14 Days through the Inside Passage - Days 7-9: Gustavus, Alaska

During my online research when planning this two week trek through the Inside Passage, it became quite clear that you do not skip over Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. (Not to be confused with Glacier National Park in Montana.) The nearest town to Glacier Bay is Gustavus. Gustavus is a town of around 450 people, though it felt more like 100 when we were there. We took a quick twenty minute flight from Juneau to Gustavus and were fortunate enough that a local offered to drive us to our accommodations. The town consists of two roads and most B&Bs provide bicycles to allow visitors to explore on their own.

Glacier Bay park is massive (over 5,000 sq. miles), though the majority of the land is designated wilderness. This is not your average national park, in order to view the scenery you must do so from a small plane or a boat. We chose to sign up for the all-day boat tour offered by the park and it did not disappoint. The entire boat ride is breathtaking, you will see wildlife galore (puffins, brown bears, seals, sea otters, etc.). There are also outfitters who offer multi-day kayak trips that allow you to get up close and personal with nature. We visited the park on the last weekend they offer trips, September 3-5th. We were lucky that the weather was amazing, it can be hit or miss in this region. Enjoy the pictures, definitely a memorable experience.