Mendenhall Glacier

My family visited Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau, Alaska in 2003. This picture was taken looking across Mendenhall Lake towards the Glacier. It is as close as we got.

There is a small museum here that is run by the US Forest Service. It has a lot of information about glaciers in general, and the Mendenhall Glacier in particular.

A glacier is a slow moving river of ice that is fed from an ice field. Mendenhall Glacier is fed by the Juneau Icefield. For the last 300 years, this glacier has been slowly retreating. It has lost about 4 km of length during this time.

There are many glaciers to see in Alaska. If you visit this state, you should plan to see at least one.