I was in Glacier Bay in the late 1980s. I will never forget the story the park ranger told of the land rebounding and the plants reclaiming the land inch by inch. The succession story and examples of each change from simple algae and mosses to complex annuals, perennials, and trees was absolutely brilliant. He also showed how the trees, ponds, and meadows continually cycle through stages of growth, death, decay, and renewal into the next generations. I can’t begin to count the number of times I have relayed that experience to others.
I will never miss the opportunity to listen to a park ranger talk about their park. Every single one has been a positive experience.
Sincerely,
Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve
This park on the coast of southeast Alaska offers snowy mountain peaks, narrow fjords, bays, harbors, scattered islands, a temperate rainforest of spruces and hemlocks, and numerous glaciers. Two hundred years ago, the area was covered by a glacier more than 4,000 feet thick that extended more than 100 miles to the St. Elias Mountain Range. By the 20th century, it had drawn back 65 miles from the bay's mouth. This is the most rapid glacial retreat ever recorded. Today, icebergs continue to break off into the bay.
State(s): Alaska
Established: 1925
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Greetings from Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve
In 2011, my two sisters and I took our Dad (84 at the time) on an Alaska cruise. This is the view of the bay from our ship.
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Greetings from Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve
Wow! To select one park is a tough decision, but I’ll start with the one that had the biggest impact and started my Park Story. We were on an Alaskan cruise that included cruising Glacier Bay. A Park Ranger boarded our ship and took us on a remarkable journey of…
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