{"id":23164,"date":"2017-11-01T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-10-31T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures?p=23164&preview=true&preview_id=23164"},"modified":"2024-10-19T06:23:54","modified_gmt":"2024-10-18T19:23:54","slug":"how-to-visit-alaskas-most-magnificent-glaciers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/how-to-visit-alaskas-most-magnificent-glaciers\/","title":{"rendered":"How to visit Alaska\u2019s most magnificent glaciers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Home to more than 100,000 rivers of ice, Alaska\u2019s glaciers are legendary.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Viewing these natural wonders \u2013 many of which are retreating rapidly \u2013 is a quintessential Alaska travel experience<\/a>, but how you go about it depends both on the nature of the glacier and your sense of adventure.<\/p>\n

Glaciers of western Prince William Sound: by day cruise or kayak<\/h3>\n
\"A<\/a>

Image via Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

Shielded from the Gulf of Alaska by a string of islands, the protected waters of Prince William Sound hold over 100 named glaciers. The most popular way to see them is by day cruise, with most boats departing from the port town of Whittier to explore glaciers on the western fringe of the Sound. Top itineraries include College Fjord, with its glaciers named for Ivy League universities, Blackstone Bay with its massive Blackstone and Beloit Glaciers, and Harriman Fjord, which is home to the Surprise Glacier, the most active tidewater glacier in the Sound.<\/p>\n

More adventurous travellers may wish to opt for a kayaking tour. While kayakers must keep a safe distance from the face of glaciers, which can calve at any time, paddlers can expect to get a lot closer to icebergs \u2013 as well as wildlife like whales, seals, otters and bears \u2013 than boat passengers are able to. Some say the best kayaking tours run from Valdez, in the northeast of Prince William Sound, where kayakers can paddle through the 19 kilometre-long iceberg field that lies in the wake of the rapidly retreating Columbia Glacier.<\/p>\n

Knik Glacier: by heli-tour or dogsled<\/h3>\n
\"A<\/a>

Photo by Sarah Reid<\/p><\/div>\n

Just 80 kilometres east of Anchorage and spanning more than eight kilometres across, the Knik Glacier is one of the largest in south-central Alaska, and, as there are no roads in, the best way to see it is from above\u00a0 by helicopter (tours run from the nearby Knik River Lodge). If you\u2019ve got money to spend, you can follow up your heli-tour with a dogsledding tour across the ice \u2013 led by professional Iditarod dog mushers \u2013 and be back in Anchorage in time for dinner.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:\u00a0OUR GUIDE TO ALASKA\u2019S TOP 5 NATIONAL PARKS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Exit Glacier: on foot<\/h3>\n
\"Kenai<\/a>

Photo by Phillip Sauerbeck on Unsplash<\/p><\/div>\n

Just a ten-minute drive out of Seward and open year-round, the Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park is among Alaska\u2019s most accessible ice fields. There\u2019s a lookout just 800 metres from the car park, otherwise take a short 15-minute stroll to the edge of the glacier. If you\u2019ve got a whole day to spare, consider tackling the Harding Icefield Trail (13 kilometres), which winds through cottonwood and alder forests to a spectacular viewpoint over the breathtaking field of ice. Local operators also offer glacier trekking and ice-climbing tours on the glacier itself.<\/p>\n

Glacier Bay National Park: by day cruise or kayak<\/h3>\n
\"Looking<\/a>

Photo by jesse orrico on Unsplash<\/p><\/div>\n

Northwest of Juneau, Alaska\u2019s capital city, Glacier Bay National Park is the world\u2019s largest UNESCO-protected biosphere, with glaciers accounting for more than a quarter of the park\u2019s area. As Juneau isn\u2019t accessible by road from the mainland, you\u2019ll need to fly in (or arrive by boat or cruise ship) to see its majestic glaciers, 11 of which meet the sea. Day cruises typically take in key glaciers in the west arm of the bay (such as the active Margerie and Grand Pacific Glaciers), while kayaking tours stick to the east arm, which receives less boat traffic. If you\u2019re paddling, don\u2019t miss the McBride Glacier, which can often be seen calving, and the Muir Glacier, which you can get a little closer to (it stopped calving around two decades ago).<\/p>\n

