Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve — Attraction in Alaska

President Calvin Coolidge declared ‘Glacial Bay’ to be a National Monument in February 1925. His intent was that all that natural beauty should be preserved for future generations. Today’s Glacier Bay is roughly the size of Connecticut with 1,375 sq. mls. of alpine glaciers, which account for more than ¼ of the park area, with most glaciers originating in mountains with elevation ranges of 8,000–15,000 ft. 250 years ago, Glacier Bay was a massive river of ice, estimated to be 100 miles long and thousands of feet deep. 1850 saw 150 glaciers. By 2022, that number decreased to 25 active glaciers. Today, our cruise ship took us 65 miles up the bay to reach our first visible tidewater glacier. Current predictions say that by 2030 the glaciers we are seeing now will no longer be visible. #104c Against the ship’s side entering Glacier Bay. #105c Close-up of a Glacial Cirque, where glaciers are formed. #106 Green coastline S. of Russell Island #107 Reid Glacier is 11-miles-long, ¾ mile wide and 150 ft. high. Its partly terrestrial and partly tidewater. 108, b, c, Lamplugh Glacier is 8—miles long, 0.9 miles wide, 165 feet high at the face, and over 19 miles long. Its flow rate is approximately 0.75—1 foot per day. It’s noted for the intense blue color of its ice. #109 Grand Pacific Glacier. This glacier is credited with carving out Glacier Bay. In the past 250 years it has receded to the head of Tarr Inlet, where the terminus is no longer tidewater. What we see now is the moraine cap stone. Its 16-miles-long. #110, b, Margerie Glacier is found at the furthest north end of Tarr Inlet. Margerie is a 'cleaner’ glacier because it churns up the embedded rock in to fine pieces; tidewater, because it flows directly into the sea. It’s 21 miles long and moves relatively quickly. #111 Captain opened the Forward Deck for viewing. #112 Johns Hopkins Glacier is found at the end of the Inlet of the same name. It was the show piece of this trip, on a rare and beautifully clear and sunny day. It’s 1 mile wide, and stands 250 feet above the water line. It also extends well into the sea bed, protecting its underwater sea ice with a wall of underwater moraine. It also has ‘stripes’; lateral moraine ice runs the length of the glacier. Mounts Orville and Wilbur, named for the Wright brothers is an advancing tidewater Glacier. #112c is a similar photo, only with another large cruise ship on the left. I appreciated the size comparison. 114, 114b Gloomy Knob is a mostly barren rock, composed of dolomite which formed underwater in tropical regions. Tectonic movement brought it to its present location. 115 115b Shoreline along Russel Island and b, with a glacial melt stream. 116 Contrasting Colored rocks; beautiful against the green water. 117 ...

The earliest traces of human occupation at Glacier Bay date to about 10,000 years before the present, with archaeological sites just outside the park dating to that time.Evidence of human activity is scarce, because so much of the area is or was glaciated for much of the period and because advancing glaciers may have scoured all traces of historical occupation from their valleys. Ongoing uplift of the land may reveal new sites that had been submerged by rising sea levels. Most archaeological evidence is from the last 200 years. The Haida, Eyak and Tlingit all could have occupied the coast until historical times, when the Tlingit came to dominate the area.

Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse was the first European to explore the Alaskan coast on foot in the region of Glacier Bay in 1786, arriving in Lituya Bay and making contact with the Tlingit. Russian fur traders also probably visited the region in the mid-18th century. The region was later visited by George Vancouver in Discovery in 1794, during the Vancouver Expedition. The explorers are believed to have seen the Glacier Bay ice at its peak, which coincided with their visits.Russians were chiefly concerned with the area until the 1880s, when Americans were drawn to Alaska and the Klondike by the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s.

John Muir visited Glacier Bay in 1879, just prior to the 1880 establishment of Yosemite National Park, Muir's first great cause. Muir came to Alaska to learn about glaciers as a means of understanding the formation of the glaciated landscape of the Yosemite Valley. Muir sent dispatches back to San Francisco to be published in the San Francisco Bulletin in both 1879 and 1880, eventually collecting these stories, accounts of his third and fourth trips in 1890 and 1899, and later lectures and articles into the 1915 book Travels in Alaska, promoting Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage. Muir's writings led to the naming of Muir Glacier, then nearly 300 feet (91 m) tall at tidewater and the most active glacier in the...

Glacier Bay National Park, located in the southeastern region of Alaska, is a pristine and awe-inspiring wilderness area that showcases the incredible power and beauty of glaciers. Encompassing over 3.3 million acres, the park is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the crown jewels of the United States’ national park system.

Glacier Bay National Park is renowned for its dramatic landscapes, towering snow-capped mountains, and massive glaciers that flow into the bay. These glaciers have been sculpting the land for thousands of years, leaving behind stunning fjords, rugged coastlines, and icy blue waters.

The park offers visitors a unique opportunity to witness the dynamic nature of glaciers. Glacier Bay is home to more actively calving tidewater glaciers than anywhere else in the world. Witnessing the thunderous crack and subsequent collapse of ice into the water is an awe-inspiring experience, highlighting the continuous transformation of the park’s landscape.

In addition to glaciers, the park showcases a diverse range of ecosystems and wildlife. From lush rainforests to coastal marshes, Glacier Bay is home to a variety of plant and animal species. Visitors may spot humpback whales breaching, sea lions lounging on rocky outcrops, bald eagles soaring overhead, and brown bears foraging along the shorelines.

Exploring Glacier Bay National Park can be done through a variety of activities, such as boat tours, kayaking, camping, and hiking. The park offers numerous trails, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the pristine wilderness and take in breathtaking vistas from elevated viewpoints.

Preserved and protected for future generations, Glacier Bay National Park stands as a testament to the power of nature and the importance of conservation. It serves as a reminder of the fragile balance of our planet’s ecosystems and the need to protect these remarkable natural wonders. A visit to Glacier Bay is a humbling and unforgettable...