Glacier Bay National Park

What makes Glacier Bay National Park special? There seem to be many glacial parks that vacationers can choose to visit. You may be wondering what sets this one apart from the others.

Well, just for starters, Glacier Bay National Park is 3.3 million acres of majestic wilderness, making it one of the largest glacial parks! It meanders North from Alaska’s inside passage to the Alsek River, encircling a magnificent saltwater bay, from which it derived it's name. These boundaries encompass an extensive North Pacific Coastline, rivers, ice fields, snow covered mountains, hemlock forests, islands, scads of animals and sea life and much much more.

Perhaps as much as a fifth of the park is made up of marine waters, including over 200 species of fish (all 5 types of salmon), a variety of crabs, clams, shrimp, seaweeds, snails, etc. This area of Alaska is also known as a safe breeding and foraging ground for many types of marine mammals such as the endangered humpback whale and stellar sea lion.

 An incredible array of wildlife resides in this huge park where visitors might catch glimpses of them: harbor seals, killer whales, porpoises, sea otters, lynx, bald eagles, moose, wolves, mountain goats, brown bears, the rare wolverine, a host of birds and other animals that frequent these shores.

And then of course you have the amazing glaciers, the largest of which is Fair weather Range with it's tallest peak reaching 15,320 feet! This glacier supplies ice to all glaciers on the peninsula separating Glacier Bay from the Gulf of Alaska.

Most people begin their adventure to Glacier Bay by going to the community of Gustavus, Alaska. Gustavus has the only airport in that area and is only about 9 miles from the entrance to the park. You can fly in by Alaska Airlines or take a charter plane service there. The other way to get there is by boat; either a ferry service or by a custom charter.

Seeing Glacier Bay

Cruise lines- You can take a cruise ship up the coast of Alaska and see a lot of the awesome ocean side areas of Glacier Bay as well as getting glimpses of the ocean wildlife along the way but the cruise ships don't stop there.

Public Touring Vessels- These offer day tours where you can see the large walls of glacial ice, mountain scenes, whales, and much more.

Private Charters- Booking a private charter boat is a good way to see more of the majestic scenery and wildlife. They can go to the more remote areas than larger vessels and they have more flexible schedules for your convenience.

Activities

Some of the activities available at Glacier bay National Park include kayaking, sport fishing, hiking, whale watching, photography, camping, dog sleding, cross country skiing, golfing, and more.

I am sure your curiosity is piqued by now, so come and experience the myriad of adventures waiting for you at Glacier Bay National Park.