Managing Editor:
James Perry

Within Glacier Bay National Park you'll find a dramatic range of life forms. Rocky terrain recently covered by ice gives way to lush temperate rainforest, and a large variety of animals such as brown and black bears, mountain goats, whales, seals, and eagles. Also included are Mount Fairweather, the highest peak in southeast Alaska, and the U.S. portion of the Alsek River.

When English explorer George Vancouver sailed through Southeast Alaska about 200 years ago, he charted only a small recess in the shoreline where Glacier Bay is today. The "solid mountains of ice rising perpendicularly from the water's edge" that he described have since retreated more than 60 miles and opened a vast bay to the sea. What was bare rock at the edge of the ice in Vancouver's time is now lush rainforest with huge Sitka spruce. Up bay, where the ice has departed in the past few decades, low plants are beginning to take hold. And at the end of the bay, tidewater glaciers still present solid mountains of ice.

The majority of visitors view the park by cruise ships. Ship entries are limited to 139 through the summer to help protect endangered humpback whales that use the park waters. A smaller number of visitors see the park in smaller powerboats or by kayak.

Proclaimed Glacier Bay National Monument February 25, 1925, Glacier Bay was established as a National Park and Preserve December 2, 1980. It was designated as a Biosphere Reserve in 1986, and a World Heritage Site in 1992.

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General Information

Acreage

National Park: 3,225,284 (Federal: 3,224,938; Nonfederal: 346)
National Preserve: 57,884 (Federal: 55,439; Nonfederal: 2,445)
Wilderness area: 2,770,000

Visitation

Total visitation in 1995 was 254,160. Of that, 203,789 came aboard cruise ships.

Location

Southeast Alaska, about 65 air miles northwest of Juneau.

Address

P.O. Box 140
Gustavus, Alaska 99826

Telephone

Headquarters: (907) 697-2230

Operating Hours & Seasons

While the park is open year-round, the visitor center opens only during the summer months.

Fees & Costs

Golden Eagle Passport

The Golden Eagle Passport is an entrance pass to any national park, monument, historical site, recreation area, and national wildlife refuge that charges an entrance fee. It is a great convenience for those who plan on visiting several different areas that charge special fees. It is valid for one year from the purchase date. A Golden Eagle Passport may be purchased for $50 at any National Park Service entrance fee area or by mail. To order by mail, send check or money order (no cash, please) to:

National Park Service
1100 Ohio Drive, SW
Room 138
Washington, DC 20242
Attention: Golden Eagle Passport

Where entry is by private vehicle, the Golden Eagle Passport will admit the passholder as well as any passengers. Where entry by private vehicle is not possible, the pass will admit the passholder, spouse, children and parents.

The Golden Eagle Passport will not reduce use fees, such as those for camping, swimming, parking, boat launching, or cave tours. It covers entrance fees only.

Golden Age Passport

The Golden Age Passport is a lifetime entrance pass for those United States residents 62 years or older and may be purchased at any National Park Service entrance fee area for a one-time processing fee of $10. The Golden Age Passport cannot be purchased by mail or telephone. Proof of age and citizenship or permanent residence must be shown at the time of purchase.

The Golden Age Passport will admit the passholder and any passengers in a private vehicle. When entrance is not via private vehicle, the pass will admit the passholder as well as children, spouse, and parents.

The Golden Age Pass grants a 50 percent discount to the holder on any federal use fees charged for things such as camping, swimming, parking, boat launching, or tours. It does not, however, reduce the price of special recreation permit fees or fees for concessions.

Golden Access Passport

The Golden Access Passport is a free entrance pass to any national park, monument, historic site, recreation area, and national wildlife refuge for those who are blind or permanently disabled. The Golden Access passport may be obtained at any National Park Service entrance fee area. Proof of a medically determined disability and eligibility for receiving benefits under federal law is necessary at purchase.

The Golden Access Passport will admit the passholder and any passengers in a private vehicle. Where entrance is not by vehicle, the pass will admit the passholder, spouse, children and parents.

The Golden Access Passport also provides a 50 percent discount on any federal use fees charged for services and facilities. It does not cover special recreation permit fees or fees charged for concessions.

All passes described above are non-transferable.

Climate & Recommended Clothing

Long periods of rainy, cool, and overcast weather are common in southeast Alaska. Summer daytime temperatures range from 45F to 65F. A hat, gloves, raingear and sturdy, waterproof footgear are recommended.

