Information About

Worthington Glacier

Quick Facts

Open in The Map Worthington Glacier on The Map

Conditions: Road and paved trails are clear. Bathrooms open. Updated: 25 June 21:26


Location

61 ° 10' 13.001" N,
145 ° 45' 47.999" W

Region

Valdez-Cordova (CA)

Nearest City

Valdez

Tributary to

Ptarmigan Creek

Length

3.8 mi (6.12 km)

Elevation

3786 ft (1153.97 m)

Uses

Hiking, Ice Climbing, Rock Climbing, Skiing, Snowboarding

Worthington Glacier in Detail.

Getting There

From Anchorage take the Glenn Highway to Glennallen, then turn south to Valdez on the Richardson Highway. From Fairbanks, drive south to Valdez on the Richardson Highway, or from Valdez drive north 32 miles (about 40 minutes) on the Richardson.

Worthington Glacier is at 29 mile on the Richardson Highway. It's impossible to miss, unless it's whiteout conditions.

About

Nestled in the Chugach Mountains in Thompson Pass, Worthington Glacier is a popular tourist destination as it is right off the highway and has easy access. We offer guided tours of Worthington Glacier for those wishing to explore inside the glacier. There are paved trails to the viewing platform and well packed gravel trails to the glacier face. From the viewing platform to the glacier, it is maybe a 10-minute walk. Most people who are able to walk stairs unaided should be able to walk to the face of the glacier without difficulty. DO NOT approach within 100ft of the face of the glacier. Rocks fall off the face of the glacier and have caused injuries and a fatality.


There is ample paved parking with parking for both passenger cars and RV's. There are four outhouses and no running water. We operate the concession building where snacks, drinks and some souvenirs are available for purchase. We are also happy to answer any questions you may have.

The glacier is receding at a fast pace and the face of the glacier becomes taller and more steep each year.

Pets are permitted on leashes. Leashes must be no more than 9ft.

Hiking

There is Worthington Glacier Ridge Trail a steep trail to the left of the paved area that leads to the viewing platform. This is a maintained trail and is kept in good condition, but it is an aggressive hike the follows Worthington Glacier along the southern ridge.

History

In the late 1990's the glacier extended to the pond, and the viewing deck, in the past two decades it has retreated over a quarter mile.

Naming: Worthington was a local name reported in 1900 by F. C. Schrader, USGS.

Worthington Glacier Gallery

Pictures of, from, or near Worthington Glacier.

Places Near Worthington Glacier
Cities:

Ptarmigan, Wortmanns,

Crags:

101 Wall, Blueberry Block, Republic of Boulder, The Sunny Side,

Flats:

Dutch Flat,

Glaciers:

Bench Glacier, Corbin Glacier, Deserted Glacier, Don Glacier, DOT Glacier, Glacier G214017E60985N, Glacier G214019E61092N, Glacier G214021E60977N, Glacier G214022E60997N, Glacier G214024E61234N, Glacier G214027E61088N, Glacier G214039E60964N, Glacier G214042E61141N, Glacier G214048E60957N, Glacier G214053E61154N, Glacier G214070E61096N, Glacier G214099E61139N, Glacier G214117E61192N, Glacier G214132E60990N, Glacier G214132E61388N, Glacier G214139E61173N, Glacier G214148E60959N, Glacier G214151E61165N, Glacier G214155E61379N, Glacier G214161E61234N, Glacier G214161E61355N, Glacier G214175E61036N, Glacier G214177E61238N, Glacier G214183E61143N, Glacier G214184E61380N, Glacier G214185E61341N, Glacier G214188E61150N, Glacier G214191E61237N, Glacier G214199E61016N, Glacier G214210E61229N, Glacier G214214E61240N, Glacier G214222E60989N, Glacier G214230E61370N, Glacier G214239E61363N, Glacier G214247E61202N, Glacier G214252E61197N, Glacier G214253E61361N, Glacier G214304E61253N, Glacier G214314E61049N, Glacier G214320E61230N, Glacier G214324E61260N, Glacier G214328E60976N, Glacier G214334E60964N, Glacier G214367E61057N, Glacier G214372E61254N, Glacier G214388E61269N, Glacier G214425E61262N, Glacier G214428E61155N, Glacier G214430E61162N, Glacier G214432E61145N, Heiden Glacier, Hogback Glacier, Hoodoo Glacier, Keystone Glacier, Scorpion Glacier, Sheep Creek Glacier, The Beach, Tonsina Glacier, Tsina Glacier, Twentyseven Mile Glacier, Worthington Glacier, Wortmanns Glacier,