Worthington Glacier: by car<\/h3>\n
\"En<\/a>

Photo by Snehal Shah on Unsplash<\/p><\/div>\n

You don\u2019t even have to get out of your vehicle to view some of Alaska\u2019s glaciers. Just half an hour\u2019s drive northeast of Valdez, the Worthington Glacier can be seen oozing down a mountainside adjacent to the Richardson Highway. For the best photo opps, make a pit stop at milepost 28.7, or pull into the State Recreation Site car park and take a short walk along the marked trail to get a closer look.<\/p>\n

Glaciers of Wrangell-St Elias National Park: on foot or by flightseeing<\/h3>\n
\"Meltponds<\/a>

Photo by Sarah Reid<\/p><\/div>\n

Ever wondered what a glacier looks like from the inside? If you\u2019re travelling through Wrangell-St Elias National Park \u2013 the largest national park in the US \u2013 this is the place to do it. Glaciers cover more than 25 per cent of the park, though most hiking (and ice-climbing) tours focus on the Root Glacier, which features ice caves such as the Jumbo Creek ice cave, where you can stand surrounded by glistening blue ice. Flight-seeing tours, which typically include a flyover of the immense Bagley Icefield, are also popular in the national park.<\/p>\n

Spencer Glacier: by rail<\/h3>\n
\"Denali<\/a>

Photo by Jesse Brack on Unsplash<\/p><\/div>\n

It might not be Alaska\u2019s largest or most spectacular glacier, but half the appeal of visiting the Spencer Glacier, set between Anchorage and Denali, is the journey there, as it\u2019s only accessible by train. The Glacier Discovery Train departs Anchorage at 9.45am daily between May and mid-September, which allows for over two hours at the glacier, where you can opt to take a rowboat tour around the glacier\u2019s icebergs, or even a kayak tour which includes a short hike up the glacier\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

