RV Camping in Seward, Alaska: Glacier & Wildlife Gateway
Seward is the best RV destination in Alaska. Two hours south of Anchorage on the Seward Highway, this small port town sits at the head of Resurrection Bay and puts you within striking distance of Kenai Fjords National Park, Exit Glacier, and some of the most productive wildlife water on the continent.
I’ve run this route three times in the last six years, most recently in a 24-foot Class C pulling a kayak trailer. Seward rewards preparation. The campgrounds fill fast, the weather turns without warning, and the wildlife doesn’t wait around. Here’s the ground truth.
Getting There: The Seward Highway
The 127-mile drive from Anchorage to Seward on AK-1 and AK-9 is one of the most scenic highway corridors in the country — no qualifier needed. You’ll hug Turnagain Arm, climb through Chugach State Park, and drop into the Kenai Peninsula through mountain passes that’ll have your passengers pressed against the glass the whole way down.
For rigs over 35 feet, pay attention. The highway is well-maintained but has sections with tight curves and limited pullouts. The stretch between Moose Pass and Seward gets narrow. I’ve watched 40-foot fifth wheels make it without incident, but you won’t be setting any speed records. Budget 3 to 3.5 hours from Anchorage regardless of rig size — wildlife crossings and rubbernecking traffic are a given.
Fuel up in Anchorage or at the Tesoro in Soldotna if you’re coming from the west. Gas in Seward runs 30 to 50 cents per gallon higher than Anchorage, and there’s only one station in town.
Campgrounds in Seward: What’s Worth Your Money
Resurrection Bay RV Park
This is the most convenient full-hookup option in town — 30/50-amp service, water, sewer, and walking distance to the small boat harbor where the wildlife and glacier tour boats launch. Sites run $65–$85/night depending on size. It books out weeks in advance for July and August. Don’t show up hoping for a walk-in spot during peak season.
The downside: it’s tight. Rigs over 30 feet with slides out will feel the squeeze. The views of Resurrection Bay from the back row of sites make up for a lot, though.
Seward Military Resort (Fort Raymond)
If you’ve got a military ID, this is the move. Full hookups, spacious sites, and rates that make civilian campground prices feel criminal. It sits about a mile from downtown — walkable or a short bike ride. Book through Recreation.gov well ahead of your trip.
Miller’s Landing
Located about 3 miles south of town on Lowell Point Road, Miller’s Landing offers tent and RV sites with a more remote feel. No full hookups, but electric and water at some sites. The real draw is direct beach access and proximity to the Caines Head State Recreation Area trailhead. It’s the right base if you’re planning to kayak or hike rather than run everything out of the town harbor.
Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge (Backcountry Option)
Not an RV campground — but worth knowing about. If you want to spend a night inside Kenai Fjords on Fox Island, this is the option. You’ll leave the rig in Seward and boat out. It runs $600+ per person but puts you in a completely different experience from campground-based touring.
Exit Glacier Campground
This NPS campground sits 9 miles northwest of Seward at the end of Exit Glacier Road. Tent-only, walk-in — your RV stays in town. Worth knowing about if you’ve got a travel partner who wants to backpack the Harding Icefield Trail while you hold down the rig. Free with your park pass and worth every bit of the walk in.
Exit Glacier: The Accessible Ice
Exit Glacier is the only road-accessible section of the Harding Icefield, and the easiest glacier access you’ll find anywhere in Alaska. The paved road off the Seward Highway handles any size RV, though the trailhead parking area is sized for passenger vehicles — unhitch or take a tow vehicle if you’re running a fifth wheel or large Class A.
The Edge of the Glacier Trail is a 1-mile round trip to the glacier face. The Harding Icefield Trail climbs 3,000 feet over 8 miles to the icefield itself — roughly 700 square miles, one of the largest in North America. I’ve done the icefield trail twice. Bring traction devices even in July; the upper section stays icy well into summer.
For the icefield trail, I don’t leave the trailhead without my Kahtoola MICROspikes clipped to my pack. At 11.5 oz dry weight, there’s no reason not to carry them.
Check Price on Amazon → (paid link)
The glacier has retreated hard — the NPS markers along the lower trail show recession dates going back to the 1800s, and the gap between the 1950 marker and today’s ice face is sobering. Plan 2–4 hours for the lower trails, a full day for the icefield.
Kenai Fjords National Park: The Water Game
The park covers 669,984 acres, but most visitors experience it by boat out of Seward’s small boat harbor. This is where the wildlife density gets out of hand — humpback whales, orcas, Steller sea lions, Dall’s porpoise, puffins, murres, and black bears working the shoreline. I’ve been on tours where we counted 40+ humpbacks in a single afternoon run.
Tour Operators Worth Booking
Kenai Fjords Tours is the dominant operator and runs everything from 3-hour bay cruises to full-day Northwestern Fjord tours. The full-day Northwestern run is the one worth spending money on — it gets you to tidewater glaciers and into the outer fjords where orca sightings are most consistent. Book it at least 2 weeks out in summer.
