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135° 44' W Longitude - 58° 24' N Latitude
Gustavus lies on the north shore of Icy Passage at the mouth of the Salmon River, 48 air miles northwest of Juneau in the St. Elias Mountains. It lies at the entrance to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, adjacent to Park land.

History:
When Capt. George Vancouver sailed through Icy Strait in 1794, Glacier Bay was completely enclosed by the Grand Pacific Glacier. Over the next century, the glacier retreated some 40 miles, and a spruce-hemlock forest began to develop. By 1916, it had retreated 65 miles from the position observed by Vancouver in 1794. Gustavus began as an agricultural homestead in 1914. It was once known as Strawberry Point due to the abundant wild strawberries. The current name was derived from Point Gustavus, which lies 7 miles to the southwest. Glacier Bay National Monument was established by President Calvin Coolidge in 1925. It became a National Park in 1980, with the passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.
Today, Gustavus is primarily a non-Native community with a number of seasonal-use homes for Juneau residents. The nearby Glacier Bay Park is a major recreation and tourist attraction in Southeast. Gustavus has a seasonal economy; the lodge and park, located northwest of Gustavus, attract a number of tourists and recreation enthusiasts during summer months. Some commercial fishing occurs in season. The lodge, airport, school, small businesses, and the Park Service offer employment in the community.