Although the vast majority of people visiting Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park do so on a multi-day cruise, you can also visit this spectacular park on your own. Bartlett Cove is the park’s only developed area, home to a lodge, visitor information center, and some excellent day hikes.
In fact, Bartlett Cove is the only place that has hiking trails in all of Glacier Bay National Park. There are no established trails anywhere else in this park—exploring beyond Bartlett Cove, especially seeing the park’s famous tidewater glaciers, is done exclusively by tour boat or kayak.
While cruise ships are certainly a convenient way to visit Glacier Bay, it doesn’t really come close to actually setting foot on the shoreline’s soil.
Strolling along the rugged rock-strewn coast, hiking to a remote estuary, walking through a lush and mossy temperate rain forest,… Hiking in Glacier Bay is a phenomenal experience and the best way to immerse yourself in this sensational southeast Alaskan scenery at your own pace.
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5 Best Hikes in Glacier Bay National Park
All maintained hiking trails in Glacier Bay National Park start at or near the historic Glacier Bay Lodge in Bartlett Cove. Some are quite literally steps from the lodge’s rooms, while other trailheads are a short distance away.
If you’re just visiting Bartlett Cove for a day and night, which is what many people do, you may not have enough time to do all five recommended day hikes in Glacier Bay National Park. That’s okay, though!
In that case, I suggest exploring the first three trails on the list below—the Tlingit, Forest, and Beach trails.
Together, that trifecta of trails will offer you a great and well-rounded Glacier Bay hiking experience without venturing too far from the lodge. You’ll get to learn about Tlingit culture, enjoy truly stunning rain forest scenery, and explore the mesmerizing intertidal zone along the shoreline.
If you do have an extra day, and the desire to head a little deeper into this coastal wilderness, you can opt from the latter two trails—Point Gustavus and Bartlett River Trail. Both are longer day hikes in Glacier Bay National Park that will take several hours up to a full day.
1. Tlingit Trail
- Distance: 1 mile roundtrip
- Duration: 20-30 minutes
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Trailhead: Visitor Information Station, Glacier Bay Lodge, or down the boardwalk from the rooms
The Tlingit Trail is by far the easiest hike in Glacier Bay National Park. It starts at the Visitor Information Center and parallels the shoreline just below Glacier Bay Lodge in Bartlett Cove.
This wonderful trail allows you to learn about the fascinating culture of the Tlingit people. Along the way you can see a traditional Tlingit canoe, three totem poles, and visit the fantastic Huna Tribal House, also known as Xunaa Shuká Hít.
Other attractions on the Tlingit Trail are a complete humpback whale skeleton and, in summer, beautiful wildflowers along the shoreline.
2. Forest Trail
- Distance: 1 mile loop
- Duration: 30-60 minutes
- Difficulty: Easy
- Trailhead: Glacier Bay Lodge parking lot
One of my favorite things to do in Glacier Bay National Park is exploring the mesmerizingly lush temperate rain forest at Bartlett Cove. The best way to do this is on the Forest Trail, an easy 1-mile walk through a beautiful forest.
A combination of gravel, dirt, and boardwalks, the trail starts at the parking lot in front of the Glacier Bay Lodge entrance.
At the end of the boardwalk, there are two viewing platforms overlooking gorgeous Blackwater Pond. I loved this place so much I went back there four times—literally!
It’s an amazing spot to just sit for a while and listen to the sounds of this moss-covered spruce and hemlock forest. Keep your eyes peeled for birds and other wildlife. Moose may be seen foraging in or near the pond.
You can retrace your steps back to the lodge along the boardwalk or continue through the woods toward the Bartlett Cove Campground. From the campground, the Beach Trail leads back to built-up area at Bartlett Cove, making this a wonderful 1-mile loop.
