Getting to Glacier Bay
After a week in Juneau we boarded the ferry again, this time for a trip to our last national park in Alaska, Glacier Bay in Gustavus, a small town accessible only by ferry or air. It was about a six hour ferry ride, this time on one of the smaller “day boats” instead of the larger “mainline boat” we were on from Haines to Juneau. It was still a comfortable ride, it just had smaller amenities than the bigger boat. One of the great things about taking the ferry is that you get to view all of the scenery along the way, including the wildlife. At one point we were treated to a killer whale that was having a great time splashing in the water a few hundred yards from our boat.
Gustavus is a small settlement of about 700 around three miles from the Glacier Bay Visitors Center. It has a small grocery store that offers most of the basics you might need and a gas station as well as an airport suitable for jets and a few lodges and restaurants. Because the area is primarily the outwash from the glaciers, unlike most of Alaska’s panhandle the land near Gustavus is quite flat. It isn’t until you get into Glacier Bay itself that you start to see many mountains.
Boat Trip into the Park
Because there are no roads in the park beyond the visitors center, the best way to see much of Glacier Bay is via a tour boat. We took the day tour that leaves from the dock near the Glacier Bay Lodge. Even though the weather wasn’t great we had a fantastic time watching the animals, mountains and glaciers and listening to narration from the on-board park ranger. We were treated to excellent views of a variety of wildlife including harbor seals, sea lions, puffins and mountain goats. In addition to the fauna we were treated to views of several glaciers including Johns Hopkins Glacier, where we spent an hour or so watching seals laying around on ice flows and while we took in the view of the glacier. We even got to witness the collapse of a pretty large ice cave.
Camping in Gustavus
We stayed at Hollywood Farms RV Park in Gustavus, a 9-site campground that’s basically a gravel lot with non-potable water and electrical hookups for each site. There’s also a dump station and a nice modern clubhouse with space to get together with friends for a cup of coffee as well as free laundry machines, showers and drinking water. There is a small store across the street from the campground that has enough supplies to get you through your stay. Hollywood Farms is located about halfway between the ferry dock and the Glacier Bay Visitors Center, putting most of the area’s attractions within a ten to fifteen minute drive. There isn’t a whole lot to Gustavus. There are a few lodges and restaurants, the airport, the Glacier Bay Visitors Center. There’s also the site of a 1957 DC-3 plane crash that you can hike and the Gustavus Dray, a vintage gas station/museum/gift shop that was an interesting place to visit.
Next Stops – Juneau (again) & Skagway
For us after Gustavus it’ll be back on the ferry to Juneau for a couple of days and then on to Skagway. You can check out all of our trip on our blog page.
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