Glacier Bay National Park: An Insight

When the early explorers and pioneers of the 18th century sailed this way, Glacier Bay was hidden under a huge sheet of solid ice, more than 4,000ft (1,219m) thick and up to 20 miles (32km) wide. Today the branching 65-mile (105km) long fjord is the work of the fastest-receding glacier on earth, the melting ice of the Grand Pacific Glacier opening up a spectacular carved terrain of steep rock walls lining deepwater fjords. Sliding out of the mountains are 16 active glaciers that fill the sea with different shaped icebergs, creating the icy blue landscape that is world-renowned. At the head of the fjord is the massive ice wall of the Grand Pacific Glacier, slowly melting and sculpting the still-unfinished land as it backs away from the sea, a natural work of art in progress. An added attraction is the variety of aquatic life including humpback whales, sea otters, seals and porpoises, while bears, moose, mountain goats and many species of birds inhabit the land. This rugged landscape can only be accessed by boat or small plane as most of the park is made up of water. Because opportunities to see this huge wilderness are limited, facilities can be crowded, especially on the tour boats; activities are also expensive, and wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed. Gustavus is the small settlement that services the park, but the park headquarters is at Bartlett Cove from where boats can be arranged or alternate means provided to enjoy the park experience. Kayaking or camping in the backcountry, ranger-led programs or walks, hiking and fishing are all available.

The marine wilderness of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve includes tidewater glaciers, snow-capped mountain ranges, ocean coastlines, deep fjords, and freshwater rivers and lakes. This diverse land and seascape hosts a mosaic of plant communities and a variety of marine and terrestrial wildlife and presents many opportunities for adventuring and learning about this unique and powerful place.

Dynamic Change

Glacier Bay's story is one of dynamic change in the wake of dramatic glacial movements.

Glacier Bay collects many glaciers flowing from the tall surrounding mountains with abundant snowfall.
As recently as 1750 a single glacier thousands of feet thick filled what is now a 65-mile long fjord.
This glacial retreat has exposed a resilient land that hosts a succession of marine and terrestrial life.
Here is an opportunity to see how the physical world shapes the biological.

Glacier Bay is a globally significant marine and terrestrial wilderness sanctuary.

A place that offers human solitude and a remote wildness that is rapidly disappearing in today's world.
A place of hope--for the continued wisdom, restraint, and humility to preserve a sample of wild America, the world as it was.
It is part of one of the largest internationally protected Biosphere Reserves in the world, and it is recognized by the United Nations as a World Heritage Site.