‘It’s pretty special’: Why Glacier Bay National Park is worth going out of the way for

You wouldn’t be the first to confuse Glacier National Park with Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.

“We hear a lot from people who want to see Glacier National Park, and we have to point them in a different direction,” laughed Peter Christian, chief spokesperson for Public Affairs for the National Park Service’s Alaska region.

It’s a shame because Alaska’s Glacier Bay is equally breathtaking in an entirely different way.

“It’s this protected area of this bay that is just chock full of marine wildlife,” Christian said. “The whole panoply of marine life is there and then you have these massive glaciers that come down to the tidewater … so it’s pretty special.”

Here’s what you should know about Glacier Bay, the latest national park in USA TODAY’s yearlong series.

What’s the difference between Glacier and Glacier Bay?

“I mean, they both have glaciers in them, but they couldn't be more different,” Christian said. “One’s entirely land based, up on the Continental Divide there in Montana, and then there's Glacier Bay, which is almost entirely affected by the marine zone.”

Glacier also gets many more visitors. More than 2.9 million people visited the Montana park last year, making it the 10th most visited park according to National Park Service records. Glacier Bay saw under 546,000 visitors.

What is so special about Glacier Bay National Park?

“It’s a unique area rich in wildlife, driven by geologic processes that have gone on for millions and millions of years,” Christian said.

He explained that as glaciers naturally recede, new land opens up and plants and animals evolve with those changes. He noted that part of the reason the area was first protected nearly a century ago was to watch and protect that process.

Is Glacier Bay worth a visit?

Yes.

“What a privilege it is to see this really pristine, unpolluted environment where you can see life and these geological forces interacting with each other sort of unhindered by human interference,” Christian said. “It's beautiful.”

Is there an entry fee for Glacier Bay?

There is no fee to enter Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.

Can you drive to Glacier Bay? Where do you fly into?

The only way to reach Glacier Bay is by plane or boat. Most people visit by cruise ships, which have to follow all sorts of rules to protect the area and its wildlife.

“It is possible to go as an independent traveler,” Christian said. “It just takes a lot of planning and thinking it through ahead of time.”

During the summer, travelers can fly into Juneau International Airport and take a short flight to the small town of Gustavus. Alaska Airlines offers daily jet service in the summer and is the only airline that serves the airport, according to its website.

From Gustavus, visitors can take a day boat tour of Glacier Bay through an authorized third party operator. But the most popular way to explore the park up close is by kayak, Christian said.

What should you look out for on Glacier Bay?

“You’ve got to go to the upper bay and watch the calving of the glaciers,” Christian said. “it's spectacular to see these large chunks of ice sort of break off and flow into the water. And you see the upwelling of all the nutrients that comes from you know the ice dropping into the water. You can see lots of bird life, lots of seals. You realize just how profoundly productive that area is. Even though you're surrounded by all this ice, you look and you just see just the richness of life that’s there in Glacier Bay.”

What is happening to Glacier Bay?

Like glaciers all around Alaska, Christian said Glacier Bay’s glaciers have been receding since long before people knew about climate change.

“However, we do believe that climate change is exacerbating and accelerating glacial recession,” he said. He noted that only a few of Glacier Bay’s glaciers now reach down to the ocean.

What Native tribes were in Glacier Bay?

The Huna Tlingit have a long history in Glacier Bay.

“They were actually displaced by some of these geologic forces early on and have come back to the area,” Christian said.

In recent years, they’ve partnered with the National Park Service to erect Xunaa Shuká Hít, a tribal house in Glacier Bay’s Bartlett Cove, where they can hold ceremonies and visitors can learn about their history and culture. They’ve also resumed the once-banned traditional practice of harvesting glaucous-winged gull eggs around Glacier Bay.

“They've hunted and fished in that area for forever,” Christian said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Glacier Bay National Park is ‘pretty special.’ Here’s why.