3. Beach Trail
- Distance: Approximately 1 mile roundtrip as a separate hike (or 1-mile loop when combined with the Forest Trail)
- Duration: 20-30 minutes (or longer when exploring the tidepools and/or continuing on the Forest Trail)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Trailhead: South end of the parking lot at the boat dock
You can hike the Beach Trail separately, too. The trail starts at the south end of the parking lot at the public boat dock and runs parallel to the rocky beach.
It officially ends at the campground, where you can return the way you came, take a left onto the amazing Forest Trail, or even continue along the shoreline toward Point Gustavus.
I recommend combining it with the Forest Trail, which is a fantastic 1-mile loop hike. Along the way, watch for shorebirds, woodland critters, and even some marine mammals in the water.
4. Point Gustavus
- Distance: 12 miles roundtrip
- Duration: 7-8 hours
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Trailhead: Beach at Bartlett Cove
The hike to Point Gustavus does not follow an official trail, but it’s a worthwhile adventure, nonetheless.
This is a full-day hike along the rugged southern shoreline of Glacier Bay. There’s no established trail, so you’ll be walking on the rocks and sandy beaches the entire time. The hike starts at the beach at the boat dock in Bartlett Cove, ending at Point Gustavus, which is the entrance to Glacier Bay.
You’ll most likely be alone when hiking to Point Gustavus, so absolutely make sure to tell someone—preferably a park ranger—that you’re doing this hike.
This area is remote and you’ll be immersed in quintessential Alaskan wilderness and the dangers that may come with it, from adverse weather to wildlife encounters. Additionally, a ranger will also be able to inform you about the tides, which is essential to know.
It’s very likely that you’ll come across some wildlife on this hike, too. Bears frequent the beaches looking for food, while various birds fly overhead, bob in the water, or stroll the shoreline. In the waters of Glacier Bay itself, you may see harbor seals, sea otters, and humpback whales.
5. Bartlett River Trail
- Distance: 4 miles roundtrip from the trailhead (5 miles roundtrip from Glacier Bay Lodge)
- Duration: 4-5 hours
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Trailhead: Trailhead about 0.5 miles up the road from Glacier Bay Lodge (or the lodge itself)
Few visitors hike the Bartlett River Trail, but those who do are in for an amazing Glacier Bay National Park hiking experience. You can start this half-day hike either at the Glacier Bay Lodge where you’d walk the Tlingit Trail first, or, if you have transportation, at the actual trailhead, which is about half a mile from the lodge.
This trail also allows you to immerse yourself in a wonderful spruce-hemlock rain forest, wander along an intertidal lagoon, and explore the scenic Bartlett River estuary.
If you’d like to see wildlife at Bartlett Cove, the Bartlett River Trail is the best way to accomplish that.
Watch for all kinds of birds, from ducks, geese, and gulls to woodpeckers and bald eagles. In summer at the estuary, spawning salmon attract river otters, harbor seals, and bears. Other commonly seen animals include coyotes and moose.
For even more adventure, you can opt to hike the Bartlett Lake Trail, which splits off of the Bartlett River Trail about 0.75 miles up the trail. This is a rugged full-day 10-mile-roundtrip hike to a remote moraine lake in the woods. Note that the Bartlett Lake Trail is not maintained as well as the others on this list, so prepare well and bring plenty of food, water, raingear, and bear spray.
Wildlife Safety When Hiking in Glacier Bay National Park
The wild landscapes of Glacier Bay National Park, from the water and islands to the forests, meadows, and towering mountains, provide a home to a plethora of animals. Some of those can be dangerous, particularly moose and bears, both of which are residents of the Bartlett Cove area.
Read the articles below for more information on wildlife safety:
You can buy bear spray at the gift shop in Glacier Bay Lodge, but before you do that, I recommend checking with the Visitor Information Center for bear spray cans left by previous visitors. They keep a cache of bear spray and other items that are not allowed on planes or were donated by other people before they left. I got a free can of bear spray this way, which is something you really want to have with you when hiking the trails in Glacier Bay National Park.