Situated on the Kenai Peninsula, the small town of Seward Alaska offers access an amazing variety activities.
The visitor center for the Kenai Fjords National Park, which was established in 1980, is near the Small Boat Harbor on 4th Avenue and offers informative displays as well as slides and videos on the fjords, Harding Icefield, and glaciers. Park rangers present special evening programs about the park.
Seward's location on a deep fjord helps to provide it a special quality that is rare for Alaskan ports. Like Valdez, Seward's harbor offers year-round ice-free passage for shipping cargo to and from the Interior. Also, like Valdez, Seward was devastated by the March 27, 1964 Good Friday earthquake.
During a storm in 1791 on the Russian Sunday of Resurrection (Easter), Alexander Baranov, fur trader and general manager of the Russian-American Fur Company, found refuge near present day Seward while returning from the southern region of his Alaskan domain to his base on Kodiak Island. As he lay over in what later became known as Resurrection Bay, waiting for calmer seas, he decided the area was a favorable place to establish a small fort and shipyard. Relying heavily on Native allies for food and supplies, Baranov and his men began building the fort and the 73-foot Phoenix, which they launched in the fall of 1794.
By 1867, the Russians had seriously over-hunted the mainstay of their fur trade, the sea otters, and they were experiencing problems continuing to finance their North American colonial ventures. William Henry Seward, the U.S. Secretary of State at that time, negotiated with the Russians to buy the Alaska Territory for $7.2 million, which figured out to be about 2 cents per acre. While many members of Congress opposed the deal and derided it as "Seward's Folly", the deal proved to be an undeniable bargain. Unfortunately American fur hunters continued the decimation of the sea otters so that by 1910 only 29 pelts were taken in all of Alaska. An international treaty in 1911 halted the slaughter.
During 1903 surveyors for the Alaska Central Railroad designed the town of Seward for their marine terminus, but they built only 50 miles of track before the company went broke. Eventually the U.S. government provided financing for the 1923 completion of the rail line to Fairbanks, 470 miles to the north. For many years Seward was the main port for moving supplies into Alaska. A huge facility on the north side of town annually ships out about 700,000 tons of coal from a mine in Healy, primarily to Korea.
Seward's Chamber of Commerce uses the old railroad car "Seward", located on 3rd Street as its information center. The railcar was the observation car on the Alaska Railroad from 1936 until the early 1960's. Visitors can pick up a brochure there that describes the walking tour of more than 30 attractions in Seward.
In 1910, the 938-mile Iditarod Trail was surveyed as a mail route between Seward and Nome, but by 1924 airplane mail service began replacing the land delivery course. A bike path through Seward traces the start of the old Iditarod Trail which is now a National Historic Trail. Hikers can then pick up the trail at Mile 2.1 of the Nash Road, north of town. In the winter, this trail is popular with skiers and dogsledders.
On most summer days, two or three cruise ships dock at Seward. Passengers can board trains or buses for Anchorage just after they land or spend time in Seward. Those who stay in town can hop on the Seward Trolley which stops at the cruise ship pier for a ride downtown and to the Small Boat Harbor. Seward's fine lodging, good food and plenty of fascinating activities will make their stay very enjoyable.
The Alaska State Ferry system connects Seward with Prince William Sound, where its ships pass the heavily populated bird rookeries on Barwell Island; Unalaska; Kodiak Island; and Homer.
On the southern edge of town, overlooking on Resurrection Bay, Seward's Alaska SeaLife Center offers exhibits, a tide pool touch tank, huge aquariums, and videos about the region's marine wildlife and environment. Favorite animals to watch include the puffins and other seabirds, sea lions, and seals. The SeaLife Center also acts as an important marine research and wildlife rehabilitation facility. Money from the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Restoration Fund and private donations funded the construction of the center. Oil from the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, on March 24th, 1989 reached the Kenai Fjords National Park, 100 miles to the southwest, on April 10, 1989.
A short walk from the SeaLife Center, is the old railroad depot built in 1917 which now houses the Chugach Heritage Center, open from mid-May to early September. A film on the Chugach people of south central Alaska is shown, and most weekends, visitors can watch native artists doing carving, doll making, beadwork or basketry. On some weekends a Native dance group performs.
