
Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm
Glacier fjords south of Juneau. Ships sail in for a few hours to view the Sawyer Glaciers or, in Endicott Arm, Dawes Glacier.
Nobody goes ashore: the visit is from the deck. Since the 2025 landslide most large ships have gone to Endicott Arm instead.
Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm are two neighbouring fjords that open onto Holkham Bay, about 75 km (45 miles) south-east of Juneau. Each is more than 48 km (30 miles) long, with steep rock walls, waterfalls and floating ice. They lie in the Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness, in the Tongass National Forest. Tracy Arm ends at the North and South Sawyer glaciers; Endicott Arm ends at Dawes Glacier.
Ships do not dock and nobody goes ashore. The visit lasts a few hours, often early in the morning before a call in Juneau the same day. Floating ice often keeps large ships well away from the glacier faces, and when it blocks Tracy Arm they go to Endicott Arm instead. Many seven-night Inside Passage cruises from Seattle and Vancouver list the stop as "Tracy Arm/Endicott Arm", with lines such as Holland America, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian and Oceania.
On 10 August 2025 a landslide above South Sawyer Glacier fell into Tracy Arm and caused a tsunami that ran about 480 m (1,580 feet) up the opposite wall. No ship was in the fjord and nobody was hurt. The USGS says the area remains hazardous: more rockfall from the scar could cause new local waves. In 2026 most large lines, among them Holland America, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, MSC and Virgin Voyages, went to Endicott Arm instead. No official closure has been announced, and for 2027 some lines still list Tracy Arm. Check with your line which fjord your ship will visit.
How the day goes
- 05:00Into Holkham BayThe ship leaves Stephens Passage and enters Holkham Bay, where Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm meet. Speed drops and the first icebergs appear.
- 06:00Up the fjordThe fjord narrows between steep rock walls, with waterfalls and floating ice. The ship follows the bends at low speed, and the captain keeps watch on the ice.
- 07:00Near the glaciersThe ship stops where the ice allows and turns slowly. In Tracy Arm the goal is the Sawyer Glaciers; in Endicott Arm, Dawes Glacier.
- 08:00Back down the fjordThe ship sails out the same way. A good time for the other side of the fjord, seals on the ice and the waterfalls missed on the way in.
- 09:00Course for JuneauBack in Stephens Passage, the ship heads north to Juneau, about 75 km away. On these days it usually arrives around midday or early afternoon.
Map of Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm
Climate
Average daily temperatureCool and often wet, also in summer. Near the ice it is colder than in Juneau, where July averages about 14 °C. Ships visit from May to September.
Cruises that sail into Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm
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Tips for your call
- Dress warmAir near the ice is cold even in July, and it is often wet or windy. Bring a warm layer, a rain jacket, a hat and gloves for the open decks.
- Where to watchThe forward open decks give the best view of both walls and the ice ahead. Balconies show one side only; ships usually turn so both sides see the glacier.
- Early startOn days with a Juneau call the ship is often in the fjord from about 05:00. Check the time in the daily programme and be on deck before the turn.
- Tracy Arm or Endicott ArmSince the 2025 landslide most large ships go to Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier. Ice can also force the change. The captain decides on the day.
- Waterfalls and wildlifeBinoculars help: harbour seals rest on the floating ice, and mountain goats, bears and eagles are sometimes seen on the slopes.
- PhotographyLight is often grey and soft. A zoom lens helps with the glacier faces and wildlife. Keep a cloth at hand: rain and spray wet the lens.
In pictures


