Alaska’s glacier hiking and climbing adventures are designed for a variety of interest and experience levels. Guided Camping & Hiking The 4,000-acre wildlife refuge provides protected habitat for terrestrial and aquatic life Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge is where land and and sea meet and intermingle in saltwater wetlands. To the south of the Lodge lie the Tordrillo Mountains. Younger, less compressed white ice contains many tiny air bubbles. It’s only about 2.5 miles long and is fed by two small accumulation areas. Official State of Alaska Vacation and Travel Information. Click here to find businesses that can help you explore Alaska's glaciers. Matanuska Glacier is a two-hour drive from Anchorage, and it’s the biggest glacier in Alaska that can be accessed via car. Inside Passage The end of the glacier (aka the glacier terminus) is over 24 miles long and 4 miles wide, and it is actually a valley glacier meaning it rests on the floor of the valley. And, if you’re lucky, you may even see an ice worm! Visitors can try kayaking near the mouth of a tidewater glacier, take a guided hike across a valley glacier, or drive to Southcentral Alaska’s easily accessible Exit and Worthington glaciers. Visitors to Southeastern Alaska have only one option when it comes to up-close ice-gazing: Mendenhall Glacier. Perhaps the most intimate way to experience the awesome scale of Alaska's glaciers is on the water. Several tour companies provide flightseeing or helicopter glacier landings, while boat cruises in the Inside Passage, Prince William Sound, and Resurrection Bay take you through berg-y waters to the glacier’s face. Spencer Glacier, Raven Glacier, McBride Glacier, and Portage Glacier are the most famous among them. Juneau *Please accept our privacy policy I have read and agree to the terms and conditions in the privacy policy. However, it’s not the best maintained trail, so going with a guide could save you from getting lost (bonus: they’ll have all the tools you’ll need to hike safely on the glacier and know where the best ice caves are). Feel the wind blowing off the glacier and be inspired. This is strictly an introductory with no steep walls and low heights of 50+ feet. One of the most popular glaciers in Alaska, Mendenhall sits just 12 miles outside of Juneau.The West Glacier Trail, a roughly four-mile jaunt, is the easiest way to get there. ▼. Whether you’re driving along on of Alaska’s Scenic Byways, on a cruise, flightseeing, or hiking, it’s easy to see Alaska’s glaciers. If you’re an ambitious hiker, you can make a day out of it and follow the switchbacks up to Harding Icefield.This 500-square-mile frozen mass feeds almost three dozen glaciers, including Exit. If you would like to compare where services are located, you can Add to My Alaska to compile a list and see all the points on the same map. Whether it’s your first time glacier hiking, paddling or you are an experienced adventurer, we offer a variety of … Hiking is an inherently dangerous activity, and Alaska is an inherently dangerous place; so no matter what I or anyone else says, you are responsible for your own safety and choices. We are a Seward based guiding and hiking company focused on providing affordable Alaskan Adventures on the mountains and glaciers of Alaska. We couldn’t wait to go glacier hiking in Anchorage! ▼, Region: Call or email us today to set up a Matanuska Glacier adventure designed just for you. Start your day in Anchorage or Girdwood and join one of glacier day tours to get off the beaten path on a small group adventure, led by friendly and knowledgeable guides. Glaciers are located throughout the Inside Passage, Southcentral Alaska’s coastal waters, and the high mountains of Interior Alaska. And Kennicott Glacier Lodge is great for self-guided hikes. The best lodges for guided hiking: Kenai Backcountry Lodge, where you'll hike through the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge; Kenai Riverside Lodge, which offers hikes in Chugach National Forest; Camp Denali / North Face Lodge in the heart of Denali. Exit Glacier is one of the few glaciers in Alaska that you can practically get within arm’s length of. You can order special guided tours; there are plenty to choose from. Cool summers and abundant snowfall in winter, especially at higher elevations, transform snow into ice, building layer on layer over hundreds or thousands of years. Most days, hiking guides will be leading 5 or 8 hour hikes on the Root Glacier. One quarter of Alaska’s glaciers - more than 4.5 million acres - can be found within Alaska’s national parks. The mountains surrounding the glaciers and the Lodge, born of volcanic activity as recent as a 1992 eruption of Mt. 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