to preserve the natural elements and animals within the territory.
The Harding Icefield, which is made up of about 38 glaciers as well as fjords and islands, serves as the major attraction within the park. The icefield covers about 300 square miles, and its glaciers reach into the nearby sea, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. People can view the icefield from a trail that is about 7 miles long. On the trail, hikers need to be careful of falling snow and bears. In the Exit Glacier section of the park, guests will find an active glacier, nature trails and a surrounding cottonwood forest, according to the National Park Service. The park has guided tours of Exit Glacier.
Animals that people can see in the waters surrounding the park include killer whales, sea otters, harbor seals, Dall's porpoises, Pacific white-sided dolphins, humpback whales and minke whales. Horned puffins, black bears, mountain goats, moose, black-legged kittiwakes and brown bears live within the park. In the waters of the park's backcountry, people can catch a variety of fish, such as halibut, salmon, black bass and lingcod.
Exit Glacier, a part of the park that people can get to using a paved road, features a campground with 12 tent sites. The rustic campground has a pavilion area with tables and grills, a drinking fountain and pit toilets. RV camping is prohibited at the campground. The coast near the park has two cabins, which feature stoves, tables and chairs, toilets and beds for four or six people. The cabins are only accessible by boat.
During the summer, companies in Seward and Whittier offer boat tours to the park. Many of the tours take people by the glaciers. Some of them take guests on wildlife tours, when they can view the whales, seals, porpoises and other animals that inhabit Resurrection Bay, Prince William Sound or other bodies of water near the park. In the summer, a number of companies out of Seward take people over the park in helicopters, giving them an overhead view of the park's fjords, nunataks, glaciers and other natural elements. During the winter, people can take dog sleds, ski or ride a snowmobile into the park.
