How to elope in Glacier Bay National Park: The complete guide
Here at Glacier Bay, there’s so much to see! It is the spiritual homeland of the Huna Tlingit people who have lived here for millennia. The park itself is one of the largest internationally protected Biosphere Reserves in the entire world, and is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Glacier Bay connects a ton of glaciers flowing from the surrounding mountains to the ocean below. Let’s get started!
Click the photos for links to the original posters, vendors, and venues.
An Overview of Denali National Park
Climate & weather:
The weather here is very heavily impacted by the ocean currents since a majority of the park encompasses the water! The winters are cool and mild and the summer can be warm and wet. The winter temps range from 25-40 degrees while the summer can range from 50-70. There’s 70” of precipitation yearly in the park and while most of it is rain and mist, the mountains can receive quite a bit of snow along with colder temps and more severe weather events.
Spring is the driest time of year and fall is the wettest. The east side of the park is typically more dry, cool, and windy while the west side is often warmer and wetter
Peak season:
Summertime from July to August is the best time to visit! You should prepare to make your reservations to visit around a year in advance. The park is open 365 days a year but it closes down significantly in the winter months when not as much is accessible.
Airports, travel, and getting around:
There’s a ton of ways to visit the park, and unlike most other parks, roads aren’t really an option here! There is only one road in the park and it connects the small town of Gustavus to the park headquarters in Bartlett Cove.
AIR: Alaska Airlines has a daily jet service between Juneau and Gustavus during the summer, and Juneau has a daily jet that services Anchorage and Seattle. Two air taxi companies service Gustavus: Alaska Seaplanes and Harris Air. The air taxis can also take you to small Alaskan towns like Haines, Yakutat, Skagaway, and the Glacier Bay Wilderness.
SEA: The Alaskan Marine Highway System has a ferry that stops twice a week in Gustavus from Juneau, and there are many tour boats and cruise ships that visit the bay as well. A daily boat tour based in the park goes from Bartlett to the tidewater glaciers. If you want to bring your own boat, you can apply for a permit and make reservations to sail your way up. You can also charter a private boat to take you up as part of a customized adventure package! Doing a sea kayak trip is a great way to explore the bay without a boat. The possibilities here are endless.
GROUND: Buses operate on a limited schedule between Gustavus and Bartlett Cove, and many local inns and lodges have bikes for rent.
Safety information:
Long periods of rain and mist and temps in the mid-range with freezing nights increase the risk of hypothermia. Always have a hat, gloves, and protective rain gear.
Beware of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning. The neurotoxin that causes PSP has been found in high levels in the bay in mussels and clams in the water. Fishing is very common in the Bay and encouraged, but remember that eating the shellfish is not advised.
Any water you drink needs to be vigorously boiled for at least one minute, filtered, or chemically treated for drinking. Because there's a high sediment rate in glacial waters, you need to allow extra time for "glacial flour" to settle while filtering. Bring a backwater filtration system or pack water in while you’re out.
The tides here are wild! Tides can change up to 25 feet within six hours. Knowing how the shoreline changes is extremely important if you are boating, camping, or kayaking. Make sure you feel confident about water safety.
The Baneberry plant, actaea rubra, is a highly toxic plant. All parts of the plant are toxic, and three berries are enough to kill a small person. Six berries cause a respiratory shutdown in adults. They are very common in Bartlett Cove and the lower bay. Avoid at all costs and get help immediately if consumed.
Bear and Moose safety: The best way to practice bear safety in the backcountry is to always assume you’re going to encounter a bear. Don’t start a trip hoping to avoid them — plan to see one and know what to do when it happens. It’s the best way to be prepared! Study bear behavior and know how to react correctly. Read about bear behavior, watch some YouTube videos, and prepare accordingly. A few starter tips: carry and know how to use bear spray, make lots of noise often (it helps scare the bear away while you’re hiking/camping), hike with others, NEVER run from a bear, stay calm if you see one, don’t try to distract them by throwing something or dropping your pack. // Moose can weigh three- to four- times more than the average bear, up to 1600lbs! Moose charge when they feel threatened. Unlike with bears, you should run as fast as you can from a moose if it begins to charge.
Entry fees:
Unlike many other National Parks, entry into Gates of the Arctic National Park is FREE!
There are no camping fees but you have to attend a camper orientation at the visitor center and you’ll need a free backcountry permit if you want to stay overnight. You’ll also need a free permit if you want to bring your own private boat to the bay.
How to elope in Glacier Bay National Park
Obtaining a permit:
You’ll need to apply for a special use permit and submit a $100 fee. Your photographer may need to submit a commercial use permit as well. I HIGHLY suggest reaching out to the park with this one to get the most up-to-date information.
