Juneau to Glacier Bay: Flights, the Ferry to Gustavus and Bartlett Cove

Standing at the Juneau airport with a map of Southeast Alaska, plenty of travelers notice the same thing: Glacier Bay sits just west of town, yet no road goes there. The park can be reached only by plane or boat. From Juneau, the usual route runs to the small town of Gustavus, then along the park’s single road to Bartlett Cove.

How do you get from Juneau to Glacier Bay?

You fly or take a boat, because Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve can only be reached by plane or boat, and nothing connects it to Juneau by road. Gustavus is the gateway, a village at the mouth of the Salmon River on the north shore of Icy Strait, 50 miles northwest of Juneau. Once you land or dock there, the last stretch to the park is on land.

Gustavus has no road leading in from outside the park. It is not connected to the contiguous highway system, so the airport and the Alaska Marine Highway are the two ways in. That shapes the whole trip: you are not choosing between a drive and a flight, only between the air and the water.

The last leg: Gustavus to Bartlett Cove

Gustavus has only one main road, and it links the village with Bartlett Cove, where park headquarters stand. The park’s own road is the same one, running from the town and its airport to headquarters, a distance of about 10 miles. It is the only road in Glacier Bay National Park, which tells you how much of the park lies beyond any pavement.

Bartlett Cove is where the visitor center gives information about the park, and where Glacier Bay Lodge offers a place to rest and recharge. You can also explore the shore and the developed trails near headquarters. For many people this is the first look at the park’s rainforest edge and the water beyond it.

What the journey looks like in outline

A trip from Juneau has two parts. First comes the crossing to Gustavus, by air or by state ferry. Then comes the ride along the road to Bartlett Cove, where the park proper begins. Seeing the glaciers themselves is a separate matter, because Glacier Bay is described as a fabulous place to explore by boat, whether on a private boat or a cruise.

The park holds 2.7 million acres of designated wilderness, and visitors may see puffins, bears, whales and eagles. These are chances, not promises, but they explain why people go to the trouble of crossing the water to get here.

Which options are there?

There are two: a short flight from Juneau to Gustavus, or the Alaska state ferry, which in summer typically stops in Gustavus twice a week. Cruise ships are a third way to see the bay, though they do not take you to Gustavus.

By air from Juneau

The flight between Juneau and Gustavus typically takes about 30 minutes one way. Alaska Airlines provides daily jet service on this route, but only during the summer visitor season. Outside that season the jet does not fly it.

Year-round scheduled air service to Gustavus is provided by small air taxis and charters. So a flight remains possible in the shoulder and winter months, only on smaller aircraft. Gustavus Airport sits on the same road that carries you on to Bartlett Cove, so the arrival is straightforward on the ground.

By Alaska Marine Highway ferry

During the summer months, the state ferry typically stops in Gustavus twice weekly from Juneau, with the LeConte or the Hubbard providing the service. The Alaska Marine Highway began serving Gustavus at a new dock funded by the stimulus bill on November 23, 2010. Both vessels are part of the system’s day boats and smaller-vessel service, which is how it reaches smaller communities.

Note where the dock is. The ferry dock in Gustavus is 9 miles from park headquarters in Bartlett Cove, so the ferry puts you on the same road, a little short of the cove. The system as a whole covers 3,500 miles of coastline and serves over 30 communities, with regional hubs in Ketchikan, Juneau, Whittier and Homer. Juneau is one of those hubs.

By cruise ship

Glacier Bay is a highlight of any Alaska cruise because of its spectacular scenery and wildlife. That is a way to see the bay from the water without arranging your own transport, though it is a different trip from the Juneau to Gustavus route above, and it begins from the ship rather than from a town.

What should you know before you travel from Juneau to Glacier Bay?

Know that your choice depends on the season, because the jet and the ferry both run in summer, while only air taxis and charters fly year-round. Plan around those seasons first, then around what you want to do at the other end.

Seasons and what is open

Alaska Airlines flies Juneau to Gustavus daily only in summer, and the ferry typically calls twice weekly in the summer months. Glacier Bay Country Inn is open from mid-May to mid-September. If you are traveling outside those months, small air taxis and charters are the scheduled option the park lists for getting to Gustavus.

Temperatures in Gustavus range from 52 to 63 °F in summer and from 27 to 39 °F in winter. In plain terms, summer is cool enough that a layer is welcome, and winter sits around freezing.

Gustavus itself

Gustavus is surrounded on three sides by Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve and bordered by water on the fourth. It is a small place with one main road. The hardware and grocery store is called ToshCo, and most of its inventory comes from Costco in Juneau.

Wild Alaska Charters offers whale watching at Point Adolphus, rainforest hikes, kayaking, diving expeditions and fishing, with all necessary equipment and bait provided. Whale watching depends on the animals, so treat it as a chance rather than a certainty.

Where you will stay and where mail goes

At Bartlett Cove, Glacier Bay Lodge is the place that offers rest and recharge, and the visitor center is where you get information about the park. In Gustavus, Glacier Bay Country Inn is another option within its mid-May to mid-September season. The park’s mailing address is PO Box 140, Gustavus, AK 99826.

Ferry network notes

Most communities in Southeast Alaska receive year-round ferry service, with mainline vessels serving larger communities and day boats serving smaller ones on a regular schedule. Gustavus to Hoonah and Juneau to Angoon, Haines, Kake, Pelican, Tenakee and Skagway are among the scheduled routes. For this trip, though, the Gustavus call is the summer one described above.

Good to know before you go

The Juneau to Gustavus flight is short, but the summer-only jet and the twice-weekly summer ferry mean the calendar comes first. Glacier Bay holds wilderness, wildlife and a single road, so the planning is mostly about getting across the water and then choosing how to see the bay itself.