Matanuska: A Glacier You Sort Of Drive To
This realistic Matanuska Glacier Viewing Guide helps you plan your next adventure in this park.
Matanuska Glacier is a scenic glacier in the state of Alaska. It is the largest glacier you can drive up to in the United States.
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Sights & Places of Interest
Matanuska Glacier is the main sight on the way from Glennallen to Anchorage. But it is far from the only one.
This section of the Matanuska Glacier Viewing Guide describes the glacier and its nearby sights.
Glenn Highway
The Glenn Highway National Scenic Byway is the main way to reach Matanuska Glacier. This scenic byway is also the main road in the state (AK-1). It connects Anchorage with the Canadian border.
The Glenn Highway connects to the Richardson Highway in Glennallen. Alaska is a state where you can switch from one scenic highway to another.
If you drive on the Glenn Highway westbound, you will enter the scenic part past the town of Nelchina.
Matanuska River
The highway starts to follow the Matanuska River in Glacier View. Despite the name of this settlement, you cannot see the glacier from the highway right away. It takes about 30 minutes to reach the first glacier viewpoint.
Wildlife Spotting
The areas around the Matanuska River are great for wildlife spotting. You might not see wolves, moose, and grizzly bears like in Denali. But you have a good chance for seeing the other animals from the Alaskan Big Five.
The dall sheep are the easiest of the five to spot. Here is a look at the white dall sheep on the steep cliffs near the highway.
Matanuska Glacier View
The Matanuska Glacier View is a viewpoint on the Glenn Highway. This viewpoint provides the first view of the glacier. But the view is far from ideal. You only get a glimpse of the glacier.
This area is home to several other sights.
- You can try your luck at the Caribou Creek Recreational Mining Area. You might find a tiny gold nugget there.
- If you have a couple of hours, you can hike the Lion’s Head View. Make sure you have phone reception. A part of the drive goes through the private land. You would need to call to open the gate.
Matanuska Glacier State Site
You need to drive for another ten minutes or so for the best views of the Glacier. The next viewpoint is in Matanuska Glacier State Recreation Site. You will get a clear view of this beautiful glacier.
If you look towards the Matanuska river, you will notice a few roads that lead to the glacier. These roads help Matanuska Glacier maintain the title of the largest glacier in the US accessible by car.
But you cannot just drive up to the glacier in your own or rental vehicle. The glacier is on the state land. But its surrounding areas are private.
As a result, you have to pay a fee to access the glacier.
- You cannot explore it without a guide.
- The tour price is steep. It costs about $110+ per person.
- The price and experience are most similar to Antelope Canyon in Arizona.
This leaves the State Site as the main way to get distant views of the glacier. At least they are nearly free.
River Gorge
The glacier created a beautiful Matanuska River Valley. The valley is a great spot to enjoy Alaskan spring and summer.
If you visit early in the season, the trees will just start putting up leaves. The new leaves are bright yellow or light green. Their colors are very vivid. Sometimes it is difficult to tell if you are in the spring or fall.
The Glenn Highway continues along the Matanuska River. The glacier will soon get out of sight. But a no-name viewpoint provides great views of the Matanuska River Gorge.
The mountain slopes in this stretch of the highway created a narrow canyon. These steep canyon slopes carry some resemblance with Black Canyon in Colorado.
The river valley widens just a few miles downstream. This way, the Matanuska River becomes similar to other Alaskan rivers. It has multiple streams that sometimes come together.
Continue with our Matanuska Glacier Viewing Guide to learn more about ways to get to the sights, entrance requirements, and places to stay.
Getting to Matanuska Glacier
Matanuska Glacier is in Southcentral Alaska. The glacier is about halfway between the towns of Anchorage and Glennallen.
The glacier lives up to its title of the most accessible glacier.
- From Anchorage: the site is 95 miles (153 km) away. You can reach it in under 2 hours.
- From Glennallen: the site is 85 miles (137 km) away. You can get there in 1.5 hours.
Where to Stay near Matanuska Glacier
There are few places to stay near the glacier. As usual, these places charge a premium for the location.
If you would like to get a better deal, you should look for lodging in Palmer. This town has plenty of places to choose from.
For more options continue west to Anchorage. The largest city in the state has plenty of lodging, dining, and entertainment options.
There are far less places to stay east of the glacier. Glennallen and Copper Center are the only destinations with a few choices.
Entrance Requirements & Passes
All viewpoints along the Glenn Highway are free to visit. It just helps to have a car. This way, you have flexibility in picking the viewpoints to stop at.
Matanuska Glacier State Site charges parking fees of $7 per vehicle. The site is small. While the views are great, they should not cost $7. You can get comparable views at the free nearby viewpoints.
You cannot reach the glacier from this site. For that you need to go through private land. Get ready to pay $110+ per person to hike to the glacier.
Takeaways: Matanuska Glacier Viewing
Matanuska Glacier is a scenic spot on the state’s main highway. You will see the glacier from a distance. If you are lucky you might even spot wildlife.
But the lack of access to the glacier is disappointing. You are better off driving to the Root or Exit Glaciers. These parks are free to visit. It makes the trip a lot cheaper.
And you can even hike on the Root Glacier without a tour guide, if you prefer.
Take a look at our Alaska Video Guides. And visit our YouTube channel for the latest videos.
Frequently Asked Questions
You cannot explore Matanuska Glacier on your own. You can only do so as part of a tour group.
You can drive almost to Matanuska Glacier. But you would have to pass through private lands. The land owners charge a fee for access. You would still need a tour guide to walk up to the glacier.
You cannot hike on Matanuska Glacier without a tour guide.
Matanuska Glacier is the largest glacier in the US that you could drive up to. This is only partially true. There are roads that lead to the glacier. But these roads are on private lands.
Matanuska comes from the Russian language. It means copper.
You can get a free view of Matanuska Glacier from the highway viewpoints. If you would like to access the glacier you need to pay the fees of $110+ per non resident adult.
Safe realist travels!
