Parking
Begin at Glacier Bay Lodge in the developed Bartlett Cove area; confirm current visitor access and parking with park or lodge staff.
Overview
About Forest Loop Trail
A roughly 1.1-mile loop begins at Glacier Bay Lodge in Bartlett Cove and returns along the shore to the dock area. The first half-mile winds through pond-studded spruce and hemlock forest on a route that includes a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk and two viewing decks; it then descends to the beach for the shoreline return. Allow about 30 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on pace and stops. The short route is easy, but wet boardwalk, roots, and beach conditions can be slippery.
Why go
- Official NPS route with a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk and two viewing decks.
- Combines forest, ponds, and shoreline scenery in a short outing.
Heads up
- Rain can make boardwalks and roots slippery.
- The shoreline/intertidal return has uneven footing and variable beach conditions.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Glacier Bay map
Full mapElevation0–115 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Glacier Bay Tour Guide
Your drive to Forest Loop Trail, 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.
Recorded for this area
Bartlett Cove: The Heart of the ParkListen
“You're pulling into the Bartlett Cove area, which is the main hub for the park. This is where you'll find the Glacier Bay Lodge, the park's restaurant, and the visitor center.”
Plays near this trailhead in the Parkwolf Glacier Bay Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Visitor Information Station: Backcountry Mission Control
- Listening to the Bay
- Bartlett Cove Campground
- The Muskeg: A Carnivorous Garden
- 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!!!!”
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.