This information is the up-to-date information from the park as of 3/2023. Always check with the park and the permitting office to make sure you’re following current guidelines.
Getting a marriage license in Alaska:
Both parties must be at least 18 years old. There is a three-day waiting period that begins once a mailed or faxed application payment is received by the issuing office. If you need it quickly and cannot pick it up in person, you can have it shipped with Priority Mail. The license is valid for three months from the date of issuing. If you have been divorced before, you need to state the beginning and ending dates of your previous marriage on the application.
A note on officiants:
Since each state has different rules on who can marry you, let’s talk for a minute about Alaska. There are five different kinds of people who can legally marry you in Alaska: 1) A minister, priest, rabbi, or recognized leader of any church in the state, 2) a commissioned officer of the Salvation Army, 3) a marriage commissioner, 4) a judicial officer of the state, or 5) a friend or relative, as long as they get a marriage commissioner appointment from an Alaskan court as authorized by AS25.05.081.2.
Vendors near Acadia National Park
FRENCHIE’S FLORAL
HAIR BY JENN
Remember that Glacier Bay is pretty remote, and most vendors don’t cater to the park itself. If you’re traveling from Fairbanks, you have more options for florists, HMUA, and other vendors but in general I recommend getting confident with doing your own hair and makeup in the backcountry! Because of the lack of options near the park, I’m only going to link some florists along with some tour guides who are perfect for helping you traverse the backcountry by kayak, hike, or air!
Best locations in Glacier Bay National Park
Remember that some locations require special permits! Make sure to check with the park to see if there’s any requirements or considerations you need to know about.
FOREST LOOP TRAIL
Walk through a temperate rainforest filled with spruce and hemlock trees and end at the beach at Bartlett Cove. It’s a great trail if you’re staying at the lodge within the park because the trailhead starts at the lodge! It’s beautiful and green but gives you a great view of the coastline as well.
SHORELINE AT BARTLETT COVE
The low tide reveals a ton of intertidal life, plus you get a view of the land and sea accompanied by the sounds of sea birds and, if you’re lucky, views of whales, otters, and eagles. There are a ton of wildflowers blooming in the summer, too!
BARTLETT COVE CAMPGROUND
Set in the rainforest along the shore, this campground is honestly a beautiful spot for a relaxed (and relatively accessibly) ceremony in the park. It has composting toilets, a fire pit on the beach, a warming shelter, and a decent amount of tent sites. There’s even group camp sites for 12 or more guests.
GLACIAL LANDING
Are you looking a totally unique ceremony location to say your vows, or an epic backdrop for incredible photos? Many flight services can make that happen for you! You can request to land in the wilderness, often including many glaciers or ice fields, for something totally one-of-a-kind!
THE GLACIERS
There is no shortage of glaciers here in the park (as I’m sure you could guess)! Whether you get to them by hiking, kayaking, flying, or boating, there’s nothing quite as beautiful as a glacier up close.
GLACIER BAY LODGE
This historic hotel has a fair amount of rooms, a restaurant, a bar, beautiful wilderness views, a daily boat tour, fishing and kayaking rentals, hiking trails, and more. You can only stay here from Memorial Day through Labor Day, though, so prepare accordingly! It’s a great jumping-off point for a lot of adventures because you’re right in the park with access to so many activites.
Enjoying the rest of Glacier Bay National Park
What to pack:
Because Denali comes with it’s own set of unique challenges with being almost entirely in the backcountry, there’s some pretty important things to pack!
Sturdy hiking boots and at least a few pairs of wool or synthetic socks to keep your feet warm. Also consider bringing gaiters for river crossings!
A backpack that is fitted correctly and can carry your personal gear, a tent, and a rain fly for your pack.
A rain jacket and pants, NOT a rain poncho.
Warm, quick-drying clothing is very important! Cotton won’t keep you warm if you get wet, so stick to wool or synthetics like polypropylene or nylon. Bring quick-drying pants, at least one long-sleeved shirt, long underwear, a winter hat, waterproof gloves, and a fleece jacket. If you’re coming in the winter, know how to dress for sub-zero temperatures.
A stove, fuel, cookware, water bottles, and water purifying tablets or a water filter.
A sleeping bag and a pad.
Emergency gear and The Ten Essentials.
Bear Spray
Always bring a map! While apps like AllTrails are great, your phone could die or you could drop it in a puddle and poof — there go your maps. Paper maps are still a thing, I promise.
Be prepared with the bug trifecta: the right clothes, bug repellant, and something to treat bug bites. If you can stand it in the summer, pants will help shield you from ticks, black flies, and mosquitos. The same goes for long-sleeved shirts (you can even find some with SPF!).
