Hey there! Are you ready to plan a magical trip to Glacier Bay National Park?! Explore the rugged coastline and massive glaciers of this gorgeous oceanic park! You are sure to find something here that everyone in your group will LOVE.
Glacier Bay is a place you will never forget — and likely somewhere you will talk about for years to come. The grand and majestic glaciers move with such force that the rocks and the trees bow down to their power. This phenomenal place will take your breath away!
There is so much to do. You may have already looked at a map and been a little overwhelmed — and eager — to make sure that you don’t miss the best sights.
I’m a former park ranger, and I’ll help you plan your vacation down to the details. I’ve extensively explored Glacier Bay and am here to help! Whether this is your first time to Glacier Bay National Park, or if you are returning after many years and would like to be reintroduced to the park, this list of 10 things is for you.
What You Need to Know About Glacier Bay
- Don’t miss out on anything during your trip! For the best experience, get an early start to your day and have a solid plan.
- Lodging and camping are available within the park, as well as in the local town of Gustavus. Click here to learn more about your options.
- This park is difficult to get to — it can only be reached via boat or plane! Its remoteness is one of the best parts of visiting this park, but you’ll need to research the various ways to make it here.
- Glacier Bay is a wild and unforgiving landscape. Acquaint yourself with the proper protocol for dealing with bears, hypothermia, tides, moose, and poisonous plants before you go!
- Numerous hiking trails converge and overlap in this park, so you don’t want to be caught hiking without a map. This is the map I use and recommend for Glacier Bay National Park.
I’ll make sure that you don’t miss the sights that make this park so famous, but I also want to provide a few treasures that are off the beaten path as well. Let the adventure begin!
Click NEXT to see this exciting list of 10 things you can’t miss on your first visit to Glacier Bay National Park!
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means that (at no extra cost to you) I receive a small compensation if you make a purchase. Recommended products are only those that I personally love! I appreciate your support and welcome any questions you may have about any products featured on my site. Thanks! Ash
Do you have any clothing recommendations for visiting Glacier Bay (kayaking and hiking)? I’ve read that I shouldn’t bring down jackets because of the humidity. What about shoes? Do you have any favorites? I assume they should be waterproof. Thank you!
Wear synthetic/quick-dry material {no cotton} and bring lots of layers. The weather changes fast, but it often “mists” even if it’s not full-on raining. So definitely some good rain gear. We always wore gore-tex rain gear and xtratuf boots as park rangers. For hiking, I would often just wear my waterproof Merrell hiking boots. You’ll want some good warm layers as well…the summer temps often hover around 50-60 degrees. I hope that helps!
Love your writing! We just left the Tetons and we’re planning a trip back to Alaska… we were all over up north in our RV two summers ago. Is there a way to bring and park the RV in Glacier Bay area (I know we can’t drive there)? We live full time with our dogs and can’t just leave them behind for a few days. Thanks!
The campground in the park is tent-only, but you may be able to find something in Gustavus. The Alaskan Marine Highway {ferry} now stops in Gustavus, so take a look at that for getting your vehicle over there. Good luck!
Hi, I was wondering how long it took you to kayak until you could actually see the glacier?
If leaving from Bartlett Cove, you’ve got to go a long way to see any glaciers. Most people take the boat to one of the drop-off locations further up-bay to start closer to the glaciers. That’s what I would do!
Your personal accounts of these parks are so beautiful and helpful! I have the opportunity to spend my summer working in one of the National Parks, but I have yet to choose which one. What would you recommend between Denali and Glacier Bay? What would be your top three parks be to live in for the summer if you had to choose? Trying to get some expert advice here before I make anything final. Thanks so much for your input!
I just emailed you :)
Great Stuff! We just spent 4 weeks exploring Alaska and it was Amazing! So many adventures to list a few off the top of my head that we loved… Our new favorite city is Juneau Alaska. We did it all from Hiking, Glacier Ice Climbing, Ice Caving, Gold Panning, Heli-hiking, to Cruising. One huge one was wild bear viewing and camping in Lake Clark NP. It is a worlds top 100 travel adventure and an experience of a lifetime.
Sounds amazing!! I love Juneau…the whole Southeast Alaska area is incredible! Lake Clark is still on my to-do list. I’m hoping to get up there for a good amount of time so that I can explore all of the Alaska parks. Thank you for sharing your adventures!
Sounds amazing. I am heading to Juneau in 2 weeks & was wondering about camping in the area ? Is it safe to camp solo ? Too cold ? Any favorite campground with people around ? Bears ? Any favorite hikes ? Also how many days are enough in Juneau ? I have 8 days total & trying to figure out what is the best way to split it up to both see & do some hikes & activities . Thinking may be 4 days in Juneau & 2 nights in Glacier Bay ? & pehaps an overnight trip to Haines — is that too much to pack in 8 days ? Is Is 3 days in GB NP too much ? Is it scrary to camp @ the camp ground in the park ? Bears ??
