Seward, Kenai Fjords & Prince William Sound

Alaska Southcentral — Kenai Fjords & Prince William Sound

United States

Southcentral Alaska's Gulf of Alaska coast is glacier-and-fjord cruising on a grand scale, in two separate bases. From Seward at the head of Resurrection Bay, a hardy sailor can head out past Harding Gateway, round Aialik Cape and reach Kenai Fjords National Park: Aialik Bay, with tidewater glaciers at its head and a lagoon fed by Pedersen Glacier, and the remote Northwestern Fjord beyond. From Whittier, reached by the one-lane Anton Anderson tunnel, western Prince William Sound has the Blackstone Bay and College Fjord glaciers, the state marine parks of Surprise Cove, Entry Cove and Ziegler Cove, and Harriman Fjord, which lies below the Barry Arm landslide. It is cold, remote water: tides are large (about 10 to 12 ft great diurnal range), anchorages are few, floating ice is common near glaciers, and there is no fuel, shop or cell coverage on the Kenai Fjords coast. Bareboat supply is thin: one small Seward sailing company and a Whittier powerboat rental. This is a destination for experienced, self-sufficient crews rather than a first charter.

Top of the list

1. 1Aialik Glacier (Aialik Bay)A tidewater glacier at the head of Aialik Bay that sheds ice into the water; stay at least half a mile off the face, because calving waves travel.
2. 2Pedersen Lagoon (Aialik Bay)A glacier-fed lagoon with harbor seals on the ice; the entrance is passable only around high slack tide and is a dinghy-scale job.
3. 3Holgate Arm: Glacier and Public Use Cabin (Aialik Bay)A second tidewater glacier in a protected arm, with an NPS cabin; ice can pack the arm.
4. 4Northwestern Fjord and Northwestern GlacierThe remote fjord beyond Aialik Bay, gated by a moraine you cross at high slack tide.
5. 5Thumb Cove State Marine Park (Resurrection Bay)The classic first night out of Seward, a protected cove under Porcupine Glacier with waterfalls on the walls.
6. 6Resurrection Bay Whales and Wildlife (Resurrection Bay)Humpbacks, orcas, porpoises, sea otters and sea lions; keep 100 yards off humpbacks, the federal rule in Alaska.
7. 7Coleman Bay (Aialik Bay)The NPS-named best anchorage in the upper fjord, tucked into the thumb of the bay.
8. 8Blackstone Bay (Prince William Sound)A short run from Whittier to a bay lined with tidewater and hanging glaciers.
9. 9Surprise Cove State Marine Park (Prince William Sound)One of western Sound's most popular anchorages, with a short trail to North Lake.
10. 10College Fjord and Harvard Glacier (Prince William Sound)A fjord of glaciers named for colleges, with Harvard at its head; a long day trip.
11. 11Harriman Fjord Glaciers (Harriman Fiord)Five actively calving glaciers beyond Barry Arm; check the landslide status page first.
12. 12Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel (Whittier)The one-lane road and rail tunnel that is the only way into Whittier; crew arrival is timed to its schedule.

When to go

Summer only in practice. The two Kenai Fjords cabins run from about Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, the Whittier tunnel's summer schedule runs May 1 to September 30, and the Seward sailing company's published listings give no season dates (unconfirmed). The charter company says summer wind is typically light from the north until about noon and then turns south at 10 to 20 knots.

Weather and hazards

GULF EXPOSURE: The Kenai Fjords are open to the Gulf of Alaska; the NPS says afternoon southerly breezes often make landings surfy and summer storms can bring swells of three feet or more. A cruising crew rounded Aialik Cape in a gale with a 10 ft-plus easterly swell and reflected waves; treat the cape as the weather-critical leg. GLACIERS: stay at least half a mile from any tidewater glacier terminus (NPS) and never land within two miles of tidewater ice; calving waves reach beaches and anchorages. Floating ice is widespread near glaciers. LAGOONS: Pedersen and Northwestern lagoons are gated by moraines and tidal current; enter only at high slack. WILDLIFE: bears frequent beaches and cabins; use lockers or hang food. Federal rules require 100 yards from humpback whales anywhere within 200 nm of Alaska. PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND: down-slope winds come off glaciers in Blackstone Bay and Harriman Fjord (paddlers' guide); Cochrane Bay can be rough in whitecaps. BARRY ARM: a slow-moving landslide could cause a local tsunami; DGGS rated the threat Level 1 in October 2026. FOG and no cell coverage: carry VHF, a satellite messenger and paper charts.

