Portage Glacier — Attraction in Alaska

Came here with some friends on June 7th. Overall it's a BEAUTIFUL hike, with a lot of variety. Probably my favorite hike I trekked in Alaska.

I actually hiked this TWICE in one day cuz I left my wallet (long story) near the glacier the first time and had to go back to find it.

The hike starts kind of steep with a rocky bit, but takes you to the first mini summit which looks back over the parking lot/lake area. That itself is a super cool view (which we experienced coming back) but going up there was a crazy thick fog which gave everything a Lord of the Rings Shire/Hobbit feel. Super cool. The weather changed a bunch over the course of the day, a lot of the high bits being covered in clouds.... Despite that, and the light rain we got, there were still good views of the lake and glacier as we came in (both higher, overlooking the main lake, and at the lakes edge). The clouds cleared as the day went on, but rolled back again quick, so just keep the weather volitility in mind as that plays a factor in how enjoyable the views might be.

Maybe 15% of the overall trail was snowy bits. As some others said here, bring some gold water proof hiking boots and an extra pair of socks for when you get back as your boots will see a lot of moisture. The snow was not very difficult to traverse (a few uphill moments in the snow made it more strenuous, but it was still upper moderate difficulty).

There is a smaller mini lake half way thru the path (some waterfalls in the distant feeds the river run offs, which is really beautiful!), and 2 large geese/swan birds were floating elegantly there. Pretty much the most prime real estate a bird could ever get. :p Just a gorgeous place....

Once you get to the bottom, you have a nice view of Portage Glacier, but there is still a lake separating you from it. Most people spend time on the beach there then return.

I wanted to touch the glacier, which required another 45 minute hike around the edge of the lake, including wading a rather large river feeding the lake (the water went up to my waste! - and I'm 6'2") and crossing a few other smaller feeding creeks. - the first time I went I just crossed wearing jeans and my boots, which got soaked, and it was freezing! (yeah... Duh. I know. :p) The current was preeety strong too and the friend I waded across with lost his balance coming back and went all in right at the end. - the 2nd time back I wore some waders and crossing was much easier & drier. (still took a bit of patience as the river is strong and wide where I crossed). BIGGEST CONCERN FOR FUTURE HIKERS: as snow melts more, sometimes your foot can break thru some of the snow, especially near the melted edges thst tend to melt in a hollowed out form... We had a few mini break throughs that went ankle deep and got our boots wet a little. Nothing major, but something to be aware about.

As the weather cleared, new incredible views of the surrounding mountains & waterfalls appeared, making this a top notch, diverse hike. :)

Be careful of deveating off the trail.... We "explored" a few tangent trails, which were fun, but got confused a little at one point trying to get back to the main trail. Pretty much, be careful to stick to the main trail, and you shouldn't...

A glacier that requires a day journey to reach, but you won't be disappointed.

Portage Glacier is hidden well behind some rock, so if you want to see this glacier you'll need to travel to it. You could take a ferry from the Portage Glacier Cruises and that would be the easiest way to see Portage Glacier. Travel by kayak to the glacier is also possible, but you'll need to bring your own kayak and travel with someone experienced with the weather conditions. Finally you could hike to it from Whittier via...

One of the best places in Chugach Mountain area to explore. It’s not that far from anchorage, about an hour drive to the cruise site.

There are several options for cruise but We took the one hour cruise tour and it was worth the price.

The lake is frozen during winter and even in summer time it’s cold! Beware of frostbite and take precautions with all the necessary stuff like gloves, beanie and a good jacket and boots.

Also make sure to carry item like a raincoat or umbrella cause it literally rains most...