Portage Glacier is a

glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such as ...

on the

Kenai Peninsula The Kenai Peninsula ( Dena'ina: ''Yaghenen'') is a large peninsula jutting from the coast of Southcentral Alaska. The name Kenai (, ) is derived from the word "Kenaitze" or "Kenaitze Indian Tribe", the name of the Native Athabascan Alaskan trib ...

of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...

and is included within the Chugach National Forest. It is located south of Portage Lake and 6 km (4 mi) west of Whittier. Portage Glacier was a local name first recorded in 1898 by

Thomas Corwin Mendenhall Thomas Corwin Mendenhall (October 4, 1841 – March 23, 1924) was an American autodidact physicist and meteorologist. He was the first professor hired at Ohio State University in 1873 and the superintendent of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Surve ...

of the

U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) is a United States federal agency that defines and manages a national coordinate system, providing the foundation for transportation and communication; mapping and charting; and a large number of applications ...

, so called because it is on a portage route between

Prince William Sound Prince William Sound ( Sugpiaq: ''Suungaaciq'') is a sound of the Gulf of Alaska on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located on the east side of the Kenai Peninsula. Its largest port is Valdez, at the southern terminus of the T ...

and

Turnagain Arm Turnagain Arm ( Dena'ina: ''Tutl'uh'') is a waterway into the northwestern part of the Gulf of Alaska. It is one of two narrow branches at the north end of Cook Inlet, the other being Knik Arm. Turnagain is subject to climate extremes and large ti ...

. Hundreds of years ago the glacier filled the entire Portage Valley, a distance of , and was connected to what are now five separate glaciers.Portage Valley and Portage Glacier: Welcome to the Land of Ice and Rock
USFS The Begich/

Boggs Boggs may refer to: Places * Boggs Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania * Boggs Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania * Boggs Township, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania * Boggs, West Virginia * Boggs Island, on the Ohio River, West Virginia ...

Visitor Center (located here ) was built by the U.S. Forest Service in 1986. However, the glacier can no longer be viewed from there. In the summer a boat ride across the lake is required to view the glacier. Commercial boat tours are available. In the winter the glacier sees much foot, bike, and ski traffic if the lake freezes.

Geography

Portage Glacier is located adjacent to Turnagain Arm, 50 miles southeast of downtown Anchorage. Road access is via the

Seward Highway The Seward Highway is a highway in the U.S. state of Alaska that extends from Seward to Anchorage. It was completed in 1951 and runs through the scenic Kenai Peninsula, Chugach National Forest, Turnagain Arm, and Kenai Mountains. The Seward H ...

to the former town of Portage, which was flooded and subsequently vacated following the

1964 Alaska earthquake The 1964 Alaskan earthquake, also known as the Great Alaskan earthquake and Good Friday earthquake, occurred at 5:36 PM AKST on Good Friday, March 27.

. The Portage Glacier Road runs , mostly past USFS campgrounds, to the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center. The main road used to end here, but now continues eastward, leading to the

Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel The Portage Glacier Highway, or Portage Glacier Road, is a highway located in the U.S. state of Alaska. The highway is made up of a series of roads, bridges, and tunnels that connect the Portage Glacier area of the Chugach National Forest and the ...

and to Whittier.

References

External links

Visitors Center
Glaciers of Anchorage, Alaska Glaciers of Alaska Glaciers of Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska Portages in the United States {{KenaiPeninsulaAK-geo-stub

Geography

See also

References

External links