It is entirely possible to have a favorite glacier and this one — South Sawyer Glacier in Tracy Arm — is my favorite due to the surrounding landscape.
In June, I got on my first flight in nearly 15 months and headed to Alaska. Over the next three weeks, I shot more images that I had in the previous year—breaching humpback whales, baby seals on icebergs and black bears grazing in meadows. (One of my freelance jobs is working as a photography instructor for a travel company in Southeast Alaska.) Even though I’ve been to 52 countries, the wildlife and scenery in Alaska rival any place I’ve been. While I’m far from an expert on all things Alaska, I want to share my favorite photo spots in the Inside Passage. If you’re vaccinated and itching to travel this summer or fall, Alaska is the place to go. Flights will be packed – they are everywhere but it’s totally worth it!
Here are my favorite 10 photographs and locations from Southeast Alaska: (There were all shot in 2019 or 2021)
Misty Fjords National Monument
Misty Fjords National Monument in Southeast Alaska spans over 2.3 million acres.
The second-largest wilderness in the U.S.—Misty Fjords National Monument—lies 22 miles east of Ketchikan. A temperate rainforest covers these steep fjords, which stretch 3,000 feet high along the Behm Canal. There are 20 miles of hiking trails with 13 public recreation cabins and five three-sided shelters. This national monument is part of the Tongass National Forest, the largest national forest in the U.S., and normally receives over 200 inches of rain a year. Although, there was more sun than rain both this year and in 2019 than normal on my trips.
Nearest City: Ketchikan. Day trips by boat or floatplanes are the best transit options.
John Hopkins Glacier – Glacier Bay National Park
The approach to John Hopkin’s Glacier, located in the center of the photo, is one of the most scenic in Glacier Bay National Park. The glacier itself extends for 12 miles.
Glacier Bay National Park is a must-see for any visit to Southeast Alaska. A single tidewater glacier covered the entirety of Glacier Bay over 250 years ago. It started retreating in 1750 and now has retreated 60 miles to the head of the bay. While the park has over 1,045 glaciers, John Hopkins Glacier is one of the seven active tidewater glaciers that calve into the bay. The glacier stretches 250 above the water and is one mile wide.
The park is only accessible by boat and permits are restricted during the summer months. Kayak trips are also an option with rentals and guided tours available from the visitor’s center. There is an option to camp by the glaciers.
A 10-mile road connects the town of Gustavus with Bartlett Cove where the visitor’s center is located. The visitor’s center has a really short but pretty walking trail along a boardwalk. Be sure to visit Snow, the skeleton of a humpback whale hit by a ship near the park. (The park is now a sanctuary for these whales with some of the strongest protections in the world. Outside of the park, 100 yards is the distance set by NOAA for safe whale watching for humpbacks. )
For history, be sure to read John Muir and the Ice that Started a Fire by Kim Heacox. It’s a great biography of John Muir.
Nearest City: Gustavus
South Marble Island, Glacier Bay National Park
A group of stellar sea lions haul out on rocks in front of South Marble Island at low tide.
South Marble Island lies at the entrance of Glacier Bay surrounded by nutrient-rich waters that are optimal feeding grounds for wildlife. It’s the nesting area for many sea birds that spend most of the year on the open ocean. I almost always see a few puffins here! It’s also a haul out of sea lions, especially the bachelors who did not succeed at challenging the other males at breeding islands outside the park.
Nearest City: Gustavus
Petersburg
A view of the Sons of Norway Hall reflects in the water at high tide in Petersburg, Alaska.
Petersburg is a tiny photogenic Norwegian Fishing Village and my favorite town in Southeast Alaska. (I also like Sitka.) Across the water on Kupreanof Island, there’s a great hiking trail (Petersburg Lake Trail) on a wooden path through a muskeg, a bog with very acidic soil that’s home to some unique plants like the carnivorous sundew. The coastal bike path around town is gorgeous. Be sure to stop at Sandy Beach, a cute spot for photos with a raised wooden walkway through the forest. (Bears have been spotted here so have your bear spray!) The wildflowers are lovely along the coast during the summer. Another photogenic spot is Birch Street, a dead-end road that’s lined with stilt houses. It’s best photographed at high tide from South Nordic Drive.
Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness
The ice floating near tidewater glaciers is a safe haul out for harbor seals because the ice floats regardless of the tide cycle eliminating the threat of terrestrial predators. (South Sawyer Glacier, Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness)
While all of Southeast Alaska is gorgeous, this is one of my favorite spots. The Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness consists of two narrow, deep fjords that are roughly 30 miles long – Tracy and Endicott Arm that each dead-end at tidewater glaciers. I’ve been to both but prefer Tracy Arm because it’s home to my favorite glacier—the South Sawyer Glacier. (Yes, it’s totally possible to have a favorite glacier!) I’ve been here probably 10 times, and it never gets old. My favorite time to visit is June when the harbor seals are pupping. The seals hang out on the icebergs for safety. Due to frequent (every six hours) and drastic (22 feet!) tide changes, the icebergs provide safety for the harbor seals since they keep floating regardless of the tide in the deep fjord. The seals also hang out near the glaciers in Glacier Bay, but I find Tracy Arm to be more photogenic for the seals. I recommend being in a Zodiac or smaller boat for the best photos. Taller ships don’t allow you to get as good of a photo angle.
Nearest City: Juneau
Inian Islands
Two sea otters float in a bed of bull kelp in the Inian Islands. The otters tie themselves to the bull kelp, an annual seaweed, when they sleep and often do the same for their babies when they go hunting for food.
The Inian Islands is one of the best wildlife photo spots in Southeast Alaska. The islands are located at the intersection of Icy Strait and the ocean—one of the few places where the Inside Passage meets the Pacific. Due to the tides, there’s a lot of upwelling sending nutrients and fish to the surface. It’s a delicious buffet for many animals including sea otters, stellar sea lions and bald eagles. There’s also a wide variety of sea birds. The area was a summer fishing camp for the local Hoonah Tlingit people and became a wilderness area in 1990.
Nearest city: Gustavus or Hoonah. (Elfin Cove Fish Camp is also close.)
Chatham Strait
A humpback whale tail photographed along the Chatham Strait. Often, it’s difficult to get a tight shot of a whale so I try my best to make it park of the larger landscape to provide a sense of place.
Another great spot for whale activity is Chatham Strait, a narrow passage that extends for 150 miles from the junction of Icy Strait and Lynn Canal south to Coronation Island and the ocean. It forms part of the Inside Passage between Alaska and Washington State and the width varies from three to ten miles wide. This summer we saw 50+ whales near Tebenkof Bay including multiple groups bubble-net feeding. (I’d seen bubble-net feeding twice before this.) They were all a bit too far for my camera to get any good tight shots but witnessing that scene was impressive enough!
Alaska Raptor Center, Sitka
This tight portrait of a bald eagle was shot with a 600mm lens at the Alaska Raptor Center with a wide aperture (f/5) to blur the background.
This non-profit was started by two locals in 1980 tending to a single injured bald eagle. Now, the rehabilitation center offers treatment to over 200 injured birds each year. While they strive to rehabilitate and release birds, some are unable to be released due to the severity of their injuries and become part of their education program called Raptors-In-Residence. This bald eagle was photographed outside the center—many wild eagles also hang around this area. It’s a great place to see these birds up-close and get detailed shots of various types of birds. Also, Sitka is a cute town with only 14 miles of paved roads. I highly recommend the Stika National Historical Park.
Eldred Rock Lighthouse, Haines
The Eldred Rock Lighthouse in the Lynn Canal was built in 1905 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
I saw this octagonal lighthouse on a map and convinced my expedition leader to come here at sunset and circle the lighthouse for a photo opp. Thankfully, they said yes! I later found out that this lighthouse is the oldest original Alaskan lighthouse building. It’s located on an island in the Lynn Canal on the route to Haines, the adventure capital of Alaska, and is not accessible to public. Haines is another cute town that’s known for adventure activities. One of my favorite sites is the Hammer Museum, a white-walled house filled with hammers from across the world and history. There’s also a brewery that makes spruce-tip beer, a distillery and other cute shops.
