The Johnson Pass, Resurrection Pass, and Russian Lakes-to-Resurrection River trails of the Kenai Peninsula make up Alaska's most developed trail system. Turn of-the-century prospectors blazed these trails and carried millions of dollars of gold over them. The well-worn footpaths climb through forested valleys to open meadows shimmering with wildflowers and gem-colored lakes. Bridges make it one of Alaska's few regions where you can keep your socks dry. Just a to minute dri­ve out of Seward, you can hike right up to the Kenai Fjords… Your browser does not support the 'audio' element. You can hike right up to Seward’s Exit Glac­i­er and feel the dense blue ice while lis­ten­ing to it crack­le. Walk the low­er trail to get a good pho­to in front of the glac­i­er face. Or, choose the more chal­leng­ing 7 ‑mile round-trip Hard­ing Ice­field Trail. There is a short ranger-led walk dai­ly at 11 am and 3 pm, from Memo­r­i­al Day through Labor Day. All the joy of back­pack­ing, with the option­al com­fort of stay­ing in cab­ins along the trail if you reserve ahead. This 38 mile long USFS trail starts in Hope and climbs Res­ur­rec­tion Pass (elev. 2, 600) towards the south before descend­ing to the oppo­site trail­head near Coop­er Land­ing. There are 8 pub­lic use cab­ins along the trail, mak­ing this an advanced but com­fort­able day cab­in-to-cab­in hike. There are also 19 camp­sites avail­able for tent camping. In sum­mer, it’s a great spot to canoe, kayak, and pad­dle­board. In win­ter, skate on the main­tained rink areas or… Dur­ing the sum­mer months it’s a great spot for canoe­ing, kayak­ing, pad­dle board­ing, even pad­dle­board yoga. The cold­er months are just as live­ly as the warmer ones. There’s a skat­ing loop on the lake’s perime­ter, as well as sev­er­al skat­ing areas on the lake. The City offers free pub­lic skates Sat­ur­day after­noons, ice con­di­tions depen­dent, Decem­ber through February. This 38 mile long USFS trail climbs Res­ur­rec­tion Pass (elev. 2, 600) and descends to the north to anoth­er trail­head­trail­head near Hope on Tur­na­gain Arm. There are 8 pub­lic use cab­ins along the trail, mak­ing this an advanced but com­fort­able day cab­in-to-cab­in hike. There are also 19 camp­sites avail­able along the trail. Your browser does not support the 'audio' element. This wildlife sweet spot is worth a vis­it.

That's what Neil Johannsen, the longest-serving director of Alaska State Parks, calls the state agency that started out simply—the result of the dreams of a few hardy individuals—and now oversees more than 156 park units from Alaska's far north to the tips of Southeast. Alaska's park system encompasses some three-million acres of land and water; by far the most acreage of any state park system in the country. With 16 state parks spanning 400 square miles the Northern Region provides plenty of room to play and learn. During long summer days, folks float rivers, cool off in area lakes, go camping and fishing, hike through forests, spend time at public use cabins, or take in Alaska history at Big Delta State Historical Park. Go to the Northern Region The Matanuska-Susitna Valley area parks make up some of the most popular outdoor destinations of all the Alaska State Parks system. Park areas within this region extend as far North as Denali State Park, and as far south as the Little Susitna River. Go to the Mat-Su Valley Region. Chugach State Park is located in Southcentral Alaska mostly within the Municipality of Anchorage. The park contains approximately 495,000 acres of land and is one of the four largest state parks in the United States. Go to Chugach State Park The Kenai-Prince William Sound Region state parks offer world class recreation opportunities. The recreation opportunities are as diverse as the geography and include opportunities to sportfish on the Kenai River, hike in Kachemak Bay State Park, kayak in the state marine parks in Prince William Sound, and rent a public use cabin in Resurrection Bay. The opportunities in these state parks are only limited by your imagination. Go to the Kenai-Prince William Sound Region There are six state parks in and around Kodiak Island. Ft. February 24, 2025 (Anchorage, AK) - Alaska State Parks is excited to announce 11 construction projects on the Kenai Peninsula in 2025, and provide details on these ongoing and upcoming efforts so community members and business owners can plan for possible impacts. Following is a list of projects that will begin or continue during the upcoming summer. More concrete dates will be provided as we plan for the upcoming season... Alaska State Parks depends on volunteers to help manage and maintain our parks. Volunteers provide services that would not otherwise be offered. In turn, volunteers receive valuable training and experience for their service. There are several facets to the VIP program. Perhaps one of them is right for you!

