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How to Support National Parks—While Experiencing Them Like Never Before

a group of people in a boat on a body of water

 

Glacier Bay National Park and Tongass National Forest Funding Is Changing—What Does That Mean for Your Alaskan Small Ship Cruise?

If you’ve been following recent headlines, you’ve seen that funding for national parks and forests is being reevaluated. This hits the crew at our Alaskan small ship cruise company close to home, because we operate under a special use permit on the Tongass National Forest and are also a concessionaire in Glacier Bay National Park.

The National Park Service (NPS) and U.S. Forest Service are adjusting how they manage visitor programs, conservation efforts, and wilderness monitoring. Westward is the first purpose built Alaskan expedition ship (1924) and has been cruising these Alaskan waters since long before Glacier Bay was even recognized as a national park – in that context this hits us even closer to home. So, we’ve taken some time to read a great deal of recent reporting on the matter (links below) and reflect on what this means when you join us in visiting these pristine wilderness areas in 2025.

diagram, timeline

How National Park & Forest Funding Changes Impact Your Alaska Small Ship Cruise

We’re watching this unfold as we prepare to welcome you to these remote wilderness areas aboard our historic small ships. Just last week, we received outreach from the US Forest Service regarding staffing levels in the wilderness areas of Tracy Arm and Fords Terror—two of the most magical places on the Pacific Coast, and our home surf.

Wilderness rangers have historically patrolled these majestic fjords on kayaks all summer long. They are key stewards of these beautiful places, ensuring that visitors respect wildlife and that the ecosystem remains intact. Sometimes, that even means reminding those drone flying YouTubers that they are in a no-fly zone, and their buzzing can disturb a new harbor seal mother while she nurses the next generation of those cute little pinnipeds.

National Forest Funding

For years, we’ve welcomed these wilderness rangers aboard our small ships, offering them a hot meal from our galley while they shared insights about the land, wildlife, and conservation efforts. This year, those rangers won’t be able to join us. Last week, the Forest Service told us, “It is up to you now to be the eyes and ears of the Wilderness.”

Challenge Accepted.

We are proud to continue sharing the stories, history, and science of these places. It also means that visiting these parks and wilderness areas responsibly is more important than ever. This is where you come in.

How Your Alaska Small Ship Cruise Directly Supports Glacier Bay National Park & the Tongass National Forest

When you visit these places with us, you help fund their future. It’s all tied to the permits that we are fortunate to operate under. Every time one of our small ships enters the waters of Glacier Bay National Park, we pay the park a per-person use fee. Likewise, every time you don your rubber boots and step off the skiff or kayak for a guided walk, we pay a use fee to the Tongass National Forest.

These permits give us access to the most remote areas—special places that the big ships can’t even dream of touching. Heck, they can barely even see them through a set of binos. We can only take a maximum of 12 people with us. At most, that means 11 adventurous travelers and 1 expert guide.

By choosing to travel with us, your visit isn’t just a vacation—it’s a way to actively participate in the funding and preservation of these landscapes.

Glacier Bay National Park Small Ship Cruise

Spring in Alaska—The Perfect Time to Visit

To be honest, we are a little surprised that we still have availability on the first trips of the 2025 season. Is all this reporting making you worried that the federal funding changes will affect your experience?  Don’t be. Our ships and crew are self-contained. We have everything you need.  All you have to do is get to the dock.

Spring in Alaska is something special. The humpbacks are returning, the bears are waking up, the glaciers are still shifting from winter’s grip, and the landscape is alive with renewal. Surprisingly, May and June are the least rainy months in Southeast Alaska. If (when) it does rain, our ships are warm and toasty. They were built for this environment. It is as much their habitat as it is the sea otters’. We’ve got hot showers, hot toddies, and hot, chef-prepared gourmet meals.

 

Final Thoughts: Our Stewardship Mindset

With the loss of wilderness rangers in the fjords, the responsibility to watch over these places falls to those of us who are out there every day. That includes our crew, our guests, and anyone who loves these wild spaces. This isn’t just a call to book a trip. It’s a call to action. A call to be part of something bigger.

We’ll be the eyes and ears for the wilderness this year, and we are ready for whatever comes next.
Will you join us?

a couple of people that are walking on the side of a mountain

Here’s a list of writings that have been in our feeds, and likely yours as well.

 

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