The small plane drops toward a flat green clearing at the edge of Icy Strait, and the first thing you notice is how few buildings there are. Gustavus is a village of scattered homes, bike-friendly dirt lanes and a single main road that runs toward the doorstep of Glacier Bay. It suits travelers who want to be near ice, water and rain forest without a crowd, and who are happy with a slow pace.
Where is Gustavus and Glacier Bay and what is it like?
Gustavus sits in Southeast Alaska at the mouth of the Salmon River on the north shore of Icy Strait, northwest of Juneau, and it serves as the gateway to Glacier Bay National Park. The town is surrounded on three sides by the park and preserve and bordered by water on the fourth. No road leads into Gustavus from outside, so everyone arrives by air or by water.
The community is small, with 450 year-round residents, and it feels like it. Its one main road links the village with Bartlett Cove, the park’s headquarters, and a trip to the hardware and grocery store, ToshCo, is a small event: most of its stock comes from Costco in Juneau.
There is no strip of shops or nightlife. The rhythm is set by the weather, the tides and whatever boat or plane you are waiting for.
Glacier Bay itself is mostly water. The land around it is mountainous, covered with dense rain forest or alder thickets, and most of it has no roads or trails. That is the point of the place. It is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site shared with neighboring parks, and the park holds millions of acres of designated wilderness.
People who love quiet, wildlife watching, kayaking and big landscapes will feel at home. Travelers who want a lively waterfront, a long list of restaurants or a place they can drive out of at will may find it too still, since getting anywhere else means a plane or a ferry.
The tides are part of the character as well. In the bay, up to 24 feet of water flows in or out every six hours, and the mixing of those tides is a major force and an ecosystem in itself. Even a walk along the shore at Bartlett Cove has a different look depending on the hour.
What is there to do in Gustavus and Glacier Bay?
Most visitors experience Glacier Bay from a boat, whether a cruise ship, a tour vessel, a charter boat or a private kayak. The reasons to come fall into a few groups: the bay itself, Bartlett Cove, paddling and camping in the wilderness, and the village of Gustavus.
The tour boat and the glaciers
Each summer, Glacier Bay Lodge operates a daily tour through the bay, and a Park Ranger Naturalist guides it in the water each day. It is the way to see the tidewater glaciers, which calve into saltwater at sea level, while a ranger explains what you are looking at. A few other glaciers reach the sea only at high tide.
Look for icebergs in the water. They may last a week or more and serve as haul-outs for harbor seals, with bald eagles, cormorants and gulls perched on them.
The ice at the face of the glaciers is estimated to be about 200 years old, and the glaciers have been thinning and slowly receding for several decades. Research found that the bay holds 11% less glacial ice than in the 1950s, a fact that gives the view some weight.
Bartlett Cove on foot
Bartlett Cove is the only developed area in the park. It holds Glacier Bay Lodge, the Park Visitor Center, the Visitor Information Station, exhibits, park headquarters, a public dock, kayak rentals and a walk-in campground. Several trails start near the headquarters, and you can explore the shore and the developed paths at your own pace.
Park rangers also provide regular guided activities here and board cruise ships and tour vessels to present information and answer questions. The visitor center is the place to learn what the bay is about before you head out on the water.
Kayaking and wilderness camping
The park offers wilderness adventures including camping, hiking, backpacking, kayaking, rafting and mountaineering. The Day Boat camper drop-off service takes campers and their kayaks to two locations in the bay, which lets paddlers start deep in the park rather than at the dock.
A free backcountry permit is required for overnight campers or kayakers in Glacier Bay. Campers at the Bartlett Cove Primitive Campground must attend a camper orientation at the Visitor Information Station. Camping itself is free.
What sets Gustavus apart
Many Alaska towns serve as a cruise port or a road hub. Gustavus is neither. It is a small village with no road out, set beside a park with no entrance fee, and that mix of isolation and access gives it a character of its own. You come here to stay put, not to pass through.
How many days do you need in Gustavus and Glacier Bay?
A long weekend covers the essentials, and a few more days let the place settle in. Because you arrive by plane or ferry, the first and last days are partly taken up by travel, so plan around that.
With two or three nights, you can fit in the daily tour boat through the bay, a visit to the Bartlett Cove visitor center and a walk on the nearby trails. That is a full, satisfying stay for anyone who wants to see the glaciers and get a feel for the park without roughing it.
