Public Domain Image by John Bortniak, NOAA

Glacier Bay was designated as a National Monument on February 25, 1925. It became a National Park in 1980. It protects nearly 3.3 million acres along the coast of southeast Alaska. John Muir showed up in a canoe in 1879. Today, nearly all park visitors arrive via cruise ship and never set foot in the park. It is rich with spectacular scenery, whales, bears, and sea birds.