Plan a boating trip to Glacier Bay, part of the UNESCO World Heritage system. Hundreds of boaters cruise Glacier Bay each year. You could be one of them!
Evelyn Kanter wrote an article on the system of World Heritage Sites nominated for listing by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The glacier rich park complexes of Kluane, Wrangell-St Elias, Glacier Bay, and Tatshenshini-Alsek stretching across Canada and Alaska are listed by UNESCO World Heritage as worthy of protection for future generations.
What might interest boaters is that many World Heritage sites have a marine component and the one of greatest interest in Alaska is Glacier Bay National Park. Glacier Bay was only established as a National Park in 1980. Glacier Bay sits at the top of the most popular cruising route in Alaska and Canada, the Inside Passage. Both power and paddle boats are allowed access to Park waters with proper permits.
Plan for your visit to Glacier Bay well in advance of intended arrival dates. Here are a few notes on the process:
- All vessels entering Glacier Bay between June 1 and August 31 are required to have a permit issued by the NPS
- Permits can be made up to sixty days in advance of your visit
- There is no fee for the NPS permit, but you are subject to a fine if you enter the Park without one
- Ensure your vessel meets Federal boating safety equipment requirements
- Nautical charts of interest will include 17300 Stephens Passage to Cross Sound, 17318 Glacier Bay, and 17302 Icy Strait and Cross Sound. Use online charts for planning and take a paper chart for the voyage
- The captain or operator of your vessel is required to attend a short briefing conducted park service personnel upon arrival to Glacier Bay at Bartlett Cove
- Glacier Bay also has a special page for kayaking within the Park
- Purchase a cruising guide. Don Douglas and Réanne Hemingway Douglas have written a guide titled Exploring Southeast Alaska that has been well received
A trip through the Inside Passage to Glacier Bay is the cruise of a lifetime. Southeast Alaska's scenery and natural beauty can jolt even the most jaded traveler. If you own a vessel capable of making the journey, you won't regret the planning effort needed for an adventure like this. Hundreds of boaters successfully make the trip from Vancouver and Seattle each year.
