Glacier Bay Country Inn, Gustavus

This was a time for firsts: Glacier Bay, deep sea fishing, whale watching, I had no idea they would happen all at once! My husband and I stayed at the Glacier Bay Country Inn for one full week in early July. The staff, the comfortable rooms, the gourmet meals, the beauty and serenity of the setting--all top drawer. The owner/operators couldn't have been more accommodating and friendly. Good people, great service. I'm saving my dollars for a return trip. Who needs a cruise when you can have it all in this tiny harbor fishing village that rivals anything seen on Northern Exposure? We caught 50-200 lb. halibut, a rock fish, coho and king salmon--all the while watching whales spouting, breaching and synchronized diving on each of our 4-days of fishing! On one day they were only 200 feet off our bow! It surpassed anything I could have imagined when we made the reservations. Worth every cent we paid. Others we fished with stayed at other inns that were excellent, but none rivaled the service and quality of our meals. This inn and it's famous 3-course meals are where the locals pay to have dinner when they're celebrating an anniversary or special event. Our extended family and other guests gathered around the front deck and fire pit each evening, swathed in mosquito spray, to swap adventure stories of the day or watch the teenagers, including staff, play horseshoes or kickball. Whenever we struck up a game of cards or board games (supplied by the Inn), staff brought us a late-night snack or buttered popcorn. Fishing, zip lining, kyacking, glacier viewing, whale watching, hiking, biking, river fishing, plane or helicopter rides--you will find adventures for any age or ability. The biggest problem you'll have at the Country Inn will be trying to ramp up your activity level during the day to work off all that yummy food.

We recently had the opportunity to go to Alaska with our entire family (Parents, brother and his wife, two sisters and their husbands and their two kids) and we all had a blast!! My dad planned the trip for us so going into the vacation I had no idea what to expect. Upon arrival at the Glacier Bay Country Inn I was very pleased with the beautiful scenery surrounding the lodge. We stayed in a cabin and I found the accommodations to be very comfortable. We could not have asked for better excursions! Our deep see fishing trip also turned into over 2 hours of whale watching, truly a once and a life time experience to be that close to so many whales. The trip to Glacier Bay was also beautiful and we couldn’t have asked for better weather. We chartered a flight to Skagway where we followed the Klondike Trail of the 1893 Gold Rush which was fascinating. Each excursion was worry free thanks to the wonderful planning of Glacier Bay Country Inn. Each night, after our long and wonderful days of exploring, we were greeted by a superb dinner, to include homemade bread (baked fresh daily of course) and a selection between two fantastic meals each night. The Southwestern Halibut, Prime Rib and Pesto Salmon, to name a few, instantly became family favorites. After an adventures day and a full belly, it was complete serenity to lie down in a comfortable cabin. With great adventure close by, wonderful food, a great staff and comfortable accommodations, the Glacier Bay Country Inn is a wonderful place to stay while exploring Alaska.

Last year I went with several friends on a fishing trip to Alaska. I had been once before and several of my friends had been many times up by Anchorage but we all wanted to try something new that was a little more secluded so we decided on Glacier Bay Country Inn located in Gustavus, Alaska. We had the time of our lives. The first day was halibut fishing and all 4 of us caught 100+lbs Halibut. (Which I hear is a pretty good day). We also did some fly-fishing and got on some big Steelheads. It was my first time fly-fishing so I wasn;t that great but by the end of the day the guide had me going pretty good and I caught a lot of fish. We all came home with about 100lbs of Halibut each and some salmon as well. All of the reviews I have read on Glacier Bay Country Inn mention the food and it is absolutely true. Go with high expectations and you will still be surprised at how great the food is. It is also included in the cost of the lodging which is nice and actually very affordable. The Chef was a really cool guy and came out to make sure everything was perfect. The staff was super friendly and the service was awesome. I have been craving the food there for almost a year now and cannot wait to go back. The cabins were very nice and comfortable. The beds were very comfortable and I slept really well. I shared a cabin with one of the guys and there was plenty of room. We also did the day cruise through Glacier Bay National Park and saw every kind of wildlife you can think of as well as several glaciers. We also went kayaking through the Humpback Whale Preserve and despite trying to keep our distance we got within about 50 yards of several whales. It was absolutely amazing. We also did a lot of hiking and came across moose and bears. We kept our distance of course but it was a lot of fun. I am booked to go back in July this year and I was looking through pictures again and had to share the great experience. If you want a place to experience the great state of Alaska and you want a place away from the crowds I highly recommend visiting Glacier Bay Country Inn. I have not been everywhere but I have heard a lot of stories about people spending a lot of money and coming back a little dissatisfied. I had that experience on my first trip to Alaska in the Kenai and it was crowded, the food was pretty basic, and the bunk beds we had were not very comfortable. Not to mention it was more expensive.

