Backcountry Camping & Kayaking

Experience Glacier Bay’s serenity and beauty and explore secluded inlets surrounded by dramatic coastal mountains. The Glacier Bay Day Tour boat provides drop-off and pick-up service for kayakers who wish to undertake a self-guided, overnight/multi-day camping trip in the upper reaches of the 65-mile-long bay. Discover Glacier Bay at its most breathtaking as you’re fully immersed in its spectacular wilderness and extraordinary wildlife.

Click here for 2026 drop-off and pick-up locations. 

Campers bringing their own kayaks to Glacier Bay may book one-way or round-trip camper/kayak drop-offs and pick-ups by emailing glacierbay-sales@aramark.com. Please provide the number of campers and the number of kayaks for the reservation, and our agents will check availability and book the reservation directly.

Campers who need to rent kayaks for their backcountry camping trip must do so through Glacier Bay Sea Kayaks. Please note that Glacier Bay Lodge does NOT provide kayak rentals.

GBSK will arrange your camper/kayak drop-off and pick-up for you at the time of your kayak rental reservation.

The day prior to your backcountry excursion, GBSK will meet with you to guide you through the camper drop-off process, issue gear, instruct you on the equipment you will use, review your proposed paddle plan, and discuss tides, wind, distances, safety factors, fill out rental forms, and answer any trip itinerary questions you may have. This instruction and kayak rental session generally lasts two hours.

NOTE: The Park Service has designated drop-off and pick-up locations for kayaking/backcountry excursions – see the maps below for dates and locations for east bay and west bay locations. NPS requires that all backcountry campers/kayakers participate in an NPS Backcountry Camper Orientation to obtain a free backcountry permit prior to departure into the wilderness. These hour-long orientations are held twice daily at the Visitor Information Station (VIS) on the shore of Bartlett Cove, located on the beach directly behind Glacier Bay Lodge. Please visit the NPS website for more information about backcountry camping in Glacier Bay.