Best glacier destinations in North America
Best glacier destinations in North America
Vast ice fields and accessible mountain glaciers in North America
North America's glacial environments range from the vast ice fields and tidewater glaciers of Alaska and the Canadian Rockies to the retreating alpine glaciers of the Pacific northwest and the remote polar ice systems of the far north. The continent contains some of the most accessible and dramatically situated glacial landscapes in the world, with boat-based viewing, flightseeing and guided ice walk programmes supporting visitor access across a wide range of fitness levels and experience.
Alaska's tidewater glaciers deliver some of the most compelling glacial encounters available anywhere, with calving ice fronts accessible by boat from established cruise and charter operations. The interior ice fields of the mountain west offer a contrasting experience built around helicopter landings, ski touring and guided mountaineering programmes that bring significant high-altitude ice systems within reach of non-technical visitors.
Glacial retreat has accelerated considerably across the continent and checking current conditions before travel is essential as access routes change as ice recedes. Guided access is strongly recommended at all active glacial environments where crevasse risk and unstable ice make independent exploration dangerous. Seasonal access windows are compressed and advance booking for the most sought-after programmes is essential during peak summer months.
Lists by region
Country
Greenland
Arctic wilderness with ice landscapes
A single ice sheet blankets about 80 percent of Greenland and spans roughly 660,000 square miles. Its ice reaches 11,444 feet at the thickest point. Jakobshavn Isbræ is the largest outlet glacier and has drained about 6.5 percent of the sheet. Complete melting would raise global sea levels by about 24 feet.
State/Prefecture in United States
Alaska
Land of superlatives and adventure
Ice covers roughly 29,000 square miles of the state. The Bering Glacier alone spans about 2,000 square miles and is described as the largest glacier in North America. Hubbard Glacier flows 76 miles to Disenchantment Bay and has advanced for about a century. Ships reach tidewater faces such as Hubbard's.
National Park in United States
Denali National Park
Wild Alaska’s peaks and wildlife
Glaciers cover about 16 percent of this park. Kahiltna Glacier runs roughly 44 miles and is the longest in the Alaska Range. Ruth Glacier measures about 31 miles in length and 3,800 feet in thickness. Above them stands Denali at 20,310 feet, the highest mountain in North America.
National Park in Canada
Jasper National Park
Untamed Wilderness and Starry Skies
Athabasca Glacier lies close to the Icefields Parkway. It is described as one of the most accessible and visited glaciers in the world. A 1.1 mile interpretive trail marks where the ice once reached. The Angel Glacier can be viewed from a lookout on Mount Edith Cavell.
National Park in Canada
Banff National Park
Majestic Peaks and Turquoise Lakes
Peyto Glacier has lost about 70 percent of its volume since record keeping began. The northern end of the park reaches the Columbia Icefield, called the largest uninterrupted glacial mass in the Rockies. The Icefields Parkway links Lake Louise to Jasper over about 140 miles.
National Park in United States
Glacier Bay National Park
Majestic glaciers and pristine wilderness
Seven tidewater glaciers reach the water here and four actively calve icebergs into the bay. In 1794 one large glacier nearly filled the bay. By 1879 John Muir found the ice had retreated about 48 miles up the bay. Johns Hopkins Glacier still advances roughly 10 to 15 feet per day.
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