Tonsina Point Kayak & Exit Glacier Nature Hike Combo

This activity combo will make a great day for you! Kayak in the Resurrection Bay area to Tonsina Point and hike to Exit Glacier! All in one day!

Our Tonsina Point Kayak trip is an intro into sea kayaking! Resurrection Bay is wildlife filled, glacial fed bay that offers calm waters and great views! You start off your day meeting your A60N Guide at our shop. Your guide will get you completely geared up and ready for your trip!

We will load into our vans and head out to Lowell Point Beach on the south end of Seward, driving through Historic Seward and getting the first introduction to the bay. Once at the beach, you will go through a safety briefing with your guide and get familiar with your gear before hitting the water! Our guides will take you on a memorable journey as they offer up a wealth of knowledge of the area from the local flora and fauna, geology, glaciology, glaciation, the history of Seward and all the wildlife! At the and of the trip the group paddles back to Lowell Point for a pickup to return to A60N office and get you ready for the hike to Exit Glacier.

Once back at A60N office, we drive you 8 miles to the Kenai Fjords National Park main entrance where we provide you with trekking poles. Our guides provide interpretive information as this hike meanders in the glacial area sharing photos of various times at which the face of the glacier was located at those times.

The Exit Glacier Overlook Loop Trail is a great way to get out and enjoy Alaska’s nature and beautiful landscapes! This 2.2-mile and well-maintained primitive loop trail is an easy to moderate trail (depending on the hiker) with stunning views of the Kenai Fjords National Park. It winds its way through a glaciated forest of tall spruce, cottonwood and birch trees.

If you’re lucky you might get to spot a moose, bear or mountain goat! Keep a keen eye out for quartz veins, iron and copper deposits along the trail. Enjoy massive views of glacial cut valleys and see if you can spot all the glaciers hiding in those mountain tops!

What to Expect

• The duration of the paddling portion is 3-4hrs. This is a door-to-door time frame. Total paddling time is on average 1.5 – 2hrs over about 2 miles (there and back). The hike takes on average 2hrs round trip and it gains almost 250ft over a little more than a mile. Our guides take plenty of breaks along the trail to give interp and allow a breather. On request our guides will stop at the National Park sign for you to grab a picture. We do NOT climb on the glacier!
• What if it’s raining?– Seward is in a temperate rainforest, so assume it will be raining! All our trips run rain or shine. We do supply full rain gear for all of them.
• Is there any wildlife viewing? – In early May we sometimes get sightings of humpback, fin or killer whales that will leave by the end of September. During the paddle to Tonsina Point we can spot bald eagles, harbor seals, sea otters, stellar sea lions and lots of sea birds! In August you can even see salmon running up Tonsina Creek! When doing the hike to Exit Glacier, we almost always see squirrels and birds. But we do have the chance to see moose, bears and even mountain goats as well.
• How many people are on the trips? – We keep a ratio of 1:6 for all our kayaking/hiking combo trips. This does not mean every trip will have this ratio, but it will not exceed this amount. This is a group activity; we will move as fast as our slowest kayakers/hikers.

What’s Included

• For the kayaking activity we provide full rain gear, dry bags, PFDs, lunch, snacks, hot chocolate and hot cider.
• For the hike portion we supply trekking poles and of course a passionate guide!
• Pick up/drop off to and from our local Seward hotels, lodges and campgrounds
• Great scenery!

What to Bring/Wear

• Always bring layers and rain gear if you don’t want to use ours
• Hiking boots, hat, gloves, sunglasses, binoculars and your camera!
• Water bottle and snacks
• A tip for your great Guide!

What to Consider

• NO GLACIERS
• This is a full-day trip. Plan accordingly.
• All of our trips run rain or shine. The only time we will cancel a trip is due to high winds in the bay making the kayaking conditions dangerous.
• The hiking trail is a partially blacktop trail that turns into an undeveloped hiking trail. At points you will hike on gravel, climb on a slightly steep rocky slope and it can be slippery and challenging to people that are not used to hiking nature trails.
• A signed assumption of risk and acknowledgement of risks is required for anyone to participate!

Our Guides – We take great pride in our guides; one trips with us and you will see why we do! All of our guides are ACA level 2 certified that covers water rescues, group management and plenty more. They have up to date WFR certifications. They go through a 2-week training course every season to sharpen their skills. Our guides always carry Bear Spray, 1st Aid Kits, and essential safety gear for all trips.