Cruising Glacier Bay National Park
Glacier Bay National Park is located in Alaska’s Inside Passage and covers a little over three million acres. The park began its legacy as a National Monument in 1925, became an official National Park and Preserve in 1980, and integrated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992.
The geographic location of the park makes it difficult to visit by normal modes of transportation. Point Gustavus is the closest town to the National Park headquarters in Bartlett Cove. If you were to visit the park by land you would pass through Gustavus. If you cruise into the park, this is where the rangers will board your ship.
There are 26 named glaciers in Glacier National Park, though that number will dwindle as time goes on. For reference there were roughly 80 glaciers in 1850. You would think that there are way more than that in the park, but the definition of a glacier narrows it down. To be a glacier it must be a mass of ice big enough to flow on its own weight, which generally is about 25 acres worth of ice.
Cruising Glacier bay
There is so much to see when cruising into Glacier Bay. Often Park Rangers will board your boat first thing in the morning as you pass by Gustavus. You most likely won’t even know they’re there until the meet and greets start as their tender is very small and your ship won’t stop moving.
Be on the lookout for wildlife on your way into and out of the bay. You’ll have the opportunity to see grizzly bears, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats from the ship-if you bring your binoculars that is. Once you’ve reached the inner part of the bay there will be two main glacier viewing areas. The Margerie and Grand Pacific Glacier are in one and the John Hopkins Glacier will be in the other. These are can’t-miss glaciers and you have to find yourself outside as your ship passes by them. On the way in (or out) of the bay you will also pass by the Lamplugh, Reid, Rendu, and Carroll Glacier. These glaciers seem a little bit farther away as they are tucked into their respective inlets.
onboard ship tips
Attend the Ranger Talks
Often, the Rangers will give several opportunities to attend a Q&A session or informational presentation on the park. Attending these will give you more insight into the land you’re visiting, and they have insider knowledge at what to look at as you sail by.
Get Outside
If you have a balcony suite, this is your day to utilize it. If you don’t have a balcony suite I highly recommend camping out in an area next to a window or outdoors if you can brave the weather. The downside to the balcony room or a spot on the side of the ship is you may miss a wildlife sighting. We were parked on our balcony when there was a grizzly bear sighting on the other side of the ship. Later on in the day we were out on our balcony and overheard our neighbors come outside to realize that they had missed all of the glaciers because they were inside the ship!
Bring Binoculars
Without binoculars it will be very difficult to see any wildlife on the shore. You will be able to see the details of the glaciers better with binoculars and you won’t regret bringing them. I used my telephoto lens on my camera while Ben used the binoculars, but the job still gets done.
Dress Appropriately
When we visited at the end of June it was still very cold out in Glacier Bay. I had a hat, coat, and gloves and still didn’t want to linger outside that long due to the wind. I saw a lot of people running outside for quick photos because they dressed for summer.
Enjoy Your Time in the Park
The day goes by incredibly fast. Sitting inside enjoying breakfast, the pool, arcade, casino, etc can be done anytime on your cruise. Be sure to enjoy being in the park while you are able to and participate in the activities to create memories of the park.
