What's on in Glacier Bay National Park, United States through the year

Busy — Winter / Christmas break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Winter shutdown (20 Sep – 15 May)

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Winter shutdown (20 Sep – 15 May)

Busy — Spring break in United States

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Winter shutdown (20 Sep – 15 May)

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in April.

Still on: Winter shutdown (20 Sep – 15 May)

Busy — Cruise ship season

• Season

  Cruise ship season

  15 May – 15 Sep · usuallyCruise seasonCrowded

  Up to two large cruise ships a day spend most of a day in the bay through the summer, with park rangers boarding to narrate; kayakers and day-boat passengers share the tidewater glaciers with them. Source ↗

• Opening

  Summer visitor season

  20 May – 10 Sep · usuallySummer season opensBook early

  Late May to early September is when the lodge, the day boat up the bay, the kayak rentals and the ranger programmes at Bartlett Cove all run, with July the peak. Book the boat and the kayaks before you book the flight into Gustavus. Source ↗

Still on: Winter shutdown (20 Sep – 15 May)

Peak crowds — Cruise ship season, Summer break in United States

• Rule

  Private boat permits in summer

  1 Jun – 31 AugBook early

  From June through August every private boat entering Glacier Bay needs a permit from a limited daily quota, and first-time skippers must stop at Bartlett Cove for an orientation; from May to September you also report entry and exit. Source ↗

• Nature

  Humpback whales in the bay

  15 Jun – 15 Sep · usuallyWhale season

  Numbers climb from mid-June and peak in July and August, thin in April, May and September, and all but vanish over winter. The park watches them through the summer and puts speed and distance restrictions on whale waters where they gather. Source ↗

Still on: Cruise ship season (15 May – 15 Sep (usually)), Summer visitor season (20 May – 10 Sep (usually))

Peak crowds — Cruise ship season, Summer break in United States

Nothing new starts in July.

Still on: Cruise ship season (15 May – 15 Sep (usually)), Summer visitor season (20 May – 10 Sep (usually)), Private boat permits in summer (1 Jun – 31 Aug), Humpback whales in the bay (15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually))

Peak crowds — Cruise ship season, Summer break in United States

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Cruise ship season (15 May – 15 Sep (usually)), Summer visitor season (20 May – 10 Sep (usually)), Private boat permits in summer (1 Jun – 31 Aug), Humpback whales in the bay (15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually))

Peak crowds — Cruise ship season, Summer break in United States

• Season

  Winter shutdown

  20 Sep – 15 MayOff-season shutdownClosures

  Once the season ends the lodge, the tour boat and most of Gustavus close, and the park is a handful of residents and a lot of weather. Nothing stops you visiting; almost nothing is running when you get there. Source ↗

Still on: Cruise ship season (15 May – 15 Sep (usually)), Summer visitor season (20 May – 10 Sep (usually)), Humpback whales in the bay (15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually))

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Winter shutdown (20 Sep – 15 May)

Busy — Thanksgiving break in United States

Nothing new starts in November.

Still on: Winter shutdown (20 Sep – 15 May)

Busy — Winter / Christmas break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in December.

Still on: Winter shutdown (20 Sep – 15 May)