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Portage Glacier and Area Attractions

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Two women look across the water to Portage Glacier

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Portage Glacier and Area Attractions

Portage may be a ghost town in the winter as a result of the 1964 Good Friday earthquake, but during the summer it is a bustling destination for travelers coming to witness its nearby calving glacier surrounded by floating ice and resident mammals. Portage Glacier is a U.S. Forest Service recreation area and one of Alaska’s most visited attractions. Visitors enter the area from the Seward Highway along the Portage Glacier Access Road, which winds past a series of campgrounds and arrives at the impressive Begich-Boggs Visitor Center, built in the 1990s to showcase the popular natural attraction.

Portage Glacier and Area Attractions Map

Facilities
Portage Glacier recreation area features two U.S. Forest Service campgrounds, both along Portage Glacier Access Road. Black Bear Campground is nestled in a beautiful forest and is popular among tent campers. Williwaw Campground is located beneath Explorer Glacier and more suited for recreational vehicles. Both campgrounds are extremely popular in the summer.

Even though Portage Glacier has since retreated out of view of its observation decks and telescopes, Begich-Boggs Visitor Center is still an interesting stop with an exhibit that walks visitors through a simulated ice cave and others featuring live ice worms or actual icebergs for people to touch. For a closer look at Portage Glacier, there are hour-long sightseeing boat cruises on Portage Lake.

Visitors can hike a number of foot trails that wind near the frozen monument. Portage Pass Trail, a mile-long trek to the pass, provides a good view of Portage Glacier. The trail begins near the tunnel leading to the city of Whittier, on the city’s side. The new Trail of Blue Ice parallels Portage Glacier Access Road and meanders through forest on a wide gravel route with boardwalks across wet areas. Another enjoyable hike is Byron Glacier View Trail, an easy mile-long hike to an ice worm-infested snowfield and grand glacier views.

Fees
There is a per-person entrance fee for visiting Begich-Boggs Visitor Center and a nightly camping fee. Sites at Williwaw Campground can be reserved in advance (877-444-6777, 518-885-3639).

Accessibility
Portage Glacier lies 50 miles south of Anchorage and 10 miles south of the Alyeska Highway/Girdwood junction and is accessible by road via the Seward Highway and Portage Glacier Access Road. For more information from late May through September contact the Begich-Boggs Visitors Center (907-783-2326).