Athabasca Glacier

Athabasca Glacier in Alberta is one of six principal outlet tongues of the Columbia Icefield in the Canadian Rockies and the most visited glacier in North America because its lower edge lies close to the road. About 6 kilometres long, roughly 6 square kilometres in area, and 90 to 300 metres thick, it has become a major sightseeing destination, with visitors carried to its edge and onto part of the ice. It is also a striking example of rapid glacial retreat, having receded more than 1.5 kilometres in 125 years, lost more than half its volume, and continued thinning, while remaining a hazardous place for unprepared visitors.

Alberta · Canada