Knik Glacier

Knik Glacier, known in Dena'ina as Skitnu Łi'a, is a massive ice field east of Anchorage at the northern end of the Chugach Mountains and one of the largest glaciers in southcentral Alaska. Its meltwater feeds the Knik River and it was long tied to Lake George, once North America's largest glacier-dammed lake. Lake George's annual jökulhlaup sent water, ice, and debris down the valley, flooding routes between Anchorage and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley and becoming part of local lore before ending in 1967 as the glacier receded. The glacier remains a major recreational destination and a powerful symbol of a changing landscape.

Knik River, Alaska · United States