Eldridge Glacier, Valley glacier in Denali National Park, Alaska.
Eldridge Glacier is a valley glacier in Denali National Park that flows northeast from Explorers Peak across the Alaskan wilderness for many miles. It receives ice from multiple cirques along its course and merges with an unnamed tributary before reaching its terminus in a basin below Mount Eldridge.
The glacier has carved deep valleys over thousands of years and played a role in forming the Chulitna River system. This slow process of ice movement and erosion shaped the terrain that visitors see today.
The glacier's name comes from Mount Eldridge, the peak above the basin where its lower course ends. Its upper 35 km lie inside Denali National Park, while the lowest stretch and the Fountain River outflow fall outside the park boundary. The Fountain River, the glacier's 13 km outflow, drains to the Chulitna River.
Eldridge Glacier lies within Denali National Park and Preserve, and the upper 35 km of its 48 km length are inside the park; the Fountain River drains it over 13 km to the Chulitna River. There are no trails or guided tours to the glacier, so approach is by air or overland travel in remote backcountry.
The glacier's upper 35 kilometres lie inside Denali National Park, while its lower section continues beyond the park boundary. Its meltwater forms the Fountain River, a 13-kilometre stream that runs to the Chulitna River. At its lower end the ice is 2.7 kilometres wide.
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