Glacier Bay National Park

In a state famous for its glaciers, this is the featured attraction. Glacier Bay sits near the northern end of Alaska's Inside Passage and is a major destination for cruise ships and tour boats. The adjacent village of Gustavus has an airport with jet and small plane service from Juneau, and is home to several notable lodges and charter fishing operators. The park concessionaire operates a hotel in nearby Bartlett Cove, and runs daily boat tours into Glacier Bay. On these trips you'll see actively calving glaciers, aqua-blue icebergs, noisy seabird colonies, humpback whales, Steller sea lions, mountain goats, and black bears. High peaks ...

In a state famous for its glaciers, this is the featured attraction. Glacier Bay sits near the northern end of Alaska's Inside Passage and is a major destination for cruise ships and tour boats. The adjacent village of Gustavus has an airport with jet and small plane service from Juneau, and is home to several notable lodges and charter fishing operators. The park concessionaire operates a hotel in nearby Bartlett Cove, and runs daily boat tours into Glacier Bay. On these trips you'll see actively calving glaciers, aqua-blue icebergs, noisy seabird colonies, humpback whales, Steller sea lions, mountain goats, and black bears. High peaks (often obscured by clouds) rise dramatically behind the glaciers. Sea kayaks are available for rent, and local companies lead multi-night kayak trips into the park for more adventurous travelers. More challenging are guided 12-day rafting trips down the wild Alsek and Tatshenshini Rivers. A Park Service campground and several hiking trails are located at Bartlett Cove.

About the Expert

Don Pitcher has written or photographed 10 travel guidebooks to Alaska, Wyoming, Yellowstone-Grand Teton, and the San Juan Islands for Avalon Travel Publishing, Random House, and Sasquatch Books.