With four or five nights, add a kayak outing or a camper drop-off with your own boat, and an unhurried day in the village itself. Mornings can go to the shore at Bartlett Cove, afternoons to wandering the village’s single main road. Weather and tides will tilt your plans, so a spare day is useful.
A week suits campers and paddlers who want to spend nights in the backcountry. The free permit and the camper orientation come first, and the drop-off at one of the two locations gives you a base to explore from. Anyone staying that long should expect rain on some of the days and pack the patience for it.
Juneau is the natural add-on, since the flight between Juneau and Gustavus typically takes about 30 minutes one way. Many travelers use Juneau as the start and end of the trip, and the ferry connection through Hoonah gives a second way to link the two.
Where to stay in Gustavus and Glacier Bay
There are two main choices: Bartlett Cove inside the park, and the village of Gustavus. Glacier Bay Lodge, at Bartlett Cove, is the only lodging within the park and is open from mid-May through early September. It puts you beside the visitor center, the dock and the trails, which suits anyone who wants the park at the door.
In Gustavus there are nearby lodges and bed-and-breakfasts. The airport is approximately 9.5 miles from Glacier Bay Lodge by road, so staying in the village means a bit of distance from the dock but more of a feel for community life. It suits travelers who like a home-style stay and a slower rhythm.
If you plan to stay at the lodge or any of the nearby lodges or B&Bs in Gustavus, make reservations in advance. That is the park’s own advice.
Campers have a third option: a walk-in tent campground at Bartlett Cove. Camping is free, including at the Bartlett Cove Primitive Campground, but the campground takes no reservations and works first come, first served. Camping permits are required there and in the backcountry from May 1 through September 30.
How do you get to Gustavus and Glacier Bay and get around?
You reach Gustavus by plane or by boat. Alaska Airlines flies daily in summer from Juneau to Gustavus Airport, and the daily jet service runs only during the summer visitor season. Year-round scheduled air service is provided by small air taxis and charters. The flight from Juneau typically takes about 30 minutes one way.
The Alaska Marine Highway ferry travels between Juneau and Gustavus via Hoonah twice weekly in summer, and monthly in winter. The ferry has served Gustavus at its dock since November 23, 2010. From May through September, travel options to the park also include cruise ships, tour boats and charter boats.
On the ground, there is only one main road, and it links the village with Bartlett Cove, a distance of about 10 miles. The road is the only one in the park. Beyond it, Glacier Bay can be approached only by boats or ships, and partly by hiking along three trails totaling 10 miles.
Private vessels such as sailboats, yachts, cabin cruisers and skiffs may explore the bay, and a free permit is required. All vessels entering Glacier Bay from June 1 through August 31 need a permit. Fuel is offered at the Bartlett Cove fuel dock, run by Glacier Bay Lodge, typically from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and not when the lodge is closed for the off-season.
When is the best time to visit Gustavus and Glacier Bay?
Late May through early September is the main visitor season, with July as the peak. That is when the lodge is open, the daily tour boat runs and the jet service connects from Juneau. July suits most travelers best for that reason, though it is also the busiest month in the park.
In July the days are cool and often damp, with highs in the low 60s and lows in the mid-40s, and rain on about a third of the days. A rain jacket belongs in every bag. Early and late in the season, you trade a little of that summer rhythm for quieter paths.
Winter is a different place. January brings cold, wet and snowy days, with temperatures hovering near freezing and snow on a good share of them. Services shrink: the lodge is closed, fuel is unavailable at the dock, and the ferry runs monthly. It is a season for those who already know the place.
| Month | Average high (°F) | Average low (°F) | Precipitation (inches) | Days with precipitation | Snowfall (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32.1 | 20.6 | 5.94 | 14.4 | 18.1 |
| July | 62.9 | 46.6 | 4.41 | 10.5 | 0.0 |
Good to know before you go
Glacier Bay National Park does not charge an entrance fee, and camping is free. The permits for camping, backcountry travel and private vessels are free as well. The park’s mailing address is PO Box 140, Gustavus, AK 99826.
Much of the lodge and dock service is seasonal, so time your stay to the summer season. In the village, ToshCo is the hardware and grocery store, and its stock mostly comes from Costco in Juneau. Waste pumpout is available at the Bartlett Cove fuel dock, which has no shore access.
Sources
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