Bartlett Cove Campground
The Quick Take
Bartlett Cove is the only developed campground in Glacier Bay, and it comes with a price tag of exactly zero dollars -- one of the last free campgrounds in Alaska's marquee parks. The trade-off is real: you're walk-in only, hauling gear by wheelbarrow a quarter mile from the dock, and cooking is restricted to the intertidal zone between tide lines thanks to serious bear protocols. But what you get is a shoreline setting in temperate rainforest with views across the cove, a warming shelter stocked with firewood, and the strange luxury of a laundry facility nearby. The campground is modest in size, so it fills on summer afternoons when the ferry crowd arrives. This is the right base camp for anyone staging a kayak trip into the bay, catching the day boat to the glaciers, or simply wanting to experience Southeast Alaska without dropping hundreds a night on lodge rooms.
Booking
Reserve Your Campsite
All 33 sites are reservable.
What You Get
Sites & Setup
RV Information
No RVs. No electrical hookups.
Accessibility
1 ADA-accessible campsites. Accessible restrooms available. Nearby are a f Paved Roads - All vehicles OK
Pro Tips
Arrive before the afternoon Alaska Marine Highway ferry docks to claim a site -- there's no reservation system despite what the data says, and the ranger station confirms it's first-come, first-served. Call the Visitor Information Station at (907) 697-2627 the morning of your arrival to check availability before making the trip out.
You must cook and eat only in the intertidal zone, which means timing your meals around the tides. Check the Juneau tide tables before your trip and plan dinner for a falling tide when you'll have the most beach to work with. Bring a camp stove that handles wind -- the cove funnels gusts off the water.
The warming shelter is your best friend on rainy days, and it rains a lot here. Pack synthetic insulation over down, bring a tarp for extra coverage at your site, and stash every scented item -- toothpaste, sunscreen, lip balm, all of it -- in the bear-proof food caches. Rangers enforce this strictly and will cite you.
Photos
NPS Photo
NPS Photo
NPS PhotoGetting There
Directions
The campground is located about 1/4 mile by trail from the main dock in Bartlett Cove. It has designated sites, a warming shelter, vault toilets, and bear-proof food caches. Wheelbarrows are available to help transport gear. Stop by the Visitor Information Station near the dock to obtain a free camping permit for the campground.
Get directions