Remember that sunburns can happen even on cloudy days, and especially on snowy (but sunny) days. Protect that beautiful skin of yours.
What to pack for your elopement:
You wouldn’t forget your dress or your suit (hopefully), but what about all the other little things? Here’s a short list of extras you might be forgetting:
A way to transport your ceremony clothing (whether by wearing it on a hike, packing it in a backpack, or just using garment bags)
Your rings! (A pretty important part, tbh.)
Vow books, clothing accessories (ties, cufflinks, belts, safety pins, stain remover), jewelry, perfume and deodorant, letters to each other, small trinkets, and anything else you plan on including during your elopement.
All of your legal documents, including park entrance passes, park wedding permits, IDs, and your marriage license (you’ll also need your passports if you’re coming from out of the country).
Where to stay:
GLACIER BAY COUNTRY INN
This Inn has a private landing strip for air taxis and chartered flights, private hiking trails, a shuttle service into the park and around the area, lots of available excursions with local guides like flight seeing, hiking, kayaking, and bear watching. It’s a beautiful place to stay if you want to be close to the park but have some more modern amenities!
SILVERBOW INN AND SUITES
If you’re staying in Juneau, don’t pass up the Silverbow Hotel! It’s the only boutique hotel in the city. Built in 1898, it’s been totally refinished with luxury settings and modern furniture inside while still retaining some of the original architecture. It has a restaurant and bar inside, and you’re just steps from local breweries and shops in Juneau.
PRIVATE OPTIONS IN JUNEAU
Juneau is a decent-sized city and there’s lots of options within the city and the surrounding area! Check out VRBO (my personal favorite), AirBnb, and boutique hotels in the area for a unique stay.
What else to do around Glacier Bay National Park:
Explore Glacier Bay by boat! There’s lots of options from cruises to ships, tour boats, charter boats, and bring your own boat or kayak to explore with.
Take a guided trip with experienced outfitters! They handle all the logistics and you get to explore without having to do it all on your own. Plus guides are very knowledgable and can teach you about the ecosystem, environment, community, and culture as well! (I also recommend first looking for Native guides, as it’s their land and they’ll be able to tell you more about the traditional history in-depth.)
Raft the rivers! A world-class float down the Tatshenshini and Alsek Rivers through one of the world’s highest coastal mountain ranges is a heck of an experience.
Walk the Tlingit Trail to learn about the traditional people of the area through seeing a canoe, a whale skeleton, native plants, and experience the art and culture of the Tlingit people at the Huna Tribal House, as well as visiting the Healing Totem Pole (Yaa Naa Néx̲ Kootéeyaa). It was designed by tribal elders and artists to not only relate the difficult history between the NPS and the Tlingit, but also to relay the history of people working to overcome past hurt and a future of healing and working together.While there are beautiful legends of the Tlingit creation story, I encourage you to read them on your own. Stories are considered property to the Tlingit and sharing one without permission is a breach of the Tlingit law. Most stories about the people as a whole and other universal records are considered the property of the tribe and are often shared (you can find them online and in interviews) without restriction, but in order to protect the tribe and give them my utmost respect, I’m going to let you read their creation story and myths on your own. Support those native authors if you can!
The Tlingit clans are yéil (raven), gooch (wolf), and chaak (eagle). Each clan has its own creation story which belongs to the clan and isn’t shared without permission. Each one describes the Tlingit world from a different perspective and when combined all together they narrate the history before the coming of the dliéit khaa (white people). The histories involve a dramatic event that brought the clan together and separating them from other Tlingit. Some have mythic origin stories, some tell of conflict within the tribe as the reason for branching off. Each story is unique and deeply spiritual. The Tlingit lived in the Sít’ Eetí Geeyi — or Glacier Bay — for around 11,000 years. Every year, there are celebrations to the tribe to honor their culture that include traditional performances, cultural demonstrations, nightly feasts, canoeing events, and artist’s markets.
The Tlingit people take great pride in cultivating and harvesting the resources of their ancestral lands and sea and doing so with respect. They recognize and value all life that comes from the earth and strive to not waste a single piece of what they take from it. They believe that what they harvest gives them strength and sustenance, and that all life is sacred. Such a truly beautiful way to live.
Get your NPS Passport Book stamped! You can get your stamps at the visitor center.
“No written words, however put together, can convey anything like an adequate conception of its sublime grandeur, the noble simplicity and fineness of the sculpture of the walls, their magnificent proportions, their cascades, gardens, and forest adornments, the placid water between them, the great white and blue ice-wall stretching across in the middle, and the snow-laden mountain peaks beyond.”
