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Lonely National Parks
By Rich Beattie, GORP Editor
Alaska
Glacier Bay, Alaska

Glacier Bay
You say you really need some space? Is 1.6 million acres enough? In december 2001, the 3.3 million acres in Alaska's Glacier Bay were divided among a whopping 64 visitors. Stretching north from the Inside Passage and bumping up against upper British Columbia, the park's a birder's paradise, home to more than 25 percent of the total number of North American species. Other wildlife? You bet: Sea lions and humpback whales follow the ebb and flow of the glaciers and deep fjords. Kayaking is king here, since steep rocky cliffs with dense alder thickets make hiking difficult. Ferries run only from May to September; the rest of the year you'll have to fly in. Accommodations? Expectedly sparse: There's just one campground, and Glacier Bay Lodge is open only in the summer. Another caveat: The weather ain't great. Expect lots of rain or, to use the park service's euphemism, "exciting weather."

Glacier Bay
Like paddling on glass:
Escape the crowds in Alaska's Glacier Bay.


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