National park · Alaska

Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve

3.3 million acres of Alaska glaciers, fjords, and rainforest in the traditional homeland of the Huna Tlingit, where tidewater glaciers calve directly into the sea and the bay itself was solid ice as recently as 1750.

Entrance
No fee listed by NPS
Hours
Open 24 hours daily Glacier Bay Operating Hours and Seasons
Established
February 26, 1925
Region
Alaska
Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve
Photo: NPS Photo · Public domain (US National Park Service)
The Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve patch

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History

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is significant for its geological features, including its glaciers and unique ecosystems. It serves as a critical area for conservation and has a rich cultural history connected to the Tlingit Native American organizations.

Key events

  1. The area was first designated as a national monument by President Calvin Coolidge in 1925.
  2. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter expanded the monument, leading to the creation of the national park and preserve in 1980.
  3. Glacier Bay became part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 and was inscribed as a Biosphere Reserve in 1986.

Trails

  • Forest Trail 1 mi · Easy
  • Bartlett River Trail 4 mi · Moderate
  • Bartlett Lake Trail 8 mi · Hard
  • Beach Trail 1.5 mi · Easy
  • Tlingit Trail 1 mi · Easy

Plan your visit

Hours · Glacier Bay Operating Hours and Seasons

Open 24 hours, every day

There are no entrance gates at Glacier Bay National Park, so we are technically open 24-hours a day; however, services may be extremely limited depending on the time of your visit. The main visitor season is from late-May through early-September with the peak being the month of July. Check the VISITOR CENTERS tab below to see hours for specific facilities, and read the exceptions that detail seasonal changes in hours.

Entrance fees

NPS lists no entrance fee for this park.

Check current details on NPS.gov

When to go

  • Summer. Best weather, up to 18 hours daylight, all services open, whale activity
  • Late Summer. Clearer skies August-September, fewer visitors, excellent wildlife
  • Spring. Longer days, bears emerging, but cold and limited services
  • Fall. Fall colors, migrating birds, but cooling temps and reduced services

Wildlife

Humpback whalesOrcasHarbor sealsSteller sea lionsSea ottersBrown bearsBlack bearsMountain goatsBald eaglesPuffins
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