Experience Alaska’s epic glaciers<\/a> for yourself on an Intrepid small group adventure.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Feature image by\u00a0Ben Possehl<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0Unsplash.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Home to more than 100,000 rivers of ice, Alaska\u2019s glaciers are legendary.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15946,"featured_media":23168,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[455,1313],"tags":[70,1267,874,423,1732],"class_list":["post-23164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature","category-guides","tag-alaska","tag-glaciers","tag-national-parks","tag-north-america","tag-winter"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to visit Alaska\u2019s most magnificent glaciers | Intrepid Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Viewing these natural wonders is a quintessential Alaska travel experience, but how you go about it depends both the glaciers and your sense of adventure.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/how-to-visit-alaskas-most-magnificent-glaciers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to visit Alaska\u2019s most magnificent glaciers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Home to more than 100,000 rivers of ice, Alaska\u2019s glaciers are legendary.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/how-to-visit-alaskas-most-magnificent-glaciers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Good Times by Intrepid\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/intrepidtravel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-10-31T22:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-10-18T19:23:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/ben-possehl-295725-e1509422375794.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"450\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sarah Reid\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Intrepid_Travel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Intrepid_Travel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sarah Reid\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/how-to-visit-alaskas-most-magnificent-glaciers\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/how-to-visit-alaskas-most-magnificent-glaciers\/\",\"name\":\"How to visit Alaska\u2019s most magnificent glaciers | Intrepid Travel Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/how-to-visit-alaskas-most-magnificent-glaciers\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/how-to-visit-alaskas-most-magnificent-glaciers\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/ben-possehl-295725-e1509422375794.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-10-31T22:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-10-18T19:23:54+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/fc7d110847d1ea9a51f980c1a0e53df4\"},\"description\":\"Viewing these natural wonders is a quintessential Alaska travel experience, but how you go about it depends both the glaciers and your sense of adventure.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/how-to-visit-alaskas-most-magnificent-glaciers\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/how-to-visit-alaskas-most-magnificent-glaciers\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/how-to-visit-alaskas-most-magnificent-glaciers\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/ben-possehl-295725-e1509422375794.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/ben-possehl-295725-e1509422375794.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":450,\"caption\":\"Photo by Ben Possehl on Unsplash\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/how-to-visit-alaskas-most-magnificent-glaciers\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How to visit Alaska\u2019s most magnificent glaciers\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/\",\"name\":\"The Good Times by Intrepid\",\"description\":\"adventure news\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/fc7d110847d1ea9a51f980c1a0e53df4\",\"name\":\"Sarah Reid\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7684759aa90c8bdf3818e696571b664757153eb9bc7d20f999678f6d414c24cc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7684759aa90c8bdf3818e696571b664757153eb9bc7d20f999678f6d414c24cc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Sarah Reid\"},\"description\":\"When my \u2018little career break\u2019 morphed into two ski seasons in Canada, followed by a year-long backpacking odyssey through Latin America, I could no longer see myself going back to the features desk on a women\u2019s lifestyle magazine. My \u2018office\u2019 now ranges from exotic airports to Bedouin tents, Himalayan teahouses to hip co-working spaces. And I wouldn\u2019t have it any other way. Between writing for travel titles around the globe and trying to adjust to whatever time zone I\u2019m in, I also run a sustainable travel-focused blog, ecotravelist.com and recently wrote The Solo Travel Handbook, published by Lonely Planet.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/ecotravelist.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/author\/sarah-reid\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to visit Alaska\u2019s most magnificent glaciers | Intrepid Travel Blog","description":"Viewing these natural wonders is a quintessential Alaska travel experience, but how you go about it depends both the glaciers and your sense of adventure.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/how-to-visit-alaskas-most-magnificent-glaciers\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to visit Alaska\u2019s most magnificent glaciers","og_description":"Home to more than 100,000 rivers of ice, Alaska\u2019s glaciers are legendary.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/how-to-visit-alaskas-most-magnificent-glaciers\/","og_site_name":"The Good Times by Intrepid","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/intrepidtravel\/","article_published_time":"2017-10-31T22:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-10-18T19:23:54+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":450,"url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/ben-possehl-295725-e1509422375794.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Sarah Reid","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Intrepid_Travel","twitter_site":"@Intrepid_Travel","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Sarah Reid","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/how-to-visit-alaskas-most-magnificent-glaciers\/","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/how-to-visit-alaskas-most-magnificent-glaciers\/","name":"How to visit Alaska\u2019s most magnificent glaciers | Intrepid Travel Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/how-to-visit-alaskas-most-magnificent-glaciers\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/how-to-visit-alaskas-most-magnificent-glaciers\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/ben-possehl-295725-e1509422375794.jpg","datePublished":"2017-10-31T22:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2024-10-18T19:23:54+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/fc7d110847d1ea9a51f980c1a0e53df4"},"description":"Viewing these natural wonders is a quintessential Alaska travel experience, but how you go about it depends both the glaciers and your sense of adventure.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/how-to-visit-alaskas-most-magnificent-glaciers\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/how-to-visit-alaskas-most-magnificent-glaciers\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/how-to-visit-alaskas-most-magnificent-glaciers\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/ben-possehl-295725-e1509422375794.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/ben-possehl-295725-e1509422375794.jpg","width":800,"height":450,"caption":"Photo by Ben Possehl on Unsplash"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/how-to-visit-alaskas-most-magnificent-glaciers\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to visit Alaska\u2019s most magnificent glaciers"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/","name":"The Good Times by Intrepid","description":"adventure news","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/fc7d110847d1ea9a51f980c1a0e53df4","name":"Sarah Reid","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7684759aa90c8bdf3818e696571b664757153eb9bc7d20f999678f6d414c24cc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7684759aa90c8bdf3818e696571b664757153eb9bc7d20f999678f6d414c24cc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Sarah Reid"},"description":"When my \u2018little career break\u2019 morphed into two ski seasons in Canada, followed by a year-long backpacking odyssey through Latin America, I could no longer see myself going back to the features desk on a women\u2019s lifestyle magazine. My \u2018office\u2019 now ranges from exotic airports to Bedouin tents, Himalayan teahouses to hip co-working spaces. And I wouldn\u2019t have it any other way. Between writing for travel titles around the globe and trying to adjust to whatever time zone I\u2019m in, I also run a sustainable travel-focused blog, ecotravelist.com and recently wrote The Solo Travel Handbook, published by Lonely Planet.","sameAs":["http:\/\/ecotravelist.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/author\/sarah-reid\/"}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/ben-possehl-295725-e1509422375794.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4OQMK-61C","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23164","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15946"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23164"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23164\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":77986,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23164\/revisions\/77986"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23164"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23164"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}