Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, SE Alaska, near Juneau. The park (3,224,840 acres/1,305,603 hectares) and the preserve (58,406 acres/23,646 hectares) were established in 1925 as a national monument and in 1980 designated a national park and preserve. Glaciers descending from the towering snow-covered mountains of the Fairweather Range into the bay create one of the world's most spectacular displays of ice. Among the bay's most famous glaciers is Muir Glacier, c.2 mi (3.2 km) wide and rising c.265 ft (80 m) above the water. Wildlife includes bears, deer, mountain goats, porpoises, whales, and waterfowl. See National Parks and Monuments (table).

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Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve

Natural area, southeastern Alaska, U.S. Located on the Gulf of Alaska, it was proclaimed a national monument in 1925, established as a national park and preserve in 1980, and designated a World Heritage site in 1992. It covers 5,040 sq mi (13,053 sq km). It includes Glacier Bay, much of Mount Fairweather, and the U.S. portion of the Alsek River. Among its great tidewater glaciers is Muir Glacier, which rises 265 ft (81 m) above the water and is nearly 2 mi (3 km) wide. The park also includes a dramatic range of plant species and such wildlife as brown and black bears, mountain goats, whales, seals, and eagles.