Occupying the southeastern portion of the Kenai Peninsula, on the Gulf of
Alaska; established as a national monument 1978, as a national park 1980. The
park has a diversity of landscapes, including deep coastal fjords, lush rain
forests, and active glaciers, the largest of which is the 800-sq km (300-sq mi)
Harding Icefield. The coastal area and offshore islands are frequented by seals,
sea lions, sea otters, and numerous species of birds, such as puffins and
auklets, that breed here. Area, 271,400 hectares (670,643 acres).
Kenai Peninsula, peninsula, southern Alaska, near Anchorage.
It projects generally south from the mainland into the Gulf of Alaska between
Cook Inlet and Prince William Sound. Ice-covered peaks of the Kenai Mountains
rise to more than 2,000 m (6,500 ft) in parts of the peninsula. Kenai Fjords
National Park, Kenai National Moose Range, and part of Chugach National Forest
are here. The city of Kenai has the largest population, and Soldotna is the
seat of government for the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
