In association with Hikercentral.com
and Goingoutside.com
In association with Hikercentral.com
and Goingoutside.com
This is my backcountry water camping info site, please check it out.
paddling in the backcountry necessitates the following items.
| MOSQUITO PROTECTION | If you don't want to get eaten up by mosquitoes you'd better bring some mosquito coils or something of the sort. | |
| FOLDING TOOL | A Swiss Army knife or something similar always comes very handy. I can't imagine going camping without one. | |
| SLEEPING BAG | You can get a cheap sleeping bag for about 25 bucks and it'll be just as warm as an expensive one, but it won't be as light and as compact when rolled up, that's the difference. | |
| LAMP | A good flashlight is an absolute necessity, I recommend a head lamp, very practical. It always shines where you're looking and it leaves your hands free to work. | |
| DUCT TAPE | Don't forget to pack a roll of duct tape, you can fix anything with the stuff. | |
| STOVE | If you want the best canoeing stove you can get you need to get yourself a Trailstove, it also happens to be the cheapest stove you can get. It runs on wood and the design is extremely simple, that's probably why it's also the cheapest stove you can get. |
HOW TO MAKE EMERGENCY SNOWSHOES
1. FIND BRANCHES. Cut down two thickly vegetative branches 2-3 ft long (60-90 cm) from a fir or similar tree.
2. TIE STRING. Tie a string about 2 ft long (60 cm) around the base of the branch at a branching near the cut off end, in the branch.
3. TIE STRING AGAIN. Tie string again around the base but on the opposite side of the branching. This ensures that the string is fixed in any direction.
4. ATTACH TO SHOE. Tie string to the front of your shoe. Make sure it goes through the front shoe lace threading holes. Make sure all ends and sides of the branch are pointing up away from the ground.
5. ANGLE. Your shoe should be able to flip up to an angle of around 30 degrees. This is very important, the snowshoes must pivot around your toes and drag in the back. If the snow shoes don't pivot the front ends will go into the snow and you can't move forwards.
6. WALK. If you have done everything right you will be able to walk on the snow with your emergency snowshoes.
Gustavus, AK
The marine wilderness of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve provides opportunities for adventure, a living laboratory for observing the ebb and flow of glaciers, and a chance to study life as it returns in the wake of retreating ice. Amidst majestic scenery, Glacier Bay offers us now, and for all time, a connection to a powerful and wild landscape.
The park has snow-capped mountain ranges rising to over 15,000 feet, coastal beaches with protected coves, deep fjords, tidewater glaciers, coastal and estuarine waters, and freshwater lakes. These diverse land and seascapes host a mosaic of plant communities ranging from pioneer species in areas recently exposed by receding glaciers, to climax communities in older coastal and alpine ecosystems. Diverse habitats support a variety of life including seabirds, marine and terrestrial mammals that provide ideal conditions for wildlife viewing and for research as we endeavor to learn more about the world around us.
CONTACTS
Email - GLBA_Administration@nps.gov
Fax- 907-697-2654
Write to
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
P.O. Box
140
Gustavus, AK 99826-0140
Phone
Headquarters - (907)697-2230
Yakutat District -
(907)784-3295
TRAVEL BASICS
Operating Hours,
Seasons
The park is open year round. The Glacier Bay National Park
Visitor Center is open from mid-May to mid-September.
Getting There
PLANE - Year-around air service is available to
Gustavus from Juneau and neighboring communities via small planes. These
air-taxi companies are common in Alaska. A major airline provides daily
jet service between Juneau and Gustavus in the summer.
CAR - There are no roads to Glacier Bay and no Alaska state ferry service. The only road in the park runs 10 miles between Bartlett Cove and Gustavus. Seven miles of trails wind along the beaches and through the rainforest in the Bartlett Cove area.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - Passenger ferries offer transportation between Juneau and Gustavus mid-May through mid-September. Limited tour boat, cruise ship and charter boat services are available. Private pleasure boats are welcome. A ten-mile road by taxi or bus connects Gustavus to Bartlett Cove.
Weather & Climate
Glacier Bay is a rainy place. Bartlett
Cove averages 75 inches of rain per year, most of that in September and
October. The rain, wind, topography and tides all play a role in creating
our exciting weather. Long periods of rainy, cool, and overcast weather
are common in southeast Alaska. Summer daytime temperatures range from 45-
65F. A hat, gloves, raingear and sturdy, waterproof footgear are
recommended.
Accessibility
The Glacier Bay Visitor Center located on the
second level of the Glacier Bay Lodge and the first portion of the Forest
Loop Trail is accessible to wheelchairs. There are no paved roads.
Getting Around
The only road in the park runs 10 miles
between Bartlett Cove and Gustavus. Seven miles of trails wind along the
beaches and through the rainforest in the Bartlett Cove area. Glacier Bay
National Park and Preserve is most easily seen from a boat; the distance
between Bartlett Cove and the tidewater glaciers is 65 miles. Activities
include sightseeing, wildlife viewing, boating, kayaking, and the park
ranger programs.
FEES/PERMITS
Entrance Fee
ENTRANCE
FEE
Free!
There are no entrance or user fees for non-commercial
visitors.
CAMPING
Bartlett Cove
All
campers are required to attend a free camper orientation which is given on
demand at the Visitor Information Station near the dock. Campers may
obtain their backcountry permit and check out a bear-resistant food
canister at this time (both are required for backcountry camping and are
free of charge). A free campground (14-day limit) with bear-resistant food
caches, firewood, and a warming hut, is located at Bartlett Cove. No
reservations are accepted, but a permit is required. Campground permits
are issued at the Visitor Information Station on a first-come,
first-served basis. If desired, campers may be dropped off in the
backcountry by the Park’s concession-operated tour boat.
For More
Information on this campground please call 907-697-2230
LODGING
Glacier Bay Lodge
Late May
to early September
The Glacier Bay Lodge offers overnight
accommodations, a restaurant, gift shop and fuel sales (gasoline, #2
diesel, and white gas). Glacier Bay Lodge is open mid-May through
mid-September. The nearby town of Gustavus has several lodges and bed and
breakfast establishments with limited accommodations September through
April. A free primitive National Park Service campground is available at
Bartlett Cove, May 1st through September 30th camping permits are
required.
For More Information on this lodging please call (800)
451-5952
FACILITIES
Visitor
Centers
GLACIER BAY VISITOR CENTER
Phone - (907)
697-2230
Special Programs - Daily park rangers offer evening
programs, films/videos in the Visitor Center auditorium, walks and hikes
through the forest and along the shore, and present a public address
commentary and slide program on board tour boats and cruise ships entering
Glacier Bay. The Glacier Bay Visitor Center is located on the second level
of the Glacier Bay Lodge in Bartlett Cove. It has an information desk, an
Alaska Natural History Association book store, and an auditorium.
Exhibits - Exhibits that illustrate the park's natural and
cultural history, including hands-on mammal and rock displays, are
available in the Visitor Center.
Available Facilities - The
Glacier Bay Lodge operates a day tour boat trip during the summer months.
The Lodge also offers a camper/kayaker drop-off service at designated
locations in the bay. Various large cruise ship and tour boat companies
bring visitors into the park. Guided kayak adventures and kayak rentals
are available. There are guided kayak, backpacking, and raft trips down
the Alsek River. In the Preserve hunting and fishing guides are available.
For more information and a list of companies providing visitor services to
Glacier Bay see Planning Your Visit.
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