Glaciers within reach?

[TeamStarr]

Hi,

I am a father who wants his 2 boys (8 and 10 years old) and his wife to be able to walk on a glacier before the glaciers are all gone. We are driving across the country this summer from Wisconsin to LA to visit family. We are taking a slow route out there and a slow route back, (I am in no hurry to get to LA). I heard that the Wind River Range is one of the best/last places to see a lot of glaciers in the lower 48. I am looking for advice and ideas for how to get as close as possible to a glacier along our way out West. We are car camping along the way and plan to hit some of the National Parks along the way. We are not trying to hit as many as possible, instead we want to spend quality time in several so we can relax and get to know the areas. A few years back we did this trip but it was a little more rushed and we ( I ) did not feel the need to see glaciers. On that last trip we spent a week in the Redwoods and we loved it so we will definitely be doing that again. I am a teacher so this is one of my few summers that I have off so we have about six weeks for the trip. We will be driving a Prius with a car top carrier (a hilarious sight on the interstate).
Thanks for any ideas and advice.

 

[Dave]

Maybe obvious, but have you considered Glacier National Park? Glaciers in the Winds require quite a bit of time/effort to reach.

 

[TeamStarr]

Yes, we have considered it. Thank you.
We were not planning on going that far north but we would if there were no glaciers to see/reach in the Winds. From what I have gathered here (on this site), I need to wait until my team is older and ready to hike for a few days in order to see the glaciers in the Winds, something I am looking forward to.
Thank you Dave for your response.
Also, from what I have heard, many (most?) of the glaciers in Glacier National Park are gone and a person needs to go to Canada to see the glaciers now. Probably an exaggeration, but that is what I have heard.

 

[Dave]

Also, from what I have heard many (most?) of the glaciers in Glacier National Park are gone and a person needs to go to Canada to see the glaciers now. Probably an exaggeration, but that is what I have heard.

Glaciers are receding globally, but there are still glaciers to be seen at Glacier NP. If you've never been, the detour to the north would be well worth the time.



Walking on a glacier anywhere that's car-accessible is a challenge. But hey, there's always Alaska!

 

[wabenho]

Maybe not exactly what you are looking for but the information you provided made me think of a memory from my youth. Try looking into Beartooth Highway near the northeast entrance to Yellowstone. I remember making that drive in the summer and getting very close to "glaciers" near the road (I'm not a glacierologist so I'm just kind of defining glacier as a big snowfield that never melts). Even if this route does not check the glacier box, it is still a very cool drive and, when open, should be passable in a Prius. Others on this forum know the area better than I do and can probably provide more info.

 

[MikeM]

Also, from what I have heard, many (most?) of the glaciers in Glacier National Park are gone and a person needs to go to Canada to see the glaciers now. Probably an exaggeration, but that is what I have heard.

Grinnell Glacier is probably the most accessible in GNP, if you are a relatively strong hiker. I think it was 6 miles each way, so 12 miles RT. The last 1/2 mile is pretty steep but the rest of it I thought was moderate. You will definitely not be alone, when we went last year there were literally hundreds of people on the trail.

Sperry Glacier might be an option, too. From Lake McDonald lodge it is about 8 1/2 miles each way and the Sperry basin is one of the most incredible sites I've ever seen.

I would caution you against walking on the actual glaciers themselves, though, as they can be very dangerous.

That's about as close as you are going to get to a glacier, but I second @wabenho's suggestion, the Beartooth Highway is something everyone should see if you get the chance.

 

[Outdoor_Fool]

If you're willing to drive as far north as Mount Hood, you can drive to within a couple miles of Palmer Glacier or Eliot Glacier, and hike up to it. Probably the most road accessible glaciers in the lower 48. There are a few other areas in the Oregon Cascades, including Mt Jefferson and Three Sisters Wildernesses. These require more hiking but would probably be a fun overnighter for the kids.

Mt Shasta is another option, and farther south. But Mount Shasta is really steep for the most part, and a fall on those glaciers could kill you pretty easily.

 

[regehr]

You can get to the Coleman Glacier on Baker in a day hike. It's big and impressive, not gonna be gone anytime soon.
https://www.bellingham.org/insider-blogs/hiking-heliotrope-ridge-trail-mount-bakers-glaciers/

Also a walk up to Camp Muir on Rainier puts you right near some big glaciers. This is shorter than the other hike, but has lots of elevation gain.

 

[Rockskipper]

Check out St. Mary's Glacier in Colorado, unless it's now melted. There's a trail to it and you can walk on it. Rocky Mtn NP also has some, but not sure how accessible.

ETA - I guess St. Mary's has been donwgraded to a snowfield. Look up Andrews Glacier.