Best time to visit
Go when tides and the marine forecast line up for your route and skill level. Start early to ride favorable currents and calmer winds, and plan crossings and camps around high‑tide windows for safer travel and easier landings.
Overview
About Beardslee Islands
A quiet cluster of small, forested islands just north of Bartlett Cove, the Beardslees are Glacier Bay’s most accessible taste of true wilderness. Managed for a largely non-motorized experience, they’re all about still water, rocky shorelines, and solitude. The islands take their name from 19th‑century naval explorer Lester Anthony Beardslee.
Why stop
- Serene, non-motorized paddling close to Bartlett Cove
- Superb 2–4 day kayak-camping with varied wildlife viewing
Heads up
- No glacier viewing from the islands
- Few freshwater sources—carry all your water
- Complex tides demand solid planning and timing
Map
Where it is
Loading the Glacier Bay map
Full mapLocal know-how
Tips for visiting Beardslee Islands
Plan your itinerary around tide tables; some channels only go at high tide.
Fill large water bladders at the Visitor Information Station before launching.
Stash boats well above the high‑tide line and secure them before camping.
Pack real rain gear and extra warm layers; weather shifts fast even in summer.
If glaciers are a priority, add a separate West Arm day tour to your trip.
Plan your stop
Before you go
Best time to visit
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Glacier Bay Tour Guide
Your drive to Beardslee Islands, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Glacier Bay National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
More stories near here in the app
- Bartlett Cove: The Heart of the Park
- Visitor Information Station: Backcountry Mission Control
- Listening to the Bay
- Bartlett Cove Campground
- 37 audio storiesacross Glacier Bay’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Humpback Whale, Orca, Brown Bear, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 3 trails, 45 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
More about Beardslee Islands
What You’ll SeeExpect lush beaches, interlaced channels, and a maze of tidal passages—some that dry at low…
Expect lush beaches, interlaced channels, and a maze of tidal passages—some that dry at low tide thanks to ongoing land uplift since glacial retreat. Wildlife is the headline: sea otters and harbor seals are common, with seasonal chances for humpback whales (notably near Spokane Cove and Garforth Island). Birders work these shores for pigeon guillemots, harlequin ducks, cormorants, murrelets, Arctic terns, mergansers, and nesting black oystercatchers. Moose and bears roam the islands and shorelines.
Kayaking & CampingThis is a premier paddling destination for day trips or a 2–4 day outing with beautiful beach…
This is a premier paddling destination for day trips or a 2–4 day outing with beautiful beach camping. The water is often placid and protected, but it’s still backcountry: no developed facilities of any kind. Fresh water is scarce to nonexistent—plan to carry all you need, and fill large water bladders at the Visitor Information Station before launching.
Tides, Weather, and SafetyTides run the show here.
Tides run the show here. Many routes are only passable near high tide, and it’s easy to strand yourself or your boat if you mistime it. Store kayaks well above the high‑tide line. Weather can be harsh and change quickly even in summer, so bring real rain gear and extra warm layers. This is bear country: follow food storage rules and standard backcountry bear practices.
Regulations & EtiquetteSome islands and shorelines are critical wildlife habitat with seasonal landing or approach…
Some islands and shorelines are critical wildlife habitat with seasonal landing or approach restrictions—check the latest guidance with rangers before you go. Pets aren’t allowed in the backcountry here. Most of the summer is managed for a predominantly non‑motorized experience—another reason the area stays so peaceful.
What’s Not HereGlacier views.
Glacier views. If tidewater glaciers are on your must‑see list, pair a Beardslees paddle with a separate day trip into the West Arm.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Glacier Bay
98 sightingsHumpback WhaleMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
48 sightingsOrcaMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
110 sightingsBrown BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
312 sightingsSea OtterMost seen around 4 PMSighting map
106 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
93 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 5 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Glacier Bay. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
