National parks in Alaska with glaciers offer no shortage of outdoor adventure activities for the fit-conscious tourist. Rafting, boating, fishing and hiking are just some of the ways to experience the vast wilderness of these parks though following safety precautions exactly is necessary to remain out of the way of wildlife.
Fishing
Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska provides fishing opportunities for those who have an Alaska state fishing license. State fishing regulations must be followed. A charter or guide service is recommended by the Glacier Bay National Park website for those who are not familiar with the area; this includes sport fishing guides for more remote areas. Due to the freshwater species of fish that are over fished in Alaska a catch-and-release system for fish such as cutthroat trout, wild rainbow trout, sheefish, Arctic grayling, Arctic char, lake trout, and Northern pike, is recommended.
Kayaking
Sea kayaking is a popular way of experiencing the Glacier Bay wilderness. Kayak trips out of Bartlett Cove and daily tour boats can transport kayakers via the "camper drop off service." Reservations well in advance are recommended. Guided day and overnight kayaking trips also are available. Kayakers as well as all Glacier Bay campers are required to attend camper orientation at the Bartlett Cove Visitor Information Station near the dock to learn about wildlife and safety regulations as well as provide you with a tide table.
Hiking
Glacier Bay National Park offers several maintained hiking trails near Glacier Bay Lodge and the park advises you to remember that you are in bear country. The Forest Loop Trail is one mile and takes about an hour to complete. The trail winds through a pond-laden hemlock forest for a half mile then descends to the beach. The Bartlett River Trail is four miles round trip and takes about half a day. The trail includes a intertidal lagoon and forest then ends at the Bartlett Estuary.
Boating
The Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska at the tip of the Kanai Peninsula is a land shaped by glaciers, earthquakes and ocean storms. Boat tours of the area are an ideal way to view the park's coastline, marine wildlife and tidewater glaciers. Boat tours depart daily during summer months and full- and half-day tours are available. Full-day tours travel to the park's tidewater glaciers while half-day tours stay in the more protected waters of Resurrection Bay.
Rafting
The Alsek River and its major tributary, the Tatshenshini River in Glacier Bay National Park are swift large volume glacial rivers. Most rafting trips of this area start on the Tatshenshini at Shawshe, the last road accessible put-in off the Haines Highway in Yukon Territory, Canada. Then it's a 140 river miles to Dry Bay in Alaska which includes Class III whitewater rafting and a six-mile long canyon.
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