One of the top things we have done during our entire Alaska trip was this eighty minute flight-seeing tour over Glacier Bay National Park by Paul of Mountain Flying Service in Haines Alaska. Our tour was arranged through his wife Amy. They have an office a few doors down from the visitor center in town. We left the timing a little loose until two days prior so that we could schedule around weather. We ended up with an evening flight at 5:00pm. We were joined by two other couples for a total of 6 passengers.
Mountain Flying Service has a downtown storefront
Our tour was given in a De Havilland Beaver. When asked for a volunteer to sit up front next to the pilot, I eagerly stepped forward. Everybody had a window seat for the entire flight. Mike and I sat on opposite sides of the plane to maximize photo opportunities and both took a camera. Everyone was given a headset and microphone to wear during the flight.
The tour was flown in a De Havilland Beaver
Glacier Bay National Park
Mountain and glaciers
The tour was spectacular. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve covers 3.3 million acres. During our time in Alaska, we have seen glaciers from boats, hikes and vehicles. We’ve even hiked on a glacier. Flying over top of glaciers provided not just grand and fantastic viewing, but also the opportunity to experience the enormity and scale that is hard to get from the ground. There are huge expanses of mountains and ice as far as you can see.
Glaciers
Rugged mountains and glaciers
A closer look at a glacier
Mountains and glaciers
Our summer spent learning about glaciers and their ability to carve out valleys came alive with the opportunity to see that happening from above. The march of the glaciers was so clear. We also saw tidal glaciers, alluvial fans, braided rivers and the interaction of water and rock. As an added bonus, we saw mountain goats and grizzly bears on some of the high slopes.
Tidal glacier
The glacier carves mountains in its path
An alluvial fan created from the deposits of the water flowing down hill
A large landslide is visible on the glacier
A glacial carved valley and braided river
Paul was an excellent tour guide, identifying mountains, glaciers and waterways along our route. Unfortunately it was overcast for most of our flight. As we neared our turn around point, there was sun shining through from a pass ahead. He took us out a little further than our tour was scheduled, giving us a view of the Pacific Ocean, the mountains near Sitka to the south stretching to St. Elias in the north.
Sunshine can be seen on the other side of the pass ahead
Mount Crillon
The Pacific Ocean
Mountains and bays
We highly recommend a flight-seeing tour with Mountain Flying Service from Haines, Alaska. The cost was $199/person for the eighty minute “West Arm” tour. It takes you deep into Glacier National Park, near Mount Fairweather at 15,300 feet elevation. Tidewater glaciers included: Grand Pacific, Margerie, Lamplugh, and Johns Hopkins.
NOTE: We did not receive any compensation, services, or discounts for writing this review.
