Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

In 1750, Glacier Bay Was a Single Glacier 1,500 Metres Thick. It Is Now a 100-Kilometre Inlet.

The ice that filled what is now Glacier Bay has retreated approximately 105 kilometres from its original terminus, making this one of the most measurable examples of glacial retreat on earth. When John Muir visited in 1880, the ice had already pulled back 75 kilometres and the bay was navigable. The rate of retreat has continued since. This is not an abstract climate statistic here: you are looking at the physical space where a glacier stood within living memory of the oldest people alive.

The national park covers 13,287 square kilometres of southeast Alaska, part of a UNESCO-designated complex shared with adjacent parks in Canada. No roads reach Gustavus, the small town at the bay’s entrance; access is by boat or small plane only. This keeps visitor numbers relatively low – about 500,000 per year, most on cruise ships passing through on permit.

Seeing the Glaciers

The bay divides into two main inlets at its upper end: Muir Inlet to the east and the West Arm to the northwest. The active tidewater glaciers – those that reach the sea and calve icebergs – are in the upper portions. Margerie Glacier at the head of the West Arm is the most visited: 34 kilometres long with a face about 100 metres high and 1.6 kilometres wide that actively calves into the bay. The sound of calving carries considerable distance; watching the actual collapse of ice sections requires patience.

Cruise ships slow to 10 knots near the upper bay and typically hold position near the glacier face for 30 to 60 minutes. For kayakers from Bartlett Cove, reaching the upper bay takes several days of paddling; the NPS issues backcountry permits for beach camping.

Wildlife

Humpback whales feed in the lower bay from June through September; the population is large enough and the bay shallow enough that sightings from the daily NPS tour boat are essentially guaranteed. Dall porpoises, Steller sea lions, harbor seals hauled out on icebergs, and brown bears on beaches are regular sightings.

Getting There

Small planes fly from Juneau (45 minutes). A seasonal ferry also connects. The NPS concessionaire operates a daily tour boat from Bartlett Cove covering the West Arm and active glacier faces (approximately USD 200 per adult; book well in advance for summer). May through September is the accessible season; June and July have the highest wildlife activity.