Alsek Glacier

Alsek Glacier is a 24-kilometer glacier in Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska’s Panhandle, flowing from the west flank of the Fairweather Range into Alsek Lake, which drains through the Alsek River. Its Tlingit name may mean “place where people rest,” and in 1901 it was named by U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Moser of the Bureau of Fisheries steamer USS Albatross. During the 20th century, the glacier retreated about 3.5 kilometers and split into two tongues around a rock, while Alsek Lake doubled in area, making the pair a clear example of a landscape reshaped by glacial retreat.

Yakutat, Alaska · United States