We have divided up these questions, depending on whether you’re going on a multi-day unguided camping trip, or a day trip (guided or unguided) in Bartlett Cove.

Bartlett Cove Day Trips: FAQ’s

Do I need a Guide?

If you only have one day to kayak and you have little experience kayaking, then we would recommend a guided tour. If you are a family with children, you might consider a custom guided tour. Children must be age 10 or older to participate in our guided day tours or day rentals. If you have only one day or just a few hours to paddle and you have experience, we would recommend renting kayaks and going on your own.

Do we need to be experienced?

No experience is necessary to participate in our guided or unguided day trips, we provide safe, stable sea touring double kayaks, give complete instruction for both day rentals and guided day tours and have maps for renters. We do ask that you are physically fit enough to carry kayaks up and down the 20 ft. + tide differential beach. If you are less fit or have children ages 10-12, we would recommend a guided day trip rather than renting.

Can we bring the kids?

For safety reasons, children must be aged ten or over to participate in our tours or day rentals, and families with children aged 10 to 12 must have a custom guided tour. A custom tour will allow your family the flexibility to return early or paddle at a slower pace.  Parents should be aware that they will do most of the paddling with kids. There must be an adult age 18 or older in a double kayak with each child. A custom day trip is an additional $25/person for up to 4 people (no extra charge for group sizes of 5 or more).

If I’m alone, can I join a trip or rent a kayak?

You may join a guided day trip as long as we have a minimum party of two. We’re happy to take your reservation, pending more people joining.

We have a policy that we don’t rent kayaks to lone, solo kayakers because of liability and safety reasons despite your level of experience. If you’re traveling alone, we recommend that once you arrive in Bartlett Cove you connect with the Lodge front desk to inquire whether there might be a lodge employee that would be interested in kayaking with you for the day.  You might also meet another solo traveler at the campground or lodge that might be interested in joining you.

What’s the weather like?

Southeast Alaska is a temperate rainforest which translates to cool and rainy with temperatures ranging from the 50’s to 70’s. You should expect a mixture of cool, rainy weather and warmer sunny days.

What should we wear?

We ask that you dress warmly in layers, with synthetic materials, wool, and fleece being best, as they’ll keep you warm even if they get damp. We provide raingear and boots for all day trip participants. Please check out our Gear List for clothing suggestions, which you’ll find appropriate for any outdoor activities while traveling in Southeast Alaska.

What will we see?

In Bartlett Cove, you won’t see glaciers, but the area offers amazing, diverse wildlife viewing in a rainforest environment. Though we can’t guarantee you’ll see wildlife, we commonly see black bears (often with cubs), sea otters, bald eagles, seals, sea lions, and always an abundance of sea birds. On occasion, we see harbor porpoise, river otters, coyotes, moose and humpback whales.

Should I tip the guide?

Guide gratuities are left entirely to your discretion. While any amount is appreciated, tips often range from 5% to 10% of the trip cost and are split among guides.

I am pretty big, will I fit in a kayak?

We do not like to put a weight limit on our trips as the ability to participate depends on size rather than weight. You must be able to fit a 54” sprayskirt sprayskirt. If your girth is greater than 54” you may not be able to participate safely. If you are not sure whether you will be able to participate, please call us for more information.

We are arriving by cruise ship to Icy Strait Point for the day. Is that near Gustavus and can we do a day trip with you while there?

Ships stop at Icy Strait Point (Point Sophia), which is located in Hoonah, 25 miles from Gustavus. Because you are too far away to take advantage of our services, we suggest you contact them for day trip excursions in the area.

Multi-Day Camping & Kayaking Trips: FAQ’s

Do we need to be experienced for a multi-day camping & kayaking trip in Glacier Bay?

Prior kayaking experience is not required. About 80-85% of our renters have never kayaked before. We provide extremely safe, stable sea touring double kayaks for the novice kayaker. For both our overnight guided trips and our independent kayak rentals, we do ask that you be an experienced backcountry camper, comfortable camping in a wilderness setting in bear country.

