Glacier Bay National Park
Alaska is just a massive state, and it was on our second visit that we set our sights on traveling into Glacier Bay National Park. Stories of John Muir traversing the same area inspired us to want to journey where he also traveled, into the waters and fjords he once explored by canoe.
It was August, and this would be the last National Park tour of the season as ice was already forming around the bay. Highlights of the day included the wildlife along the edges as we moved deeper toward the glaciers and the breathtaking spectacle of ice calving into the bay, massive chunks crashing into the sea.
Glacier Bay’s protection as a public treasure began in 1925 when President Calving Coolidge proclaimed the area a national monument. Later, in 1980, President Jimmy Carter formally designated Glacier Bay as a National Park, ensuring its preservation for future generations.
Today, Glacier Bay is part of a larger UNESCO World Heritage Site recognized for its dramatic glaciers and fjords and its rich ecosystems and cultural history. Visiting Glacier Bay was awe-inspiring and worth the effort to get there.
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