Beardslee Islands
Rainforest islands with dynamic tidal passages. Kayak-only access to post-glacial isostatic rebound landscape.
View guideExplore Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve
Natural Attractions
Discover the park's natural landmarks and open any guide for access, viewpoints, conditions and planning advice.
13 natural attractions Showing 1–13
Black Bear – Bartlett Cove
Powerful black bears with distinctive flat backs inhabit Glacier Bay's coastal forests. Watch from safe distance in Bartlett Cove area, peak season late May–September.
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Black-Legged Kittiwakes – Tarr Inlet
Black-legged kittiwakes nest on glacier-carved cliffs in Tarr Inlet. See them hunting from icebergs each summer.
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Brown Bear – Tlingit Point
Massive coastal bears roam Glacier Bay's shores and forests. Peak July sightings via kayak—stay 100 yards back.
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Dundas Bay
Rocky shoals and glacial moraine in a tidewater fjord. Historic cannery ruins. Boat access.
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Humpback Whale – Glacier Bay
Spot 40-foot humpbacks breaching in Glacier Bay. Best viewing June–August on guided tours.
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Icy Strait
Milky water crowded with whales and eagles. Alaska's prime marine wildlife corridor, best May-September.
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Interstadial Stumps – Whidbey Passage
Ancient tree stumps preserve 9,400 years of glacial cycles and climate secrets. Wood grain visible in dark specimens preserved by Holocene ice.
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Kanat’á – Early Blueberry – Glacier Bay Ethnobotany
Pink blueberry flowers, Tlingit heritage: early spring blooms in Glacier Bay.
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Mount Fairweather
Tallest mountain in Glacier Bay at 15,300 ft, visible from 70+ miles away on clear days.
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Mount Wright
Mount Wright (4,967 ft) marks Muir Inlet's gateway—a glacial-carved peak visible from cruise and kayak routes.
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Reid Inlet
Serene inlet framed by Reid Glacier and active plant succession—a glacial retreat story written in real time.
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Xunaa Shuká Hít (Huna Ancestors’ House)
The first permanent Łingít clan house in Glacier Bay in over 250 years, standing at Bartlett Cove.
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