Bartlett Cove has a free, walk-in campground set in a rainforest landscape along the shore. This specific lodging option is a great starting point for getting to know the nature around the Hoonah-Angoon Census Area.
Glacier Landscapes and Getting Around
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is in Southeast Alaska, in the Hoonah-Angoon Census Area and Yakutat Borough. The protected area encompasses a wild landscape of coastal mountains, glaciers, ice fields, temperate rainforests, scenic coastlines, and deeply carved, sheltered fjords. Land, ice, and water together shape the character of the region.
Bartlett Cove Campground has bear-resistant food storage containers, composting toilets, a beach fire ring, and a small warming shelter. As campground availability and facility conditions may change, it is advisable to check before your trip. Also note that Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve can only be reached by plane or boat.
Near the national park headquarters, a 2,500-square-foot structure stands on the shore of Bartlett Cove. It shares Huna Łingít ways of life and ancestral knowledge with the public and illustrates the relationship with the National Park Service. Here, visitors can engage not only with the landscape but also with the history and ways of life of the Huna Łingít.
Hoonah: Trails, Forest, and Excursions
The Hoonah Ranger District of the Tongass National Forest manages a network of nearby hiking and mountain biking trails, as well as several cabins for public use. Most of these cabins are accessible by boat or floatplane. Check the current status of the relevant cabin if you are considering staying there.
In summer, charter boats from Hoonah run fishing trips for halibut and five species of salmon: king, silver, sockeye, chum, and pink salmon. Other summer charter tours focus on brown bears, bald eagles, humpback whales, harbor seals, Steller sea lions, and Dall's porpoises. As operators and schedules may vary, check current tour dates in advance.
At Icy Strait Point, Mountain Top Forest Excursions are ADA-accessible and can accommodate mobility aids. A gondola takes you more than 1,500 feet up to the summit of Hoonah Mountain. At the top, an open-air tram continues through old-growth forest on a six-mile round trip. Another way to descend the mountain is the World's Largest ZipRider: it runs 5,495 feet down the mountain and reaches speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. Icy Strait Point is open to all visitors when a cruise ship is in port.
You can also discover culture in Hoonah: totem sites in front of Hoonah City School and at Icy Strait Point display locally carved canoes and totems. Local tour operators also offer visits featuring Tlingit dance, music, art, and history.
Culture and Paddling Destinations
Angoon is the gateway to Admiralty Island National Monument and a starting point for many kayaking and canoeing trips into the protected area. These include the 32-mile Cross Admiralty Canoe Route. In town, the painted facades of 16 tribal community houses reflect Tlingit heritage. Both the connection to the monument and the community's visible culture are central here.
Another wilderness paddling route runs 40 miles from Hoonah to Tenakee Springs, following the shores of Port Frederick and Tenakee Inlet. Check current conditions and logistics before attempting this route. Kayaks can be rented in Tenakee Springs to explore the inlet's calm, sheltered waters; check rental availability before your visit. Several historic buildings line the waterfront and the town's only unpaved road.
The baths at Tenakee Springs also have a long history: a public bathhouse was built at a 107°F hot spring before 1895. The present-day Hot Springs Bath House replaces the original building. Check current usage details before visiting.
In Pelican, Salmon Way is a one-mile waterfront boardwalk built on pilings over the tidal area. The surrounding area has about 40 miles of sheltered waters for sea kayaking, including Lisianski Inlet, Lisianski Straits, and Stag Bay. An annual king salmon tournament takes place there in early June; check the current dates before your trip.
Discover more destinations: Gustavus, Skagway, Angoon, Kenai Peninsula, Wade Hampton Census Area, Anchorage, Aleutians West Census Area, Aleutian Islands.
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