I love this lodge, we have gone twice and each time the staff was great. The best things about the Glacier Bay Country Inn are the food, the area (sits on 150 acres surrounded by mountains and rain forest), and especially the staff. I love how the lodge has private cabins you can stay in but seriously in a place like the Glacier Bay National Park, you won't be spending too much time at the lodge. Wherever you stay your gonna have an unforgettable experience.

I stayed five nights in this lodge and it was great from start to finish. I saw two black bears 100 yards from the cabin within two hours of arriving. Every night we had the finest dining you could ask for, and it was amazing to be eating that well in such an isolated spot. The cabin was clean and comfortable and the beds were perfect. The scenery up there was breathtaking. If you like true wilderness and enjoy the outdoors tis is a MUST stop. I went fishing for three of the days and each was well organized and very personal, which was all set up by the lodge. I can't wait to go back!

An AMAZING Alaskan Experience. Accommodations were extremely clean and comfortable. Both the lodge and the small cabins are beautiful and have a cozy bed and breakfast feel. The property is kept beautifully clean and is nestled in the middle of the Gustavus southeast Alaskan rain forest with beautiful meadows of wild flowers on one side and thick green mossy woods on the other. Absolutely beautiful! The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. The hostess was especially sweet and very helpful in keeping us on our schedule for our planned activities each day. The staff was always to be found and always looking to help make us comfortable. The food was absolutely incredible!! The first night we arrived we had the most amazing dinner and that continued throughout every night of our trip! Every breakfast included hot breakfast of some type as well as fresh fruit and other options as well. Lunches were conveniently packed for us to take along on our planned daily activities and always included a delicious sandwich on fresh baked bread and snacks as well. Gustavus is THE place for an Alaskan experience. It is a tiny town with one road and less than 200 residents and only accessible by boat or plane. It is incredibly beautiful and there is some much to do. We went fishing with guides on a fishing boat in the bay and caught enough Halibut to last us through the rest of the year! Another day another friendly guide took us up mud river fly fishing and were caught and released big dolly vartons all day long and hiked through some beautiful back country landscapes. The day cruise up Glacier Bay was great too. We were able to see lots of wildlife including, tons of different birds, sea lions, sea otters, lots of humpback whales, lots of bald eagles, brown bears, black bears, and mountain goats. We were able to watch the glacier as pieces cracked and fell into the ocean. Its was a great experience.

This quaint, private, relaxing inn was a tremendous place to stay on our visit to Glacier Bay National Park. The inn provided bicycles to use, and drove a shuttle from the commuter flights and the Glacier Bay Tour docks. We only stayed a short while, but the food we experienced while there was delectible! We had snow crab that was just caught that morning. Every meal of the day, including snacks, was included with your stay; prepared by their in-house chef. The inn requires flying in of their foods as it's such a remote location, but given the abundance of variety and melt-in-your mouth cooking I would have thought I was in a major city with the privacy of home. Each of the rooms in the main part of the inn were "themed" with private baths, making it a very quaint and romantic atmosphere. I would highly recommend staying here!