This Coastal U.S. Town Has Whale Sightings, Massive Glaciers, and Access to a Fjord-filled National Park

"The gateway town to Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward is one of the main tourism hubs on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula. Signs for fishing charters and scenic tours dot the buildings on one end of town (the Seward Small Boat Harbor); souvenir shops are common on the other. Visitors come by the thousands, often by way of the Alaska Railroad, to board cruise ships, see glaciers, and fulfill their dreams of watching a humpback whale breach in the wild."

"But Seward is also a layered community-one where history, art, and a deep appreciation for the natural world converge to form an interesting, and evolving, narrative. The 9.2-magnitude Good Friday Earthquake devastated the community in 1964-many of its effects on the land are still apparent 60 years later-and it's Mile 0 for the Iditarod National Historic Trail, originally known as the Seward-Nome Route."

Located on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, Seward serves as the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park and a major tourism hub for cruise passengers and Alaska Railroad visitors. Fishing charters, scenic tours, and souvenir shops cluster near the Seward Small Boat Harbor while local art appears in coffee shops, tour areas, and outdoor spaces. The town reflects layered history and nature: the 9.2-magnitude Good Friday Earthquake of 1964 left lasting land effects, and Seward marks Mile 0 of the Iditarod National Historic Trail. Seward sits within a northernmost temperate rainforest, features around 30 large murals, and offers slow-travel cabin lodging like Salted Roots.

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