Tlingit Trail

This half-mile shoreline amble is less a hike and more a curated walk through Tlingit history and Southeast Alaska's coastal forest. Starting near Glacier Bay Lodge, the trail threads through a dense canopy of Sitka spruce and hemlock, with the damp, mossy understory that defines this corner of the world. The path is flat and well-maintained — think packed gravel and boardwalk sections — winding past a carved dugout canoe, a massive whale skeleton that stops every kid (and most adults) in their tracks, and the striking Huna Tribal House, a cultural centerpiece that connects the Huna Tlingit people to their ancestral homeland. Bartlett Cove glimmers through the trees, and on a calm day the reflections are almost absurd. This is the trail for anyone who just stepped off the ferry or floatplane and wants to stretch their legs while absorbing the deep cultural and natural layers of this place.