Operated by the Resurrection Bay Historical Society, the Seward Museum, housed in the Seward Community Center on 3rd Avenue, displays a fine collection of Native baskets and carved ivory, an extensive collection of photos from Seward's early railroad days, a cross section of a 350 year old Sitka spruce, office equipment form the original Brown and Hawkins store (in business since 1900 and still located on 4th Avenue), and a remarkable exhibit of photographs from the calamitous 1964 earthquake.
That earthquake dropped the Kenai Fjords coastline up to six feet in many places. After the shaking stopped, the coastline was pounded by a series of gargantuan waves called tsunamis (generated by earthquakes) and seiches (generated by sloshing action in the bays) and waves set in motion by the subsequent landslides. Salt water inundated the coastal forests as the shores dropped, causing many trees to die because their roots were then submerged in salt water. Explosions at the waterfront fuel storage facility shot a film of flaming petroleum across the harbor. Eleven people died, 86 Seward homes were destroyed and 269 more homes were severely damaged.
During the summer Seward's Community Library offers an afternoon program on the 1964 earthquake, and also here is the original Alaska flag. In 1927, Seward's Benny Benson designed the eight stars in a field of blue flag that Alaskans adopted for their state flag. A memorial to him stands at the north end of the lagoon in Seward.
On 3rd Avenue at Railway Street, the University of Alaska operates its small marine research facility. It offers tours of its aquariums, marine displays, films and activities for children.
After the 1964 earthquake Seward built its Small Boat Harbor on the northern part of town to provide a home port for fishing boats, fishing charter boats, sightseeing boats and pleasure boats. The Small Boat Harbor bustles with activity, especially in the afternoon with the return of charter boats bringing in their catches of salmon and halibut. During July, Seward holds its annual Halibut Derby.
At the Small Boat Harbor, visitors will find a number of tour boat companies offering a variety of excursions on Resurrection Bay and throughout the Kenai Fjords National Park. One particularly memorable all day tour takes passengers to the head of Aialik Bay where the massive, noisy tidewater Aialik Glacier calves huge icebergs into the salty water. After the tour boats move as close as is safe to the glacier, the boat captains turn off the engines. The din of the motors suddenly is replaced with the thunderous creaking, cracking and startling booming of gigantic hunks of ice breaking free of the glacier. The tumbling ice creates an awesome spectacle. Sea lions and seals find the resulting floating ice chunks convenient rafts to catch up on their rest. On the tour from Seward bird watchers are thrilled to see bald eagles, tufted and horned puffins, black-legged kittiwakes, black oystercatchers, and in Aialik Bay, if they are especially keen eyed, may see rhinoceros and parakeet auklets, and Kittlitz's murrelets. Each nesting season tens thousands of seabirds flock to the steep, craggy granite Chiswell Islands at the entrance of Aialik Bay to breed and raise their young. Excursion boat passengers need to dress in layers that include warm and water proof clothes for they may quickly leave the summery warmth of Seward and find a windy, damp chill on the open water.
Seward's summer visitors may be surprised to learn that in January, folks with iron constitutions and big hearts brave the frigid waters of Resurrection Bay to join in the Polar Bear Jump to raise money for charity.
Anyone wanting an easy walk close to town can take the one-mile Two Lakes Trail on the west side of Seward that winds through forested hills and by First and Second Lakes. Hungry walkers can bring a lunch to enjoy at the picnic area at the trailhead.
The City of Seward maintains three public camping areas. The most popular and largest, Waterfront Park, lies close to the heart of town. Another is the Spring Creek Campground at the end of Nash Road on the east side of Resurrection Bay. Many campers who like to fish come to this one during the late summer when large numbers of silver salmon return to Resurrection Bay to spawn. Seward holds its prize-filled Silver Salmon Derby in August. Two miles north of town is a third campground located on Hemlock Street All three areas allow RV's and tents but they do not have hook-ups.
