Upper Fremont Glacier

Upper Fremont Glacier is an alpine glacier in Shoshone National Forest on the northern slope of Fremont Peak at about 13,450 feet elevation in the Wind River Range. The ice mass extends roughly 1.35 miles and remains a significant frozen feature in this high mountain region.

Like many glacier masses in the Rocky Mountains, it has changed over centuries showing patterns of shrinkage and expansion. Ice cores extracted from it reveal important information about climate changes over the past several centuries in North America.

Researchers regularly study this glacier to track environmental changes and understand how the climate shifts in the Rocky Mountains.

Visitors can reach the glacier through established hiking trails in Fitzpatrick Wilderness, but need mountaineering equipment and experience for safe exploration. The high elevation and rough terrain require good physical preparation and clothing adapted for rapidly changing weather conditions.

Ice cores contain records of mercury levels that document the effects of the Industrial Revolution and subsequent environmental protection rules. These chemical traces allow scientists to understand how human activity became stored in the atmosphere.