Glacier Bay National Park

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Alaska's Inside Passage, spans 3.3 million acres of fjords, mountains, and tidewater glaciers near the small community of Gustavus. The park is accessible only by air or sea — there are no road connections from the Alaska highway system — which gives it a genuine sense of remoteness. The bay itself was covered by a single vast glacier as recently as 1750; rapid glacial retreat over the past 250 years has exposed a new landscape that scientists study as a living laboratory of ecological succession, watching pioneer plants colonize recently deglaciated ground. Day cruises from Gustavus depart into the 65-mile-long bay, passing young spruce and cottonwood stands on recently exposed shores before reaching the upper inlets where Margerie Glacier and Grand Pacific Glacier calve directly into the sea with explosive thunderclaps. Humpback whales feed extensively in the bay from June through September, and the fjord walls host mountain goats, brown bears, and black bears. Kayaking within the park is a premier multi-day experience — paddlers camp on gravel bars near tidewater glaciers with required backcountry permits. The Glacier Bay Lodge, the only accommodation inside the park boundary, books up months in advance. Visitor numbers in the upper bay are controlled by a permit system limiting cruise ship and private vessel access to protect wildlife. A small but well-stocked visitor center in Bartlett Cove near Gustavus offers orientation films, ranger programs, and permit issuance.