See current Gray Line Alaska travel specials. A quick drive from Anchorage and even quicker drive from Palmer, you can view the stunning and massive Matanuska Glacier. The crystal ceilings look like the underside of a river frozen by a magician. The network of cerulean ice caves is what makes Mendenhall Glacier so unique and special. While there are plenty of things to do in Alaska’s largest city, we wanted to stick to outdoor activities. Dan-yr-Ogof, the National Showcaves Centre for Wales, Frasassi Caves (Grotte di Frasassi), Genga. Again, caution is advised: the glacier was named for a railroad employee who disappeared in 1905 while trekking on the ice. The route is easy to follow up a creek bed, which takes you right to the cave, with its huge arch of blue ice. Mendenhall Ice Caves – So what exactly are the Mendenhall ice caves and why do people’s eyes seem to light up with an enchanting glow when they hear those words? The glacier itself, visible from the Glenn Highway (Pro tip: the best view is at Mile 101) is 27 miles long and four miles wide and accessible through the private Matanuska Glacier Park. From an Alaska tour company website: “The term “ice cave,” it turns out, is sometimes used by geologists to describe a regular bedrock cave that features year-round ice, but as it’s usually meant when discussing Alaska, ice caves refer, well, to caves within a body of ice, namely a glacier. Download all free or royalty-free photos and vectors. The Mendenhall Glacier is a 12-mile-long … It is a six- to eight-hour hike to reach the iconic cave and you must bring the necessary glacier-travel equipment such as crampons and an ice axe. Answer 1 of 3: I am going on an NCL cruise stopping in Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchican on Sept6th--13th.I really want to see an ice cave.I have looked at excursions for glacier treks but none specifically say they see ice caves. The water that flows from it creates the wild Matanuska River. The footage John captured of the ice cave was absolutely stunning! While visiting Root Glacier, you’ll have the chance to explore tide pools on the surface of the glacier as well as its ice caves, deep ravines, and moulins – the holes that melting water cut into the ice. The Ice Caves located at the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska are natural ice formations tucked away in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. National Geographic. Located a short 12 miles outside Alaska’s capital city of Juneau, the Mendenhall Ice Caves are ever-changing due to melting ice and glacier recession but an absolute wonder to explore. At 4 miles wide and 27-miles long the Matanuska … Because of the greenhouse effect, ice caves tend to melt, therefore they may be dangerous for those who don’t know safe paths. If viewing a glacier from a safe distance is more your style, and if you’d like to get an overview of the different types of glaciers in Alaska, take the Prince William Sound 26 Glacier Cruise that departs from Anchorage. This active glacier advances about a foot daily, slowly changing its own features. The land route is unmarked and can be steep and slippery. Ice cave in Alaska. Now that you’ve been inspired to visit the unparalleled beauty of Alaska’s stunning ice caves, be sure to peruse the exciting Alaska tour offerings from Gray Line Alaska to complement your visit to one of the most beautiful places on Earth. It’s risky and it’s undeniably life threatening. Many people from all around the world come to Alaska to see this natural phenom​enon. Once a little-known gem off the Alaska Highway, the ice cave had become a popular tourist attraction in recent years. This massive glacier is about 60 miles from Anchorage, south of the Turnagain Arm area of the Kenai Mountains in the Chugach National Forest. The cave is hidden from view You will see the massive glacier in the distance and it just looks like piles of dirt and rocks. Check with Tongass park officials about local guide companies that can take you there. Getting up close and personal with an ice cave in Alaska is not for the faint of heart. Best Glacier Hiking in Alaska. The most famous Alaskan ice caves are located under Mendenhall, Root, Spencer, Matanuska, and Kennicott Glaciers. For a hike to the caves, bring along a local guide who can ensure you’re stocked with the appropriate gear. Alaska Ice Cave Tours on Matanuska Glacier. The Byron Glacier Ice caves killed a woman in July of 2018 the roof of these blue ice caves partially collapsed on camera in Spring 2019. Ice caves like the ones in Alaska may change substantially from year to year, lengthening, widening, or changing direction as meltwater continues to flow and the glacier moves downhill. Mendenhall Glacier is a very popular tourist destination, conveniently located just 12 miles from downtown Juneau, Alaska, so if you happen to be in Juneau or are planning a trip there, a … You can … I understand that during summer it is unsafe to enter into the cave itself. We took a kayak tour for this cave, our guide was experienced and quite helpful. Deep among the spectacular peaks to the west of Haines Junction is an ice cave that first became public knowledge in 2016, and has been getting an ever-increasing number of visitors. Your Mendenhall Ice Cave Alaska stock images are ready. Visitors can explore and learn about glacial features such as crevasses and ice caves. Here you can find tons of crystal clear ice, artistic shapes made by nature through millions of years, and soft sunbeams that barely pierce frozen walls… Looking at this miracle, only one thing may come to mind: it truly is a palace for a Snow Queen. Ice Cave Photography. The reward, though, are ice caves that you can explore. Glowing blue walls of ice, light seeping through cracks and holes, rushing and dripping water and loose rock and mud shifting under foot – this is not a journey for the faint of heart or shaky of foot, but one you’ll not want to miss if you’re up for the challenge! Don't try this at home! The enchanting Root Glacier is located in America’s largest national park, the 13.2 million-acre Wrangell-St. Elias. The Mendenhall Glacier ice caves are among the world’s most stunning, with their eerie, swelling blue domes that resemble the underside of a rapid river, flash-frozen. . Inside the glacier is a sight that few people have had the opportunity to see in person: the Mendenhall Ice Caves. Ice caves on the Matanuska Glacier are often elusive, but our guides are out there every day and if there’s one that we can get you to we’ll know about it! Ice caves make up its surreal interior. The Jumbo Creek ice cave in Root Glacier lets you stand inside a gorgeous space enclosed by blue-ice. If you’ve considered visiting Alaska you have probably stumbled across surreal photos of people standing and walking in the bright blue Mendenhall Ice Caves formed on the Mendenhall Glacier. Visit other members of our travel family The ice was melting and it was raining heavily inside, everything including my bag and camera went wet. Indeed, a glacier ice cave that was well-developed last year may even have disappeared come spring! Mendenhall Ice Caves – Juneau, Alaska. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. It is hard to believe that such places exist on Earth. Simply put, it’s very dangerous. The caves come and go as mother nature chooses and are accessible only to the most adventurous of travelers. The first thing I did was hiked on top of the glacier to get a better view. We kicked off our Alaska trip with a couple of days in Anchorage. Yet it’s hard for an adventure hound not to be totally captivated by the epic pictures floating around the internet. Kluane Ice Cave trail: Once a well-kept secret by the locals, this hike went viral as scores of Yukoners and tourists have since flocked to this accessible ice cave (which is really a tunnel). The good news is you can still enjoy Chugach National Forest and the Byron Glacier blue ice trail without risking it all. A word of warning: the very nature of glaciers make ice caves unstable and dangerous, so know the risks and your own skill level before attempting to trek to these frozen vistas by yourself. And while you’re planning your excursions, browse through these Alaska tours to make your adventure complete. The Castner Glacier is an easily accessible glacier toe in the Delta Mountains of the Alaska Range. This ice cave in Valdez glacier is a must see in Valdez. Like hidden treasure, these caves take a lot of skill to find, and professional guides are strongly recommended. Under the edge of the Kennicott Glacier is a world that few get to see and experience. Your first sighting of the majestic Matanuska Glacier is breathtaking. Our expert glacier guides will guide you safely through the ice caves… I have been seeing several posts with photographs of the Byron Glacier Ice Cave. A stay at the Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge puts you just four miles from Wrangell-St. Elias National Park’s main visitor center in Copper Center, Alaska, about a three-hour drive northeast of Anchorage. But visiting it was risky. He checked the safety of this cave before let us go inside. A visit to Root Glacier includes views of Donoho Peak and the rock-covered Kennicott Glacier, which might not look glacial, but there is actually ice underneath the dirt and stones. Aerial view of a glacier in Chugach State Park, Alaska, United States. This massive glacier is about 60 miles … Many people from all around the world come to Alaska to see this natural phenom​enon. Few sites on the planet can rival the wonder of glacier-fed ice caves, and there are plenty to be found in Alaska’s wide open spaces. It’s better to order a tour with an experienced guide (usually offered from July till September). All the ice is of course, below this and the cave is hidden from view. Recent warnings to stay away because it’s collapsing prompted me to post a hike on a local group’s Facebook page, and on Thursday, February 28, 7 of us met in Whitehorse and headed to the trailhead. A new unknown world is hidden under the majestic Alaskan glaciers. If you’ve done any research into the Mendenhall glacier tours Juneau offers, and seen any of the hundreds of pictures and videos posted about the Mendenhall ice caves, you’ll understand why! A glacier (US: / ˈ ɡ l eɪ ʃ ər / or UK: / ˈ ɡ l æ s i ər, ˈ ɡ l eɪ s i ər /) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. As you venture inward, it’ll be impossible not to notice the supreme beauty that surrounds you. Kick off your journey to the Mendenhall Ice Caves by heading to Juneau, Alaska’s state capital. Part of what distinguishes glacier ice caves, such as the Mendenhall Glacier ice caves, from normal bedrock caves is that they are, geologically speaking, quite temporary. Spencer Glacier, Chugach National Forest. Your Ice Cave Alaska stock images are ready. But there’s magic in the Mendenhall Ice Caves, where water runs over rocks and under frozen bright-blue ceilings inside a partially hollow glacier. They’re found in Southeastern Alaska’s rainy Tongass National Forest, but once you arrive you might think you’ve somehow traveled beyond Alaska and ended up in a fantasy land far, far away. It is indeed a once-in-a-lifetime experience to hike across a field of ice and explore an Alaska Ice Cave. Matanuska Glacier Adventures is proud to offer Ice Cave Tours on the unique and beautiful Matanuska Glacier. The most famous Alaskan ice caves are located under Mendenhall, Root, Spencer, Matanuska, and Kennicott Glaciers. The glacier terminates in Spencer Lake surrounded by alpine mountain vistas. Princess Cruises, Princess Lodges, Holland America Line & Westmark Hotels, 15 Amazing and Free things to Do in Anchorage. However, if you’ve got cold-water paddling skills, the caves can be accessed by lake. The glacier is constantly changing, so we cannot guarantee any specific features more than a week in advance. Juneau is situated at the base of the 3,819-foot Mount Roberts on Alaska’s Inside Passage. Glacier tours are available from the abandoned mining town of Kennecott, where you can also tour the historic mill. These caves are probably the only one place in the world where you can see so many shades of natural blue. Accessible only by train, the USDA Forest Service partners with the Alaska Railroad to offer views of Spencer Glacier through hiking or kayaking tours that leave from the Spencer Whistle Stop. John Derting, an Alaska-based photographer, carefully explored the inside of a glacier in Portage Valley after ice melted and opened up some new areas. Download all free or royalty-free photos and vectors. Saved by Charlotte Szivak ... Ice cave in Alaska. 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