If you are completely inexperienced in camping or don’t feel comfortable or have any experience camping in bear country, we would encourage you to consider a fully guided trip in Glacier Bay with either Spirit Walker Expeditions Spirit Walker Expeditions or Alaska Mountain Guides.

If I’m single, can I rent a kayak and go alone?

We have a policy that we don’t rent kayaks to solo paddlers because of liability and safety reasons despite your level of experience. We encourage you to plan ahead and find a like-minded friend who wants to travel with you to Glacier Bay.  If you’re unable to find a partner, another option would be to contact Alaska Boat and Kayak in Juneau about renting a single kayak and coordinate your trip dates with the AMHS ferry schedule between Juneau and Gustavus.

I am pretty big, will I fit in a kayak?

We do not like to put a weight limit on our trips as the ability to participate depends on size rather than weight. You must be able to fit a 54” sprayskirt. If your girth is greater than 54” you may not be able to participate safely. If you are not sure whether you will be able to participate, please call us for more information.

Should we rent single or double kayaks? Can we fit more gear in a double kayak?

If you wish to rent single sea kayaks, we require that you be very experienced and have taken a course to learn re-entry techniques in case of capsize. This is because the singles are more unstable than doubles. Generally, people that rent singles have been on many multi-day trips with singles and generally even own their own boat back home. Contact us if you are unsure of your experience level.

You will find the double kayaks are easier to pack because they’re bigger. It will be real important to keep your bags small to fit well into the single kayaks. Two singles carry approximately the same amount of gear as one double expedition.

Can I mail a box ahead?

You may wish to mail us some of your food, camping items, or empty, purged (aired out completely of fumes) stove and fuel botttles ahead of time. Mailing your stove is a good idea in order to avoid the possibility of the airlines confiscating it while traveling. Please mark the outside of the box with your name, date of arrival, and number of each box sent (1 of 2, 2 of 2). Please keep boxes small and not too heavy or cumbersome to carry. We ask that you call or email us to confirm its arrival. Please use U.S. Priority Mail only and allow two weeks for delivery. Private Carriers (UPS or Fed Ex) take much longer to get to Gustavus.

Where should we go, the East Arm (Muir Inlet) or the West Arm?

Both are lovely and both are equal as far as wildlife viewing, though there seems to be a greater number of brown bears in the West Arm.

The Muir Inlet is a narrower more intimate fjord, less subject to wind for novice paddlers. The scenery is less dramatic in the east arm, with 3,000-6,000 foot mountains, and has only one tidewater glacier, McBride Glacier. There are other glaciers that are now “grounded,” including Riggs and Muir Glaciers. They are beautiful, though there is a spit of land in front of them. There is less boat traffic in the East Arm/Muir Inlet, though you should expect to see small explorer class cruise ships (120 passengers), charter boats and private vessels.

The West Arm’s scenery is more dramatic, with the Fairweather Range rising to 15,000+ ft. (if you have good visibility!). It’s also a wider, more open fjord, which means it’s more subject to wind at times. The West Arm has up to two cruise ships daily and assorted vessel traffic. It also seems to have experienced a recent increase in the brown bear population.

Where can I go to avoid vessel traffic?

There are areas in Glacier Bay that are closed to motorized vessel traffic (non-motorized areas) in both arms of the bay plus the Beardslees. Please check out the Glacier Bay National Park Boating Regulations for closed areas and wilderness waters.

What’s the weather like?

Southeast Alaska is a temperate rainforest which translates to cool and rainy with temperatures ranging from the 50’s to 70’s. You should expect a mixture of cool, rainy weather and warmer sunny days.

Where can I store extra gear?

