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Photo: Eric E Castro / CC BY 2.0 · source

Mountains

Glacier Bay National Park

Gustavus, AK · Southeast AlaskaFreeFree; no entrance fee or camping fee

About

Margerie Glacier ends in a wall of ice about 0.85 mile wide and 200 feet above the water, 55 nautical miles up Alaska's Glacier Bay from Bartlett Cove. Most visitors come on a cruise ship or tour boat and never step ashore. You can also fly 30 minutes from Juneau to Gustavus and go the last 10 miles by road to Bartlett Cove, where camping is free and walk-in. In summer a day boat with a ranger aboard leaves the cove for about 7 hours and 130 miles round trip, out past South Marble Island to as many as four tidewater glaciers.

Highlights

Seven active tidewater glaciersMargerie Glacier, about 0.85 mile wideHumpback whales feed here in summerRanger day boat from Bartlett CoveFree walk-in camping at Bartlett CoveUNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992

Getting there

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, 1 Park Road, Gustavus, AK 99826

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The United States National Parks63 places

The United States National Parks

All 63, for anyone keeping count, with the famous ones up top and the quieter ones further down.