Glacier Bay National Park is located in the south of the state of Alaska. Every year more than 360,000 visitors travel to the park area. This extends over an area of 13,043 km². December 2, 1980 is the founding day of Glacier Bay National Park. See a2zdirectory for tourist attractions in Alaska.
Impressive forces of nature
The special thing about this park are the 17 glaciers, which extend very widely. High mountains with a blanket of snow are covered by the glaciers as well as the bays.
The waters in the fjords of Glacier Bay National Park are heavily influenced by the tides. The name of the park Glacier-Bay means glacier bay in German.
However, due to climate change, some of the huge blocks of ice are melting here too. So it may well be that you can hear 50 meter high boulders break off and see which then suddenly fall into the water. In addition to an impressive natural spectacle, this is also a unique sound that is better observed from a certain distance.
The glaciers in particular are the focus of the park. Not without reason, they are both monstrously large and impressive, as well as scientifically interesting. They are the remains of an ice age that has lasted thousands of years.
In 1794, Captain George Vancouver came to the area and documented that even the bays were completely covered with a thick sheet of ice. The layer was so thick that it was measured at a height of 1000 meters.
Already 100 years later, the glaciers were regressing and advancing very quickly. In other words, the glaciers were melting at a rapid pace.
Today things are going a little slower. Some are currently not withdrawing at all. We know of three glaciers that they are still retreating. Eight other glaciers, however, are expanding again.
What the glaciers release is immediately populated by animals and plants. They use the newly won land for themselves.
The history of Glacier Bay National Park
The national park and its entire area were placed under protection on February 25, 1925. As in many other parks, Glacier Bay National Park was first designated a National Monument. In 1980 the protected area was expanded by 2,100 km² and then declared a national park.
Most of the area of Glacier Bay National Park is protected as a so-called wilderness area. This means that nothing can be changed there by human hands. This is how you want to preserve the natural quality of the park.
The area of the park has been expanded more often, so there is a part where you can also hunt.
Those who would like to watch the animals can experience special highlights here. Bears, mountain goats and especially whales live in Glacier Bay National Park. The unique marine mammals are the absolute crowd puller.
