Glacier Bay National Park is which is located in Gustavus, Alaska, is the best vacation for you and your family.

Cactus

Tue Jul 8 4:18:31 EDT 2008

Glacier Bay National Park is an incredible and unusual park located in Southeast Alaska. Glacier Bay is only accessible by boat or plane, which means it obviously doesn't get a lot of traffic. In fact, the majority of visitors to Glacier Bay come by Cruise Ship.

The beauty of Glacier Bay is the natural Tide Water Glaciers. Visitors can get within a mile of these huge, receding flows of ice. One of the most exciting things to witness is a Glacier calving. This is when parts of a Glacier break off and fall into the water. It is estimated that the Johns Hopkins Glacier calves at least once an hour. Not only is the sight of calving spectacular, the sound of the Glacier falling is equally as fascinating.

There is also an abundance of wildlife in the park. From the boats you are able to spot black and brown grizzly bears, whales, moose and birds. Trust me, the best way to see the grizzly's is from the boat!

The weather in the park is usually overcast and rainy. The average temperature for the area in the summer is anywhere from 45 64 degrees, but temperatures do drop down to freezing over night.

Visitors to the park can camp, hike, hunt, kayak, or fishing. But remember, this is a wilderness area and you must be well prepared and experienced. There is a lodge located on Bartlett Cove, but make sure you make reservations well in advance. A hiking/camping permit is available for 14 days, but a backcountry permit must be obtained first.

I feel the best way for most of us to see Glacier Bay National Park is by cruise ship. This is safe, convenient, and allows you to see several glaciers and much wildlife. For those heartier, Glacier Bay offers the best in Alaskan back country adventure.