With 16 state parks spanning 400 square miles the Northern Region provides plenty of room to play and learn. During long summer days, folks float rivers, cool off in area lakes, go camping and fishing, hike through forests, spend time at Public-Use Cabins, or take in Alaska history at Big Delta State Historical Park. Go to the Northern Region The Matanuska-Susitna Valley area parks make up some of the most popular outdoor destinations of all the Alaska State Parks system. Park areas within this region extend as far North as Denali State Park, and as far south as the Little Susitna River. Go to the Mat-Su Valley Region. Chugach State Park is located in Southcentral Alaska mostly within the Municipality of Anchorage. The park contains approximately 495,000 acres of land and is one of the four largest state parks in the United States. Go to Chugach State Park The Kenai-Prince William Sound Region state parks offer world class recreation opportunities. The recreation opportunities are as diverse as the geography and include opportunities to sportfish on the Kenai River, hike in Kachemak Bay State Park, kayak in the state marine parks in Prince William Sound, and rent a Public-Use Cabin in Resurrection Bay. The opportunities in these state parks are only limited by your imagination. Go to the Kenai-Prince William Sound Region There are six state parks in and around Kodiak Island. Ft. Abercrombie State Historical Park, Buskin River State Recreation Site, and Pasagshak River State Recreation Site are on the Kodiak road system. Shuyak Island State Park, Afognak Island State Park, and Woody Island State Recreation Site are accessible by boat or float plane. Go to the Kodiak Island Region At nearly 1.6 million acres, Wood-Tikchik State Park is the largest state park in the nation. This one park encompasses nearly half of the State Park land in Alaska and 15 percent of all state park land in the United States. The park's acreage is quite diverse and includes 12 lakes, over 1,000 acres, rivers up to 60 miles in length, mountains exceeding 5,000 feet in elevation, and extensive lowlands. Go to the Southwest Region

The Kenai Peninsula is home to Kachemak Bay, Resurrection Bay, and the mighty Kenai River. Lush with beautiful landscapes, bountiful wildlife, and majestic scenery, the Kenai Peninsula is definitely a must see for any lover of the outdoors.

Step into the past and explore the captivating historic parks and sites of the Kenai Peninsula. Immerse yourself in the stories of the gold rush and learn about the brave pioneers who have shaped this remarkable region. Quick: what’s the longest com­bined rail and high­way tun­nel in North Amer­i­ca? It’s the Ander­son Memo­r­i­al Tun­nel, and you’ll dri­ve through it on the scenic and his­toric dri­ve to Whit­ti­er. The Kenai Moun­tains-Tur­na­gain Arm Nation­al Her­itage Area is a place whose val­leys and moun­tains, com­mu­ni­ties and peo­ple tell the larg­er sto­ry of a wild place and a rugged fron­tier. This audio guide gives you the inside scoop on its fas­ci­nat­ing his­to­ry. You’ll… ...more The Kenaitze Indi­an Tribe’s Dena’ina ances­tors, rec­og­niz­ing the abun­dance of the place called Yagha­nen, ​ “ the good land,” set­tled along the banks of its rivers and Tikaht­nu (Cook Inlet). In the past sev­er­al years, one loca­tion the Kenaitze Tribe has focused on is Sqi­lant­nu, mean­ing ​ “ the gro­cery store,” locat­ed in the area now called Coop­er Land­ing. Today, Kenaitze Indi­an Tribe part­ners with the Chugach Nation­al For­est to pre­serve, pro­tect and ...more Palmer Creek and the road that fol­lows it were named after George Palmer, who in 1894 first dis­cov­ered gold on its banks. The creek was the site of ear­ly plac­er min­ing and lat­er lode min­ing. Evi­dence of the his­toric Lucky Strike and Hir­shey mines, as well as the Swet­mann camp, can be found along trails that lead to Palmer Lakes. The Hope-Sun­rise His­tor­i­cal and Min­ing Muse­um exhibits pho­tographs and arti­facts of the Tur­na­gain Arm Gold Rush of 1896 and the years since. Plan your cruise, land tour, or custom package. Discover Alaska's best destinations and excursions. Videos, photos, and hundreds of expert advice articles.

Welcome to the City of Kenai's Parks, Recreation & Beautification page! The Kenai Parks, Recreation & Beautification Department (KPRB) was formally established in the late 70s. What started out as an office tucked inside the old jailhouse (now the Kenai Fine Arts Center) and a few acres to maintain, now includes a park, open space system of approximately 363 acres. Park Rentals & Reservations: Shelter Reservation Request Form. Kenai Rec Schedule click here: Kenai Recreation Center Kenai Ice Rink Schedule click here: Kenai Ice Schedules Kenai Parks, Recreation & Beautification's mission is to make Kenai a more attractive place to live and play and provide excellence in environmental stewardship.