America's Largest Glacier Accessible By Road - Alaska's MATANUSKA GLACIER
Updated: Mar 16, 2019
You can't drive up to the foot of many glaciers. Alaska and Canada contain hundreds of glaciers, but most require a boat or aircraft to even get close. A few are visible from a distance from the highway. Our five nights in Anchorage included some wonderfully scenic road trips. Our first road trip took us about 100 miles northeast of Anchorage. Alaska Route 1, a.k.a. the Glenn Highway, an exceptionally scenic, but less-traveled route with numerous pulloffs to allow motorists to stop and enjoy the mountain landscapes. The Glenn Highway winds through the Chugach Range along the glacially-fed Matanuska River. Our destination… the Matanuska Glacier… the largest glacier in the United States accessible by car. For a somewhat hefty fee ($25 in 2015), visitors may park at the foot of the glacier and hike up onto the glacier ice. Popular with independent travelers, the Matanuska Glacier attracts visitors of modest fitness levels as well as adventurous ice climbers. The glacier is a beautiful, unique experience and was the highlight of our Glenn Highway road trip.