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Glacier Bay West Arm

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Glacier Bay West Arm

Book Now

Glacier Bay West Arm

Book Now

Location: West Arm of Glacier Bay National Park. Trip starts and ends in Gustavus, Alaska.

Duration: 5-Days/4-Nights OR 7-Days/6-Nights

Paddle Distance: 5 to 15 miles per day.

Activities: Sea kayaking, hiking, glacier viewing, photography, wildlife observation.

Highlights: Experience the grandeur of Glacier Bay National Park by sea kayak. Paddle between icebergs and watch glaciers calve into the ocean. Observe a myriad of wildlife. Camp, kayak, and hike in a dynamic and beautiful World Heritage Site.

 

Join Spirit Walker Expeditions for a wilderness sea kayaking adventure in the deep-water fjords of the West Arm of Glacier Bay National Park. Just 250 years ago, this area was covered by a sheet of ice 4,000 feet thick. Today, we can paddle, camp and hike through one of the most dynamic and stunning parks in Alaska. While the massive river of ice that created the bay has receded, we’re still surrounded by ancient ice: glaciers hang in the valleys above us, icebergs float past, and the park’s famous tidewater glaciers calve thunderously into the sea. On this 5 or 7 day trip, we will travel through the heart of Glacier Bay by sea kayak, camp on its pristine shores and immerse ourselves in the beauty and wonder of this quintessential Alaskan kayaking destination.

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Leave behind your daily schedules while on a trip with Spirit Walker Expeditions and allow the tides and long summer sunlight to create your rhythm over the next several days. There are many amazing natural features and iconic sights to enjoy while exploring the West Arm and we will move at a pace that allows for the most intimate and untrammeled of exploration. By using strategically planned boat transportation to start and end the trip, we’ve created itineraries that focus on the highlights of the upper West Arm. These include Reid Inlet and glacier, and the deeply blue Lamplugh glacier. And no trip into the upper bay is complete without kayaking into the most stunning of fjords: John’s Hopkins Inlet. With its backdrop of snow-clad mountains, its cascading waterfalls, hanging glaciers, abundant icebergs and active tidewater glacier at its head, John’s Hopkins is not only a kayaker’s paradise, but the essence of Glacier Bay.

While Glacier Bay is a land of rock, water and ice, it’s also so much more. In this wilderness, life is emerging and taking hold. The receding glaciers left behind inlets, beaches and rocky terrain – and set the stage for a succession of flora and fauna. The West Arm of Glacier Bay National Park is now home to wild strawberries, alders and young spruce forests. As we kayak through this dynamic and evolving ecosystem, we keep an eye out for the mountain goats, moose, bear and wolves that now inhabit these shorelines and cliffs. On the water, we watch for the iconic spout of a humpback whale, the tall dorsal fins of passing killer whales, harbor seals hauled out on icebergs, rafts of sea otters and the quick surfacing of harbor porpoise. Above us, arctic terns, bald eagles and oystercatchers dive, soar and glide. Glacier Bay is fully alive!

As each new day unfolds and our adventure deepens, we feel the rhythm of the bay. We rise and fall with the tides, dine on its shores, paddle and glide on its waters, and take in its beauty at every turn. Every plant, animal and glacier we see is a part of the ever-evolving story of Glacier Bay. With each stroke, we paddle through a story carved by ice – born of ice. And at night at camp, as we stoke our inner fires with drinks cooled by glacial ice, we gather to weave those stories together – and create some of our own.

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The National Park Service, Department of Interior authorizes Spirit Walker Expeditions as a Concessioner to provide guided overnight kayaking trips within Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.

Our currently scheduled Glacier Bay West Arm trips.

Click here to see our full schedule.


Departure Return Trip Name Trip Length Price Availability
06/29/2025 07/03/2025 Glacier Bay West Arm Trip 5-Days/4-Nights $2499 Open
07/18/2025 07/22/2025 Glacier Bay West Arm Trip 5-Days/4-Nights $2499 Open
07/22/2025 07/26/2025 Glacier Bay West Arm Trip 5-Days/4-Nights $2499 Open
07/30/2025 08/05/2025 Glacier Bay West Arm Trip 7-Days/6-Nights $2899 Open
08/05/2025 08/09/2025 Glacier Bay West Arm Trip 5-Days/4-Nights $2499 Open
  • experienced and professional guides,
  • all charter boat transportation,
  • high quality 2 person kayaks with paddling and safety accessories; emergency communication, signaling and first aid equipment;
  • all cooking gear, utensils and water bottles;
  • 3 excellent meals for each full day plus snacks;
  • camping equipment – 2 and 3 person tents, sleeping bags, inflatable mattresses that convert into chairs;
  • rain gear, rubber boots and dry bags.

My trip with Spirit Walker Expeditions was amazing. My experience kayaking among the whales is something I will never forget! Go! You will love it.

Mandy L, visited Sept. 2015

We had a wonderful experience on a Spirit Walker trip this summer. Six nights, seven days in the Myriad Islands Wilderness. The trip was well organized, the gear was top quality and the guides were great! ... an experience I'll always remember.

Walt G, visited July 2016

This experience was absolute perfection, from the initial call through the flawless execution. I can't say enough good things about this operation and I've personally worked in adventure travel. Thank you, Stephen and crew!

Robert B, visited August 2024

We booked the Whales tour to Point Adolphus for our family which includes a 6 year old and 9 year old... Great safety orientation for our boys who don't have a lot of experience kayaking. Thanks for an unforgettable experience.

Jonathan R, visited July 2016

It doesn't get any better than this. If you want to experience the real Alaska you must get out on the water... If we return to Alaska, we will make this expedition again.

Ernie B, visited August 2013

"Magic Family Holiday" I can't say enough about the wonderful trips that Spirit Walker puts together. The safety and equipment is great. The guides are great fun and knowledgeable about the areas we went. The food is incredible.

NIcondit, Visited August 2015

The trip had it all: calving glaciers, breaching humpback whales, grizzlies, moose, bald eagles, harbor seals, and much more. I cannot recommend the Spirit Walker crew and the grandeur of Glacier Bay highly enough. Already thinking about my next return trip to the park.

Mike D, Visited June 2021

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