Nearest City: Haines. The lighthouse is visible from the ferry.
Port Adolphus
Every humpback whale has a unique tail design that serves as its fingerprint. You can upload images of whales to Happywhale.com to identify the whale and track sightings.
Located at the northern tip of Chichagof Island and the southern side of Icy Strait, Port Adolphus is a great spot for watching humpback whales and birds. We had some up-close encounters a few weeks ago while cruising in Zodiac boats. The whales literally came up right beside us! This image was shot with a 70-200mm lens.
How To Get Here
A black bear walks along the shore in Misty Fjords National Monument. (Black bears aren’t always black and have a more pronunced face and ears than brown bears.) Most of my bear sightings are along the shore in Alaska. This was shot from a Zodiac boat.
Sitka, Juneau and Ketchikan are the biggest cities in Southeast Alaska and the best place to start your trip. (I personally love Sitka the best of all three.) There’s direct flight from Seattle to all three. After that, you’ll need to get around by boat (day tours or charter boats) mostly or fly to other cities. The Alaska Ferry System is another transit option.
What Camera Gear to Pack for Alaska
Tracy Arm, Alaska // The underside of an iceberg that’s flipped is one of my favorite things to photograph because it’s so pristine. Only 10% of an iceberg is visible above the surface of the water.
Packing camera gear for Alaska is tricky because you need to be prepared for all situations and weather. I recommend a wide-angle lens (24-70 mm) and a zoom (at least a 400mm). A 200mm zoom is not enough—you’ll need at least a 400 mm or even a 600mm would be helpful with animals shots especially whales. There’s also a great chance for macro photography in the forest and tidal zone.
During the summer, the weather is either bright and sunny, or overcast with light rain, which is the norm. Be sure to bring rain covers and dry bags for your gear even if it’s only to protect from the spray on boat rides.
If you’re shooting wildlife from a boat, remember to use fast shutter speed to freeze the motion. I recommend at least a 1/1600 but 1/2500 is ideal. I also recommend lenses with vibration reduction and a circular polarizer for sunny days.
Also, try to visit glaciers on overcast days—the blue really stands out more when the sun isn’t out.
Ten Essentials to Pack For Summer in Alaska
A bald eagle floating on an iceberg in Glacier Bay National Park.
After working two summers in Alaska, I’ve listed the essentials I always pack and links to my favorite things!
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Gortex Rain Coat & Rain Pants (I recommend full-zip rain pants like these.)
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Tall waterproof boots (XtraTuff’s are the cowboy boots of Alaska. Literally, everyone has them. I’ve loved mine and hike in them.)
- Waterproof baseball hat (This keeps the rain off my face on boat rides and when I’m shooting. I put an ear warmer headband over this so it won’t blow off in the boats.)
- Waterproof socks and gloves (I layer the Dexshell waterproof socks over my regular socks in case I top my boots and use Glacier Gloves.)
- SPF shirts for hot days (I love these Columbia long sleeve ones!)
- Dry bag for camera gear and camera rain cover (I always have this 13L lightweight dry bag with me.)
- Durable Hiking pants (The PrAna Halle pants are my go-to, and I layer them under my waterproof pants.)
- Thermal tops and bottoms (It’s freezing near those glaciers!)
- Buff (I always have one around my neck most days. Scarfs get in the way too much here.)
- A hiking backpack with waist straps (This will save your back. I love my Osprey one that’s similar to this!)
- Bear spray (You can’t take this on a plane so you’ll have to buy it when you arrive.)
- John Muir and the Ice that Started a Fire by Kim Heacox (This biography of John Muir is a must-read for any Alaska trip and adds great background context!)
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