Hurricane season

None. Tropical cyclones do not reach this coast; the hazards are Gulf of Alaska storms, swell and fog, which can arrive at any time of the summer.

Entry and clearance

Domestic United States waters; no customs or immigration step for a trip that starts and ends in Seward or Whittier. Foreign visitors follow ordinary US entry rules (not researched here).

Permits and fees

Kenai Fjords National Park cabins (Aialik and Holgate) cost $75 a night, with a three-night limit per group per season; reserve at recreation.gov or 1-877-444-6777, season reservations open January 1 at 10 am Eastern. Port Graham Village Corporation owns land around Abra Cove, Northwestern Lagoon and Pedersen Lagoon; a special permit (corporation phone 907-284-2212) is needed to camp or walk above the high-tide line. I found no separate entry permit for private vessels anchoring in the park (unconfirmed). Alaska state marine parks list a daily parking fee at some units but no amount on the pages I read. Tunnel tickets are roundtrip through the Yodel app; the toll tables were not read. File a float plan with the Seward harbormaster (Alaska State Parks asks every boater to).

Tides and currents

Tides are mixed with a large range. NOAA gauge figures: Seward great diurnal range 10.6 ft and mean range 8.3 ft; Whittier (Passage Canal) 12.2 ft and 9.8 ft; Blackstone Bay 12.1 ft great diurnal. The NPS says Kenai Fjords tidal range can reach 15 ft. Moraine-gated lagoons (Pedersen, Northwestern) have strong current at the entrance and must be entered at high slack; DEC records show Pedersen outflow does not reverse until the tide is above about 4.3 ft (2004 plan, datum not stated). Riptides are reported at the south end of Willard Island in Blackstone Bay.

Money

US dollars (USD). Harbors and fuel docks I checked take cards (Valdez accepts Visa and MasterCard); carry some cash for small shops.

Radio and phones

DISTRESS: VHF 16 reaches NPS rangers and the Coast Guard on the Kenai Fjords coast; there is no cell phone coverage there. In summer, tour boats in Aialik Bay monitor 16 or 72. Seward Small Boat Harbor lists VHF 17 as its monitoring channel; Valdez Small Boat Harbor wants a call on 16 and works on 7. I could not confirm Whittier's harbor channel (unconfirmed). Carry a satellite phone, messenger or PLB for extended trips (NPS). A paddlers' guide reports VHF dead zones in Blackstone Bay and Harriman Fjord (older, unconfirmed).

Charter bases

• Seward Small Boat HarborSeward, at the head of Resurrection Bay; reached by the Seward Highway or, in summer, the Alaska RailroadResurrection Bay Sailing Charters (bareboat sailboats such as the Hunter 28.5 Encore; skippers need US Sailing Bareboat Cruising, ASA 104 or RYA Day Skipper or equivalent, per its booking pages; phone 907-382-1087)
• Whittier HarborWhittier, western Prince William Sound; reached by the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel (DOT schedule applies)Whittier Boat Rental (22 to 30 ft cabin powerboats; overnight listed, a full week aboard is unconfirmed; phone 907-232-2702)

Getting there

• Ted Stevens Anchorage International — ANCThe main gateway for both bases. To Whittier, State Parks describes the road as the Seward Highway south, Portage Glacier Road, a toll booth, then the Anton Anderson tunnel. To Seward, take the Seward Highway; the Alaska Railroad's Seward stop is shown as seasonal, late May to mid-September, on OSM. Confirm timetables with the operators.