Thank you so much for any help or tips ?
I actually didn’t spend a lot of time in Juneau…did the main touristy things. It’s a cool city though! 2 nights in Glacier Bay would probably be enough, depending on what you want to do. You’ll definitely want to try your hand at kayaking and you’ll want to take the Bay Cruise to see all of the glaciers. The campground in the park has food storage areas to keep the bears away from the campsites, but you’ll definitely want to bring bear spray!
Have a great time!
Ash
Hi, I LOVE your blog posts, I remember you saying that you were hoping to get to Banff at some point, and I highly recommend it if you haven’t yet made that happen.
Anyways, I was just wondering about the kayaking you recommended. We are planning on visiting and own a canoe, I don’t know if we could use that or if it would make a difference. I would like to ask you what your take on the safety rating of doing that though with so many whales in the area? Is there a lot of people that do it safely or has there been people that have had boats overturned by whales? I can’t imagine having a 100ft whale directly underneath a 12 foot canoe and what we would do if it were to overturn us.
Thank you, and I can’t wait to read more about your adventures. Be sure to check out my blog to see what we cover on our one month roadtrip through Canada, Alaska, and the west coast.
Bri Engle
It’s really not much of a problem, although it is a scary thought to have a huge whale right under you! The thing about kayaking in Glacier Bay is that it often rains/is cold, so you’ll probably want a kayak with a skirt instead of an open canoe if you plan on being on the water for an extended amount of time. Sounds like a great road trip! Safe travels!
Nice article
I know its not technically Glacier Bay, but I would add Mendenhall and the ice caves to this list; this would really help your viewers out.
Many people call it the most beautiful thing they have ever seen.
Thank you for the suggestion! I was lucky enough to visit Mendenhall when I was in the area and when I write a post about other activities in the near vicinity, I will be sure to include it!
I love it! Great article. And, yes, I will take a little of the blame for your #1 phobia of fishing. I just hope Jackson will be a little more open to playing with fish parts.
Thanks! I’m sure he will have to be between you and John taking him fishing :)
Hi there! I’ll be performing on a Cruise out in Alaska from April – August. I’m from the UK originally. We have no dangerous animals over here, other than ourselves haha. Should I be overly concerned about bears? Because I currently am.
Other than this, how do you recommend I get the most out of my time visiting? I’ll be frequenting Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay and Whittier.
Thanks very much!
Very cool! And yes, Alaska has a lot of wild animals, so you’ll definitely want to be prepared for that :) I would definitely invest in some bear spray while you’re there, and try to travel in groups of 2 or 3 when you’re out exploring!
OMG that’s an enormous fish you caught! It looks gorgeous there :)
I had never seen a fish that big…it was a ton of fun. You should plan a trip out there!
What a delight to read!
Monday I’m heading into the Beardslees with my brand new Ashli’s!
Thank You for remembering!
How fun! You guys will have a great time….just wish I was there with you!
I LOVE your “can’t miss” posts. While I’m not getting to Alaska anytime soon, I will be taking the family to Yellowstone this fall. Hopefully I’ll see a post for that. :)
Angee, you will be seeing a Yellowstone post very very soon!!!
I just discovered your blog and I love it!
Having only seen Glacier Bay from the deck of a cruise ship, I would love to return and have a more “thorough” experience.
What is the best place to stay and base out of? Gustavus?
Thanks
Hi Bill, I’m so glad you stopped by! Glacier Bay is beautiful from the cruise ship, but it is definitely worth another visit. Gustavus has many lodging options, and often times the lodges will shuttle you the 10 miles to Bartlett Cove. The only hotel in Bartlett Cove is the Glacier Bay Lodge, which provides you the best location but may be a little more pricey. Either way you really can’t go wrong!
Hi Ash,
Is it feasible to visit Glacier Bay on day-trips from Gustavus? I’m not keen on taking a cruise, but I’m not sure if I’m up to Alaska backpacking either. From Bartlett Cove, is there much to see within a day’s paddle? Also, how do visitors staying in Gustavus travel the 10 miles to Bartlett Cove? Thanks for your help!
Hi Abby,
Many people stay in Gustavus to visit Glacier Bay….it’s only about 10 miles from Bartlett Cove. Many lodging options have shuttles that will take you into the park, or you can also rent a car or catch a taxi. If you kayak from Bartlett Cove, you could explore part of the Beardslee Islands (gorgeous) in a day no problem. Even kayaking around the cove is great, as there are usually whales right there for you to see. Visiting Glacier Bay without a cruise is an amazing adventure — you’ll love it!!!