Get Close Up Views Of Byron Glacier On This Easy Family Trail In Alaska
By Megan McDonald|Published September 14, 2021
×
Megan McDonald
Author
Megan McDonald is a writer, photographer, and owner of humu media, an Alaska-based digital media agency. She spends her free time traveling with her husband and daughter around the US and the world.
If you’re looking for a family-friendly trail, Byron Glacier Trail in Alaska should be right at the top of your list! Located an easy 40-minute drive from Anchorage, this beautiful hike is fun for the whole family to do. This is a great autumn hike, especially as the leaves begin to change along the trail.
A quick drive from Anchorage will bring you to Portage Valley and all the beauty it holds.
The area is home to a few different glaciers, including the stunning Byron Glacier. Byron Glacier is unique in that it’s one of the only glaciers in Alaska that you can easily access by car and foot.
The glacier itself is part of the ice field that also feeds Portage Glacier, and it’s a wonderful way to get up close to one without too much effort.
The trail follows along the retreat of the glacier through the valley. The path is mostly flat, with only about 787 feet of elevation gain in its entirety.
Advertisement
The trail is well maintained, especially at the beginning, but as you get closer to the glacier it gets rockier.
See if you can spot any smooth stones, and get your feet wet in the ice cold water. But stay alert, because some areas of the creek can be swift moving.
Many people every year get hurt at Byron Glacier, so please practice backcountry safety.
Be careful of your footing, and don’t explore within the glacier itself. Ice caves are known to regularly collapse, and you could fall through the ice, or have the ice cave in on you.