The NPS has a small, locked storage shed located next to the Visitor Information Station (VIS) that you can store extra gear in. They’ll provide you with a tag to mark your bag with your name and the date you’re returning. Upon returning from your trip, you may also leave here any extra fuel you can’t travel with or food you don’t want for other campers to use. If you are staying at Glacier Bay Lodge, they will store your gear in their baggage room for free.

How much water should we bring along?

Because there are few water sources in the Beardslees, it will be especially important that you plan on bringing along enough water capacity for your group.  Streams up bay can also be few and far between.  We recommend one two-and-a-half gallon water bladder plus a quart bottle per person.

Should we treat our water?

Yes.  We have had no confirmed reports of Giardia, but treating your water is recommended.  Be sure to bring along iodine tablets for the quickest way to treat your water.  You may also use your cook pots to collect rainwater from your tent fly or cook tarp.  If you choose to use water filters, collect the water in a pot and be sure to let the glacial sediment settle to the bottom before using the filter or it will likely clog.  You may also treat by boiling any water collected from streams.

You may fill up your water bladders at the NPS Visitor Information Station prior to departure.

Will neoprene booties suffice or do I need to have calf high rubber boots?

We recommend rubber boots over neoprene booties because of the amount of time you’ll be spending in the rocky, barnacle covered intertidal zone, where they might be ripped more easily. You will need rubber boots to keep your feet warm and dry while packing your fiberglass kayak (floating in ankle deep water) and entering and exiting your kayak.

Why do you recommend rubberized raingear?

We have found that gore-tex and other breathable fabrics do not hold up to a constant rain, rather it gets saturated and quits breathing. Dirt and saltwater also damage its ability to repel rain.  We rent Grunden’s mid-weight rubberized rain gear with bib overalls and hooded jackets. The fabric doesn’t breath, but sized to allow ventilation and for layers of synthetic clothing, which will still keep you warm even if you sweat.

How bad are the bugs?

There are mosquitoes, horse flies, and “No-seeums” (very small, you can hardly see them), all of which bite, but which are not nearly as abundant or bad as in the interior of Alaska (which is what most people hear about). The good news is, the horse flies only come out on sunny days. The price we pay. Because we have generally cool weather, you are usually going to be wearing long sleeves. Bring along a repellent with DEET in it to cover the back of your hands and any exposed skin. A head net is cheap and is quite helpful when setting up camp or cooking. If there’s even a little bit of breeze, you won’t have much of a problem while paddling, as much as in the intertidal and beach zone……where you basically live.

I have a hard shell kayak. How do I get it from Juneau to Gustavus?

The Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) offers ferry service to Gustavus from Juneau aboard the M/V LeConte.  Call 1-800-642-0066 or visit their website for more information.

Do cell phones work up in the bay?

No, they do not. There are no cell sites in the bay and both trees and mountains hinder the signal from Gustavus in the lower bay. Your cell phone will work in Bartlett Cove using only WIFI calling. AT&T is the only cell service in Gustavus and the tower is located near the airport. If you are staying at any of the lodgings in Gustavus you may find variable coverage. Ask your inn keeper / host for more information.

Are satellite phones or VHF radios necessary? Where can I rent one?

Statistically, kayaker emergencies have rarely happened, and when they have, paddlers have either flagged down a boat to relay a message to the NPS or gotten back to the drop-off/pick-up sites for an early ride back.  A handheld VHF radio would allow you to communicate with a vessel that could relay any message for you to the NPS. We do not rent VHF radios.

Satellite phones have been used by campers in emergencies. If you would like to rent one, there are Satellite Phone rental companies in Ketchikan, Anchorage and Fairbanks. Instruct them to mail the phone to us priority mail and allow plenty of time.  We’ll pick it up and bring it to your kayak orientation.  We can mail it back for you and charge your credit card for the postage.

Important to note: There are two global satellite telephone systems in place:  Irridium and Globalstar.  The Globalstar network has some hardware issues with their satellites, where people have waited up to an hour to connect, only to lose the connection.  Irridium is considered to be more dependable.