Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska protects tidal water glaciers and other natural wonders. Visitors can take boat tours, kayak tours, airplane tours, and hiking tours. Cruise ships bring most visitors, and hunting and fishing are allowed in the preserve but not the park.
Glacier Bay is a national park and preserve located in Alaska. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve protects tidal water glaciers, which flow from the mountains into the ocean, and other natural wonders. Visitors to Glacier Bay can choose from a variety of boat tours to take in the beauty of the area. Everything from single-person kayaks to cruise ships with thousands of people allow visitors to see the national park from the water. Most tours of Glacier Bay are by water, but visitors can also tour the park by air and on land.
Glacier Bay boat tours are offered by a park concessionaire and tour companies. A Glacier Bay boat tour departs each morning during the summer from Glacier Bay Lodge at Bartlett Cove and travels 130 miles across the bay on a seven-hour cruise. Sightseeing boats originating in Juneau, Alaska, or other Southeast Alaska cities take visitors on tours of Glacier Bay as part of a longer itinerary. Some tour boats specialize in whale watching for the humpback whales that feed in the area’s waters each summer. Small party charter private boats can be rented for multi-day trips in the area.
Cruise ships bring most visitors to Glacier Bay. These cruise ships usually originate in major cities on the West Coast of the United States and carry thousands of passengers. Vessels generally spend around 10 hours in the bay before continuing their journey. Park rangers board ships to give presentations about the park and answer questions from passengers.
Another way to see Glacier Bay from the water is to take a kayak tour. Glacier Bay Kayak Tours include guided day tours and overnight tours. Kayakers can also rent kayaks in the park or bring their own. Guided rafting tours in the park are also offered.
Other Glacier Bay tours include airplane tours that can last an hour or some that last longer. Visitors can get a full view of the area and spot Alaskan wildlife. Glacier Bay offers short hikes led by park rangers. Vendor-led hiking, camping, backpacking, and backcountry mountaineering tours bring the most adventurous visitors face-to-face with Alaska’s deepest wilderness.
Hunting and fishing are permitted in the protected section of Glacier Bay, but not in the national park. Hunt outfitters and guides are available to take hunters to the reserve. Fishing guides take fishermen on fishing trips and teach them about the various fish species of the area. Both freshwater and saltwater fishing is available in Glacier Bay.
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