Photo Credit: Eric Johnson

Things To Do In Glacier Bay National Park

1. Get Out on the Water

With some of the world’s most impressive tidewater glaciers—backdropped by soaring peaks—the shimmering waters of Glacier Bay National Park serve up ideal sea kayaking opportunities. Grab a paddle and take a single- or multi-day guided kayaking tour through the Inside Passage’s only national park and look for the area’s unique wildlife, from whales to sea lions and eagles to bears.

Love to sail? If you’re visiting the park earlier in April or May, you can explore the natural playground of this park on a 10-day sailing tour. You can even take the helm as you coast through these waters, with a licensed captain at the ready (and keeping a watchful eye!).

2. Stay at Glacier Bay Lodge

The only accommodations available inside the park, Glacier Bay Lodge sits between rainforest and beach and makes the most of its location. Clusters of rooms are built seamlessly into the landscape, and glorious views abound from around the property. Take advantage of tours and activities like a day cruise, whale watching, guided hikes, and more.

3. Go for a Hike

Be prepared to experience the magic of Alaska’s wildlife and views when you set out for a hike on one of Glacier Bay’s trails. Experience both shimmering ocean waters and lush rainforest as you keep an eye out for bears, moose, birds, porcupines, and more. (And be sure to check out our tips on viewing wildlife safely.)

Glacier Bay National Park Day Tours & Attractions View All

Season: May - September $135+ 4 hrs - 8 days

Guid­ed sea kayak­ing in Alaska’s South­east opens up the mag­i­cal world of water-based tour­ing. Glide through a marine envi­ron­ment with gor­geous views in every direc­tion, and many oppor­tu­ni­ties to spot wildlife – from eagles and salmon to bears, whales and sea lions. Options include day tours for busy sched­ules and mul­ti-day immer­sions, all under the expert guid­ance of nat­u­ral­ists who help you under­stand the com­plex work­ings of a unique and amazing  ...more

Season: Year Round
$485 per person / $2800 for whole boat up to 6 passengers
Cruise Ship Type: Small Ship Cruises

Explore Alaska’s hot springs and glac­i­ers aboard a unique ship that puts you behind the helm and lets you man the sails. This South­east Alas­­ka-based tour oper­a­tor will leave you with a new def­i­n­i­tion of what it means to have a once-in-a-life­­time Alas­kan adven­ture. You’ll explore away from the crowds, get­ting an up-close view of wildlife, scenery, hot springs, and glaciers. 

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Glacier Bay National Park Parks & Trails View All

Difficulty: Easy Distance: 2 miles Elevation Gain: 100 feet

This trail pass­es along an inter­tidal lagoon and through a for­est of spruce and hem­lock before end­ing at the Bartlett estu­ary. You may see coy­otes, moose, bear, and riv­er otter along the beach. Ducks, geese and oth­er water birds con­cen­trate in the inter­tidal area dur­ing migra­tions and molt­ing. Salmon run up the riv­er lat­er in the sum­mer that draws in hun­gry har­bor seals. To reach the trail­head, park at the Glac­i­er Bay Lodge/​Visitor Cen­ter and…  ...more

Difficulty: Easy

The Beach Trail departs from Glac­i­er Bay Lodge in Gus­tavus and fol­lows the shore for one mile, tra­vers­ing beach mead­ows and for­est habi­tats, home to por­cu­pines, bears and moose.

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