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Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve |
Description:
The marine wilderness of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve provides opportunities for adventure, a living laboratory for observing the ebb and flow of glaciers, and a chance to study life as it returns in the wake of retreating ice. Amidst majestic scenery, Glacier Bay offers us now, and for all time, a connection to a powerful and wild landscape.
The park has snow-capped mountain ranges rising to over 15,000 feet, coastal beaches with protected coves, deep fjords, tidewater glaciers, coastal and estuarine waters, and freshwater lakes. These diverse land and seascapes host a mosaic of plant communities ranging from pioneer species in areas recently exposed by receding glaciers, to climax communities in older coastal and alpine ecosystems. Diverse habitats support a variety of life including seabirds, marine and terrestrial mammals that provide ideal conditions for wildlife viewing and for research as we endeavor to learn more about the world around us.
Designations:
National Monument (February 25, 1925)
National Park and Preserve (December 2, 1980)
Designated Wilderness (2,770,000 acres) (December 2, 1980)
Biosphere Reserve (1986)
World Heritage Site (1992)
Accessibility:
The Glacier Bay Visitor Center located on the second level of the Glacier Bay Lodge and the first portion of the Forest Loop Trail is accessible to wheelchairs. There are no paved roads.
Getting Around:
The only road in the park runs 10 miles between Bartlett Cove and Gustavus. Seven miles of trails wind along the beaches and through the rainforest in the Bartlett Cove area. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is most easily seen from a boat; the distance between Bartlett Cove and the tidewater glaciers is 65 miles. Activities include sightseeing, wildlife viewing, boating, kayaking, and the park ranger programs.
Activites:
Boating | Camping | Climbing | Educational Programs | Fishing | Hiking | Hunting | Wilderness Area | Wildlife Viewing | Nature Walks | Kayaking | And more.
Facilities:
Visitor_Centers | Restaurant or Snack Bar | Lodging | Museum Exhibits | And more.
Nature: Glaciers | Mountains | And more.
Directions to Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve
Plane:
Year-around air service is available to Gustavus from Juneau and neighboring communities via small planes. These air-taxi companies are common in Alaska. A major airline provides daily jet service between Juneau and Gustavus in the summer.
Car:
There are no roads to Glacier Bay and no Alaska state ferry service. The only road in the park runs 10 miles between Bartlett Cove and Gustavus. Seven miles of trails wind along the beaches and through the rainforest in the Bartlett Cove area.
Public Transportation
Passenger ferries offer transportation between Juneau and Gustavus mid-May through mid-September. Limited tour boat, cruise ship and charter boat services are available. Private pleasure boats are welcome. A ten-mile road by taxi or bus connects Gustavus to Bartlett Cove.
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Contact Information for Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
P.O. Box 140
Gustavus, AK
99826-0140
Phone: (907)697-2230
Fax: 907-697-2654
Located in Gustavus, AK
For more information on Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve
Information on this page provided by the NPS.
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