Every once in a while, Mother Nature produces a masterpiece that simply leaves you breathless. Kenai Fjords National Park is one such masterpiece.
Located in Alaska, Kenai Fjords National Park is simply stunning. A seemingly peaceful location, the park can be extremely active geologically. We're talking glaciers, mountains and untamed wilds.
Classified a national park in 1980, Kenai Fjords has been a geological catch for scientists and people alike. The park is situated on the edge of two tectonic plate intersections. Specifically, where the Pacific Plate is slowly being pushed under the North American Plate. There is an obscene amount of geological tension where two plates push on each other. When one wins out, the phrase "shake, rattle and roll" takes on new meanings. In 1964, for instance, the edge of the Pacific Plate buckled and the shoreline on the Pacific Ocean dropped over six feet in less than five minutes.
As the park shifts, global warming is also playing a part. With vast glaciers, the park is a white beauty. Now they are melting and leaving previously unseen valleys and canyons that make the Grand Canyon look like a crack in the sidewalk. It is truly amazing to see the extent to which a glacier can carve a valley out of sheer rock.
Kenai Fjords is also the home to the huge Harding Ice Field. Dating back to the ice age, the field covers over 300,000 acres. Over 30 glaciers originate in the field and spread out across the park. With hundreds of inches of snow dropping on the field each year, the glaciers continue to grow notwithstanding global warming issues. The field and glaciers simply have to be seen to be believed.
As you might imagine, getting around Kenai Fjords National Park is not particularly easy. Changing geology, earthquakes, glacier flows and so on make it fairly difficult to create and maintain a stable road system. As a result, one of the best ways to see the park is by boat. While you will not get into the heart of the park, you will be able to see much of the most dramatic terrain that is located on the coast.
Rick Chapo is with Nomad Journals - makers of travel journals to preserve your travel experiences.