Rising to the west of Seward is bare Mt. Marathon, the site of the 4th of July Mountain Marathon Race. Seward's 4th of July celebration draws thousands of people to enjoy the street fair and annual parade. Hikers usually find it takes four hours to climb the trail up Mt. Marathon and back. While the mountain's summit is 4,560 feet high, the trail ends on its broad east shoulder at 3,022 feet. This overlook offers magnificent views of Seward, its surrounding sparkling waters and snow covered mountains.
Two popular hiking trails north of Seward are the Resurrection River Trail which parallels the Resurrection River for 16 miles and connects with two other trails, ending at Hope, 72 miles from Seward, and the 13- mile round trip Primrose Trail to Lost Lake. This steep and somewhat strenuous trail begins at the Primrose Campground at mile 17.2 of the Seward Highway.
South of Seward on the shores of Resurrection Bay are three state parks. The day-use Lowell Point State Recreation Area, a 3 mile drive south of town, offers a short, scenic stretch of beach. The 4.5 Caines Head Trail begins at Lowell Point, passes Tonsina Creek and ends at North Beach on Caines Head, seven miles form Seward. The stretch from Lowell Point to Tonsina Point, where there is a camping shelter, crosses forested, high land. The trail from Tonsina Point to North Beach can be hiked only at low tide, so hikers must check the tide tables before attempting this section.
The 6,000-acre Caines Head State Recreation Area was the location of a WWII military base, Fort McGilvray. Trails have been developed along the old army roads. Visitors here can explore the remains of the utility buildings, barracks and ammunition magazines. The military installation was abandoned in April, 1944 when threat of a Japanese invasion diminished. Wildlife abounds in the Caines Head SRA. Mountain goats frequent the south-facing cliffs, black bear roam the lush spruce forests, and marmots scurry from the higher elevations to the shore. Bird watchers may see horned puffins nesting on the seaside cliffs, as well as bald eagles, marbled murrelets, spruce grouse, and pigeon guillemots.
Thumb Cove State Marine Park lies on the east side of Resurrection Bay, seven miles from Seward and reachable only by boat. Recreational boaters stop here to enjoy the sandy beach, forested uplands, and views of Porcupine Glacier. Two cabins are available for rent in the park, and people can reach these using the water taxi from Seward.
A 15 mile drive north of Seward brings visitors to Exit Glacier which drops 2,500 feet from the Harding Icefield in just three miles. From the parking lot a paved wheelchair accessible trail leads to a covered shelter with a grand view of the glacier. From that spot a gravel trail leads to the exposed outwash plain at the foot of the glacier. Moose, particularly in winter, and black bear, in the summer, are common in this area. On the steep slopes to the north lives a herd of mountain goats. At the end of the paved trail a nature trail splits off and winds through a forest of willow, cottonwood, and alder on its way back to the parking lot. Throughout the summer a variety of wildflowers bloom along its path. Hardy hikers may want to trek the 3.5 mile, strenuous and steep Harding Icefield Trail that starts 50 yards beyond the end of the paved trail. Splendorous views of Exit Glacier, Resurrection Valley and the Harding Icefield reward hikers on this path. Winter visitors to Exit Glacier come on skis, dog sleds, snowshoes and snowmobiles. Nights when a full moon is lighting the glacier, while flickering northern lights dance across the sky, offer an enchanting treat to those who brave the cold. Exit Glacier was named after mountaineers completed the first crossing of the icefield in 1967. They started at Homer and exited at this glacier.
People wanting to explore the Harding Icefield should be skilled in glacier travel and crevasse rescue techniques and be excellent skiers. Crossing the icefield typically takes 6 - 14 days. Adventurers attempting this must be prepared for winds that can rage in excess 100 miles per hour and possible whiteout conditions.
At Lowell Point several kayak companies offer rentals and tours. Inexperienced paddlers are well advised to have guides lead them on explorations of the waters surrounding Seward. Launches and landings can often involve surf, especially when afternoon breezes rise.
Visitors who want to see magnificent scenery, learn about Alaskan history, engage in exciting adventures, and view myriad wild creatures find all these and much more when they come to Seward.
