Glacier Bay National Park stay safe · Glacier Bay National Park travel safety advice
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Glacier Bay National Park travel safety advice
Glacier Bay National Park travel safety advice
While temperatures in Glacier Bay are mild compared to Interior Alaska, the rainy, overcast and cool weather, combined with temperatures that are near freezing every night, make hypothermia a real danger. Dress in warm layers that wick moisture away from the body, and always carry a waterproof outer layer as well as a hat and gloves.
Bears are large and unpredictable animals that are most dangerous when surprised or when lured by food. Make noise while hiking to alert bears to your presence, and always store food, trash, and toiletries in bear-proof containers kept 100 meters from your camping area.
When kayaking or boating in the park, stay a safe distance from glaciers, icebergs and cruise ships, and carry tide charts. Glaciers can calve at any time, and the resulting massive waves can easily swamp vessels that are too close. Recommended safe distances are one quarter mile from all tidewater glaciers. Be careful when around icebergs as well, as they may flip at any time. Cruise ships create large wakes and are not very maneuverable and should be given a wide berth. In addition, the tides in the park can be as strong as 6-8 knots. Carry tide charts, and know how to read them. A small vessel caught away from shore during a strong tide can easily be swept several miles out to sea.
Lesser dangers in the park include potential for giardia from drinking water from streams. Boil or otherwise purify all water when in the backcountry. More of an annoyance than a danger, the mosquitoes, gnats and black flies can test a person's sanity. When there is no breeze to keep the insects at bay they will swarm and bite mercilessly. Bug repellent is often ineffective, so carry a mosquito net and wear clothing that covers all exposed skin; you have been warned.
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Glacier Bay National Park Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.