Charts and guides

• NOAA charts and electronic charts for Resurrection Bay, Aialik Bay and Prince William Sound; the NPS recommends current NOAA charts plus National Geographic maps for the fjords (Alaska DEC response plans cite NOAA charts 16682, 16705 and 16711)
• United States Coast Pilot 9 (Pacific Coast, Alaska), the source a 2014 cruising log quotes for Resurrection Bay anchorages
• Lethcoe and Lethcoe, Cruising Guide to Prince William Sound (a standard guide with several hundred anchorages)
• NPS Kenai Fjords pages: Camping & Landing Beaches, Kayak & Boat Safety, and cabin reservations (recreation.gov)
• Alaska State Parks Resurrection Bay and Prince William Sound marine park pages and brochure
• DGGS Barry Arm landslide status page (dggs.alaska.gov) before any trip to Harriman Fjord
• NOAA Tides and Currents gauges at Seward (9455090), Whittier (9454949) and Blackstone Bay (9454907)
• NOAA Fisheries Alaska marine mammal viewing rules (100 yards from humpback whales)

Sample routes

• 7-day Aialik Bay glacier trip from Seward (sailboat)Day 1 · Seward Small Boat Harbor (Seward) → Thumb Cove State Marine Park (Resurrection Bay) · 8 nmShort first leg under Porcupine Glacier, with waterfalls on the walls. Stock up and file a float plan first.Day 2 · Thumb Cove State Marine Park (Resurrection Bay) → Sunny Cove State Marine Park (Resurrection Bay) · 6 nmSouth down the bay to a semi-protected cove, with whales possible. Wait here for the Aialik Cape forecast.Day 3 · Sunny Cove State Marine Park (Resurrection Bay) → Three Hole Bay (Aialik Bay) · 19 nmOut through Harding Gateway, round Aialik Cape in the morning and turn north into Aialik Bay.Day 4 · Three Hole Bay (Aialik Bay) → Coleman Bay (Aialik Bay) · 6 nmNorth up the bay to the thumb of Coleman Bay, the NPS-named best anchorage; do not trust the old buoys.Day 5 · Coleman Bay (Aialik Bay) → Coleman Bay (Aialik Bay) · 10 nmDay trip to Aialik Glacier, staying at least half a mile off the face; dinghy ashore near Abra Cove with a Port Graham permit if needed.Day 6 · Coleman Bay (Aialik Bay) → Three Hole Bay (Aialik Bay) · 6 nmStage back south toward the cape; spare day for weather.Day 7 · Three Hole Bay (Aialik Bay) → Seward Small Boat Harbor (Seward) · 30 nmRound Aialik Cape early, pass Harding Gateway and run up Resurrection Bay; fuel at Shoreside before check-in.
• 7-day western Prince William Sound from Whittier (powerboat)Day 1 · Whittier Harbor (Whittier) → Entry Cove (Prince William Sound) · 17 nmThrough Passage Canal to Blackstone Bay's glaciers, then back out past Decision Point to Entry Cove.Day 2 · Entry Cove (Prince William Sound) → Surprise Cove State Marine Park (Prince William Sound) · 3 nmA short hop across to the popular anchorage; use the southern entrance and watch for reefs.Day 3 · Surprise Cove State Marine Park (Prince William Sound) → Ziegler Cove and Pigot Bay (Prince William Sound) · 5 nmInto Port Wells to a very sheltered cove; fishing and trails.Day 4 · Ziegler Cove and Pigot Bay (Prince William Sound) → Quillian Bay (South Esther Island) · 8 nmAcross Port Wells to South Esther Island's preferred anchorage.Day 5 · Quillian Bay (South Esther Island) → Bettles Bay (Port Wells) · 11 nmUp Port Wells to the large, scenic Bettles Bay; College Fjord is a long optional day trip from Esther Island.Day 6 · Bettles Bay (Port Wells) → Entry Cove (Prince William Sound) · 8 nmBack south along the Port Wells shore to Entry Cove.Day 7 · Entry Cove (Prince William Sound) → Whittier Harbor (Whittier) · 10 nmVia Decision Point and Passage Canal; fuel before returning the boat, and mind the tunnel schedule for crew.