Hubbard Glacier

The Hubbard Glacier is a tidewater glacier in the Saint Elias Mountains that extends 122 kilometers (76 miles) from high peaks to the shore of Disenchantment Bay. The ice wall at the terminus rises roughly 120 meters (390 feet) above sea level and reaches another 90 meters (300 feet) below the water surface.

The glacier received its name in 1890 to honor Gardiner Greene Hubbard, an American businessman and founder of the National Geographic Society. In 1986, it temporarily blocked Russell Fjord and created a freshwater lake until the ice gave way under water pressure.

The Tlingit call this ice mass Sít' Tlein and have watched its movements across many generations. During summer months, boats approach the ice face and visitors hear the loud crack of calving ice echo across the water.

You can reach the glacier only by boat from Yakutat, with trips most feasible from May through September. Warm clothing and windproof jackets are necessary even in summer, as temperatures drop near the ice.

The ice calving from the face today took roughly 400 years to travel from the accumulation zone to the terminus. Some icebergs that break free are the size of multistory buildings and drift in the bay before melting.

Location: Yukon

Location: Alaska

GPS coordinates: 60.31389,-139.37083

Latest update: December 17, 2025 10:26