Park Service puts Glacier Bay's only kayak rental up for bid for the next 10 years

The National Park Service is taking proposals for the only business allowed to rent kayaks that visitors can paddle on their own in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, under a new 10-year contract starting Feb. 1, 2027.

Glacier Bay Sea Kayaks has run the rental at Bartlett Cove, near the park headquarters outside Gustavus, since 2015, and its contract was extended through Dec. 31. The agency released its prospectus Oct. 7.

The business serves a small slice of the park's visitors. Glacier Bay drew about 740,000 visitors in 2025, and about 95% of park visits in the last five years came on cruise ships, according to the prospectus. The kayak rental brought in $86,400 last year and paid the government $2,592 in franchise fees.

Several Gustavus companies offer guided kayak trips, and multi-day rentals are available in Juneau, about 60 miles away. But the Bartlett Cove concession is the only provider whose kayaks can go straight into park waters, the agency says.

The current company has an edge. As the existing operator, it can match the best competing offer if it submits a responsive proposal and isn't picked. Federal law in Alaska also gives preference to local residents and the most directly affected Native corporations for park concession contracts like this one.

A newcomer would start from scratch. The kayak sheds at Bartlett Cove belong to Glacier Bay Sea Kayaks and will be removed before the new contract begins, and the current company doesn't have to sell its boats or gear to whoever wins. The Park Service also warns that the rental's location may change under the park's frontcountry management plan.

The new operator would have to rent kayaks every year from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, could also rent gear and clothing and provide transportation, and would set its own prices as long as they stay comparable to similar services outside the park. Bidders propose a franchise fee of at least 3% of gross receipts or $1,000 a year, whichever is more. The agency projects $85,000 in receipts in 2027.

Would-be bidders must file a notice of intent by Oct. 28, and proposals are due Dec. 28.