Muir Inlet

Plant succession following rapid glacial retreat is readily apparent in Muir Inlet.

NPS Photo/S. Tevebaugh

The east arm of Glacier Bay is known as Muir Inlet, named for naturalist John Muir. In the 1880s, the inlet was not very long as it was filled by the Muir Glacier, a popular destination for early cruise ship visitors. In 1899, the glacier went into rapid retreat. Today the inlet is over 20 miles long and the terminus of the Muir Glacier is no longer tidewater. With the recession of the Muir and other glaciers in the east arm, park visitation has shifted to the west arm of Glacier Bay, where several tidewater glaciers are still accessible to large vessels. Muir Inlet continues to be a popular destination for kayakers and private boaters.