Transportation

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve can be reached only by boat or by plane. Travel options from mid-May through September include scheduled and charter air services, a passenger ferry, cruise ships, tour boats, and charter boats. Scheduled air service is available year-round from Juneau to Gustavus. Bus or taxi service from Gustavus to the park is available.

Trails & Roads

The only road in the park runs from Bartlett Cove to Gustavus. Seven miles of trails wind along the beaches and through the rainforest in the area of Bartlett Cove.

Reservations & Permits

None required for non-commercial uses on the land. Private motor vessels wishing to enter the park must have a permit between June 1 and August 31. Reservations are recommended - these permits are limited - and may be obtained by contacting the park. Campers are requested to obtain a permit, which are not limited. Reservations are recommended for most visitor services offered by commercial vendors. An Alaska fishing license is required for fishing in the park or preserve.

Recommended Activities & Park Use

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is most easily seen from a boat, as it is 60 miles from the developed areas of the park to view the tidewater glaciers. Activities include sightseeing, wildlife viewing, boating, kayaking, and ranger programs.

Lodging & Camping Facilities

At Bartlett Cove, Glacier Bay Lodge offers rooms, a restaurant and bar, gift shop and fuel (gasoline, #2 diesel, and white gas). The nearby town of Gustavus has several lodges and bed and breakfast establishments. A limited National Park Service campground is available at Bartlett Cove, and there is no fee.

Camping

Campers are strongly encouraged to attend a camper orientation given at the Visitor Information Station near the dock. A free campground (14-day limit) with bear-resistant food caches, firewood, and a warming hut, is located at Bartlett Cove. No reservations are required, but permits are required for both the campground and the backcountry. Backcountry permits may be limited in summer. If desired, motor vessel or floatplane may drop off campers in the backcountry. Kayaking the shoreline is often the easiest way to get around. There are no backcountry trails, but beaches, recently deglaciated areas, and alpine meadows offer excellent hiking. Wilderness can be both inviting and dangerous - you are responsible for your own safety. Backcountry users should be self-sufficient, fully equipped, and provisioned. Cook stoves are necessary because wood is often scarce and wet. Permits are required for float trips on the international Alsek River. Information about the river is available upon request.

Facilities & Opportunities

Visitor Center/Exhibits

The park visitor center is located at Bartlett Cove, upstairs in Glacier Bay Lodge. It has an information desk, book sales area, and an auditorium. Exhibits illustrate natural and human history.

Programs & Activities

Park naturalists present evening programs and films daily in the auditorium, lead hikes through the forest and along the shore, and provide commentary on tour boats and cruise ships entering Glacier Bay.

Food & Supplies

Groceries, supplies, and a small cafe are available in Gustavus.

Other Concessions

Glacier Bay Lodge operates day tour boat trips during summer, and drop-off campers at designated locations. Various large cruise ship lines and smaller tour boat operators bring visitors into the park. Guided kayak trips and kayak rentals are available. There are guided kayak, backpacking and raft trips down the Alsek River.

Ocean Visitors

Each summer 15 to 20 humpback whales regularly feed in park waters, mostly near in the lower part of the bay. They migrate here from their winter home in the warm waters off Hawaii and can often be seen along the shorelines of southeast Alaska. Special regulations go into effect on vessel speed limits and travel routes in certain areas when large concentrations of whales are in the park.

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History

Tlingit Indians are the original inhabitants of Glacier Bay and still consider it their ancestral home. Hunters and gatherers of salmon, seals, berries and roots, the Tlingits were driven from the bay by advancing glaciers during the Little Ice Age.

Tourism to this land of ice and snow began soon after naturalist and adventurer John Muir discovered the bay in 1879. Pioneers began farming in Gustavus around 1923 when fish canneries and salteries dotted the region. Though a few hardy men and women have chosen to live in Glacier Bay and on the outer coast in the past, the area remains largely isolated and undeveloped.

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Reservation Information

There are no reservations or permits required for non-commercial use of the land. Private motor vessels wishing to enter the park must have a permit between June 1 and August 31. Reservations are recommended - these permits are limited and may be obtained by contacting the park. Campers are requested to obtain a permit. Reservations are recommended for most visitor services offered by commercial vendors.

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