Exploring Leconte Bay & Glacier Alaska
At the head of the Leconte bay is the terminus of the Leconte Glacier. It is the southernmost tidewater glacier in the northern hemisphere. The bay is easily reached by boat from Wrangell or Petersburg, Alaska. There are several companies that offer tours from both towns. Tour length varies, but a lot at least half a day to the excursion.
The bay is filled with icebergs of many sizes. If you are lucky you might see the glacier calving while you are there and massive icebergs dropping into the water. The massive glacier edge right along the water is an incredible sight to see. Sometimes there is too much ice in the bay to get up close to the glacier or even make it around the bend to see the glacier face. Even if the glacier is not visible going to the bay is still an incredible adventure. The snow capped mountains, glacier carved rock faces, icebergs and wildlife make it worth the trip. Get up close to icebergs big and small. It is also fun to get a few chunks out of the water to chill your drinks.
Leconte Bay has incredible rock cliffs from years of being carved by the glacier. There are massive waterfalls that come down the cliffs from the mountains above and because the fjord has such steep sides it is possible to get up close to the waterfalls in a boat. The water in the bay has a beautiful turquoise tint from the glacier waters.
You can also see wildlife in the bay and outside. In the spring seals haul out on icebergs in Leconte Bay to have their pups and you can see many new born seals. Killer whales also frequent the bay and its surroundings, sometimes feeding on the seals. Frederick Sound outside the bay is also a summer home to many humpback whales and it is not uncommon to see humpbacks as you transit to and from Leconte, especially if you are doing the trip from Petersburg. On the mountains and cliffs in and around Leconte you may also see mountain goats. On occassion they will even come down close to the waters edge and you can see them up close. Packing binoculars if you have them for the trip is highly recommended!
At the entrance toLeconte Bay is Indian Point, which is a great spot to anchor the boat and go to shore. In the treeline there are even places to pitch a tent, if you wanted to spend more time in the area. You could bring kayaks and kayak into the bay from here on a nice day trip. Many times in big tides, icebergs get stuck on the beach at Indian Point and you can have the opportunity to stand next to them or on them.
Another incredible way to see Leconte Glacier and the ice fields that surround it is by booking a flight seeing tour. There are small plane and helicopters that do tours. They will fly over the glacier and take you close to Devil’s Thumb peak. The helicopter tour is more expensive than the flightseeing, but can offer the opportunity to land on the glacier or in the mountains above.
Tours from Petersburg: Seek Alaska Tours, Whale Song Cruises,
Tours from Wrangell: Breakaway Adventures & Muddy Water Adventures
