Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska is largely a water-based park - the national park preserves the marine habitat as well as glaciers, fjords, and mountains. The national park is one of the best places in the world to see glaciers.
Most visitors arrive by boat - some on Alaskan Inside Passage cruises, others by private boat or tour boats from Juneau, Alaska or Bartlett Cove. The National Park particularly caters to large cruise vessels. A park ranger will join the cruise on board for the day. You can get your national park passport stamped, or join a ranger program.
From the boat, you could see glaciers calving off into the sea, whales surfacing for air, bald eagles circling, marine mammals lying up on shore or even grizzly bears.
If you are visiting the park on your own, start your visit in Bartlett Cove. You can tour the visitor center or go for a hike on the Forest Loop or Bartlett River trails. You can also take a sea kayak out on Glacier Bay, either on a guided trip or as a rental. There are also all-day boat trips out of Bartlett Cove into Glacier Bay.