Major Marine Tours runs a competitive full-day option and includes a salmon and prime rib buffet onboard, which sounds gimmicky but holds up after 8 hours on cold water. Their naturalist commentary is strong.
Dress for 20 degrees colder than the Seward forecast. The bay generates its own weather, and a 55°F day in town becomes a 35°F wind-chill situation on the water fast. I wear a Patagonia R2 TechFace Jacket as my mid-layer on every fjord tour, no matter what the morning looks like.
Check Price on Amazon → (paid link)
Kayaking Resurrection Bay
If you’ve got a kayak on the rig — and if you’re coming to Seward, you should — Resurrection Bay offers flatwater paddling with mountain and glacier backdrops that are hard to match anywhere on the continent. The protected coves near Lowell Point are good for beginners. The crossing to Caines Head is more committing: 4 miles each way with open water exposure and tidal current to manage.
I’ve paddled the Caines Head route three times. The old WWII fortifications at the headland are worth the crossing, and the sea otter density in the kelp beds along the way is exceptional. Bring a dry bag system you actually trust — water temperature in Resurrection Bay runs 45–52°F in summer, and an unplanned swim is a serious situation.
The Sea to Summit Hydraulic Dry Pack is what I use for day paddles. Fully submersible, 35L capacity, and the harness system keeps it stable on the back deck.
Check Price on Amazon → (paid link)
Wildlife Beyond the Water
Seward sits inside a wildlife corridor connecting the Kenai Mountains to the coast. Black bears are common around town and at Exit Glacier — I’ve seen them on the lower glacier trail in early morning. Brown bears are less frequent near the road system but present in the backcountry. Carry bear spray on your hip, not buried in your pack.
The Counter Assault 10.2 oz canister has a 32-foot range and 9.2-second spray duration. It’s what I’ve carried in Alaska for the last decade.
Check Price on Amazon → (paid link)
Mountain goats are visible on the ridgelines above town with binoculars — the cliffs above the Seward Highway between town and Exit Glacier Road are reliable spots. Moose are common along the highway corridor and in the spruce lowlands. Harbor seals haul out on the breakwater rocks near the small boat harbor year-round.
Fishing Out of Seward
Resurrection Bay produces silver salmon, halibut, and rockfish. The silver run peaks in August and September. Charter boats out of the small boat harbor run half-day and full-day trips — expect $250–$350 per person for halibut charters, which is standard for this part of Alaska.
Fishing from shore, the Seward lagoon and the creek mouths along Lowell Point Road see pink salmon returns in July and August. A basic Alaska fishing license runs $24/day or $70 for the season for non-residents — buy it online through the Alaska Department of Fish and Game before you leave home.
For keeping your catch cold on the drive back to Anchorage, the YETI Tundra 65 holds ice 5+ days in summer temps and fits a full day’s halibut harvest without issue. It’s a permanent fixture in my rig on Alaska trips.
Check Price on Amazon → (paid link)
Timing Your Trip
Late June through mid-August is peak season — maximum wildlife activity, all tour operators running full schedules, and the best odds of clear weather for glacier views. July averages 57°F with about 2.5 inches of rain. It’s coastal Alaska: pack for wet and cold and be pleasantly surprised when it’s not.
September is underrated. Crowds drop hard after Labor Day, silver salmon are running, and the fall colors on the hillsides above town are worth the trip on their own. Tour boats still run through mid-September. Campground rates drop and sites open up. The first two weeks of September are the best two weeks to be in Seward if your schedule has any flexibility.
Skip May for glacier tours — the outer fjords are still choked with ice in early season and most operators run limited schedules. Exit Glacier is accessible year-round, but the upper trails stay buried under several feet of snow until late June.
Logistics Checklist for Your Seward RV Trip
- Book campground reservations 4–6 weeks out minimum for July/August
- Reserve fjord tour tickets before you leave home — Northwestern Fjord fills weeks out
- Fuel up in Anchorage; budget for premium Seward pricing on top-offs
- Alaska fishing license purchased online before arrival
- Bear spray on your hip any time you’re outside the rig near Exit Glacier or on backcountry trails
- Dress in layers for boat tours — waterproof shell, mid-layer, base layer minimum
- Kenai Fjords National Park entrance is free; no pass required for Exit Glacier day use
- Tow vehicle or smaller vehicle for Exit Glacier trailhead if running a large Class A or fifth wheel
For a town of 3,000 people, Seward stacks up more quality days than almost anywhere else on the continent. Glacier access, fjord wildlife, halibut fishing, and open-water kayaking — all within 20 miles of your campsite. Lock in reservations early, pack for cold and wet, and don’t shortchange yourself on the Northwestern Fjord run. Eight hours on that water is never enough.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Product links on this page are affiliate links — if you click and buy, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
