Yan - Western Hemlock Ethnobotany Stop

Small hemlock tree and info sign. Sign text is copied on this page.

You are looking at Yan - a western hemlock, the evergreen that fills Southeast Alaska's coastal forest around Bartlett Cove. To the Tlingit this tree is a toolkit and a pantry: bark for tanning seal and deer hides, wood carved into spoons, dip-net poles, spear shafts, and halibut hooks, and inner bark eaten as a treasured sweet dessert. In early spring, hemlock branches are even submerged at spawning sites so herring lay their eggs on them - a Tlingit delicacy. An interpretive sign at the tree explains it all.

Access & viewing

GPS Coordinates: 58.45566,-135.87921

Conditions & safety

Permits Required: 0

Planning advice

Nearby Attractions: Other ethnobotany tour stops nearby include Ch'eix' - Thimbleberry, Kanat'a - Early Blueberry, Keishish - Sitka Alder, K'oox - Chocolate Lily, and K'walx - Fiddlehead Ferns, plus Hemlock vs Spruce in Glacier Bay and Bartlett Cove itself.
Nearby Facilities: Park facilities cluster in the Bartlett Cove area, including the Glacier Bay Visitor Center and Bartlett Cove Campground.
Best Time To Visit: The main visitor season, late May through early September, when park services are running; July is the peak month.
Tips Advice: - Read the interpretive sign, then look up: hemlock needles and bark are the ID clues. - Compare this tree with nearby Sitka spruce - the park's Hemlock vs Spruce in Glacier Bay stop covers the differences. - Do not strip bark or harvest any plant material; leave traditional-use plants undisturbed. - This is coastal Alaska forest - keep food packed away and stay alert for bears.
Insider Tips: - The Tlingit name is Yan - the sign pairs the language with the plant, so read it aloud. - Try the NPS challenge: tell hemlock from spruce by needles or bark before checking the answer at the Hemlock vs Spruce stop. - Visit as part of the full ethnobotany tour - several other labeled plants sit in the same Bartlett Cove forest.

More details

Park Area: Bartlett Cove
Family Friendly Notes: A short, low-risk interpretive stop that works well for kids - the sign invites you to compare hemlock and spruce needles and bark. Keep children close; this is bear country.
Attraction Type: Ethnobotany Interpretive Site
Elevation Feet: 0
Distance From Entrance: Glacier Bay has no entrance gates; the stop is in the Bartlett Cove area near park facilities.
Accessibility Level: Walk-up interpretive stop on the forest floor
How To Get There: The site sits in the Bartlett Cove forest at 58.45566,-135.87921, on the park's ethnobotany tour route. Bartlett Cove is reached via Gustavus, Alaska.
Seasonal Access: The site is open to the public; the main visitor season runs late May through early September, with limited services outside that window.
Entry Fees: There are no entrance gates at Glacier Bay National Park; no fee is listed for this site.
Main Features: A living western hemlock (Yan in Tlingit) with an interpretive sign explaining Tlingit uses of the tree.
What Youll See: An evergreen western hemlock in coastal forest, plus a sign describing how the Tlingit tan hides with the bark, carve tools from the wood, eat the sweet inner bark, and set hemlock branches in spring spawning waters to collect herring eggs.
Unique Characteristics: One stop on Glacier Bay's Tlingit ethnobotany tour: this single species supplies hide-tanning bark, carving wood for spoons, dip-net poles, spear shafts, and halibut hooks, a sweet edible inner bark, and spring herring-egg substrate.
Safety Considerations: Standard Southeast Alaska forest hazards: this is bear country - Glacier Bay's rule is 100 yards from bears and wolves, 25 yards from other wildlife. Footing on the forest floor can be wet and uneven.
Best Viewpoints: Stand at the interpretive sign - the tree and its needles and bark are right in front of you.
Photo Opportunities: Close-ups of hemlock needles and bark next to the interpretive sign; the NPS suggests comparing hemlock and spruce by their needles and bark.
Photography Spots: The tree beside its interpretive sign; needle and bark detail shots work in the flat forest light.
Visitor Center Present: 0
Restrooms Available: 0
Picnic Areas: 0
Interpretive Signs: 1
Water Available: 0
Guided Tours Available: 0
Nearby Services: Bartlett Cove hosts park facilities including the Glacier Bay Visitor Center and Bartlett Cove Campground; Gustavus, Alaska is the gateway community.
Common Wildlife: In spring, herring lay eggs on submerged hemlock branches in spawning areas; Bartlett Cove is also black bear habitat (see the Black Bear - Bartlett Cove listing).
Best Wildlife Times: Early spring is when hemlock branches are submerged at spawning sites for herring egg-laying.
Geological Formation Type: Not a geological formation - a living western hemlock tree on an ethnobotany interpretive tour.
Scientific Interest: Ethnobotany: the site documents Tlingit traditional use of western hemlock - hide-tanning tannins in the bark, carved implements from the wood, edible inner bark, and hemlock boughs as herring-spawn substrate.
Winter Access: The park has no entrance gates and is technically open 24 hours, but services may be extremely limited outside the late May-early September season.
Best Visit Times: Outside the July peak - late May, June, or late August into early September - for fewer visitors while services are still open.
Best Season: Late May through early September, the main visitor season.
Busiest Season: July is the peak of the main visitor season.
Fishing Nearby: 0
Swimming Allowed: 0
Boating Allowed: 0
Climbing Areas: 0
Review Summary: Visitors who slow down here get the point: this is a culture stop, not a scenery stop. The sign turns an ordinary-looking evergreen into a lesson in Tlingit technology and food traditions, which most people find more memorable than they expected.

Location

Frequently asked questions

Is a single tree really worth stopping for?

If you treat it as a culture stop, yes. The interpretive sign explains how the Tlingit use Yan for hide-tanning, carved tools like halibut hooks and dip-net poles, a sweet inner-bark dessert, and spring herring-egg harvest - it takes minutes and reframes the whole forest.

Can I taste the inner bark or take a piece of the tree?

No. Harvesting bark or plant material is not something park visitors should do - the inner bark is described as a treasured Tlingit food, and the tree stays intact for everyone. Read, look, and photograph instead.

Do I need to pay or get a permit to see it?

No permit is needed for this stop, and Glacier Bay has no entrance gates - there is no fee listed for visiting the site.

Will I be able to tell a hemlock from a spruce?

That is exactly the challenge the NPS sign poses: compare needles or bark. The nearby Hemlock vs Spruce in Glacier Bay stop walks you through the differences.

Is it safe to bring kids into this forest?

Generally yes - it is a walk-up interpretive stop - but this is bear habitat. Keep children close, keep food packed away, and follow the park's 100-yard rule for bears and wolves.

Can I visit outside summer?

The park is technically open 24 hours with no entrance gates, but services may be extremely limited outside the main late May-early September season. Plan around the season if you want facilities running.