Routes:

Angel, Bridal Veil Falls (Ice Climb), Cidersicle, Crystal Visions, Dire Straits, Fang Gully, Fast Friends, Fishing for Fools, Flying Cloud, Foolagain, Glass Onion, Greensteps, Hanging Tree Left, Hanging Tree Right, Horsetail Falls (Ice Climb), Hung Jury, Jaws Wall, Mud Slide, My Three Rats, Oil Slick, Popsicle Pillar, POS, Secret Journey, Simple Twist of Fate, Ski Race, Spring Loaded, Stem City, The Bight, Tokyo Express, Tsuri Gane, VAC,

Lakes:

Blueberry Lake, Greyling Lake, Thompson Lake, Trap Lake, Worthington Lake,

Locales:

19 Mile Wall, Bald Boy, Bro Bowl, Catchers Mitt, Cracked Ice, DOT Face, Fracture Canyon, Girls, Heavenly, Heiden View Face, Little Girls, Little Odyssey, Loveland Basin, Mega Sumo, Moonlight Basin, Nick's Happy Valley, North Odyssey, Python, RFS, Road Run, School Bus, Skate Park, Snatch, Valley of the Tusk, Vertigo,

Mountains:

Girls Mountain, Meteorite Mountain, Odessey,

Parks:

Blueberry Lake State Recreation Site,

Mountain Passes:

Ptarmigan Drop, Thompson Pass,

Peaks:

Acapulco, Berlin Wall, Bronto, Cracked Ice, F-Top, Goodwills, Halibut Head, Ivory Tusk, Little Matterhorn, Loveland Peak, Python, Repeater Peak, RFS, Rhinestone Cowgirl, Sapphire, Satellite, Sina Benchmark, Stone Mountain, Tones Temple, Twentyseven Mile Peak, Whistlers Mother,

Ridges:

Sushi Bar, The Books,

Routes:

300 Days of Sunshine and Attitude, 5 Star Everything, 919, Afternoon Shadow Boxing, Anchor Man, Another Foolish Route, Artic Oven Lovin, Babar Yoga, Backflip Bum, Balaclava Joy, Bio-Dome, Blueberry Crack , Bluebies, Casa Bonita, Chain Letters From the Dalai Lama, Chain Letters to the Dalai Lama, Curry Popcorn, E-Talk the Talk, Elitist's Overcompensation, Entrepreneur, Ewok the Walk, Find The Cure, Fixe Fixie, Flatirons, Follow the Medallion, Game On!, Gingerade, Grandma's Barley Soup, Happy Rosh Hashana, Honey Badger, Hunka Munka, I Got A Fever of 5.7, I Love Lamp, Kombucha Crack, Last Train to Chossville, Learning Center for Ants, Love Bubble, Lucky Number Fifty-Sleven, McCarthy Bus Lane, McSchmiggens, Mecha Streisand, Meet You at the Station, Mimosa Morning, My Subaru Loves the Environment, Neptune, North Slope, Northurn Lights Delight, On The Grid, Organic, Party on Garth, Party on Wayne, Philanthroparian, Pika's Penthouse, Pika's Playhouse, Ping Pong Madness, S.K.K., Salami Heist, Saturday Night Fever, Scouts Honor, Sharp End, Six Figure Bums, Snot a Rocket, South Park, Steave's Goalie, Steve's Tanker, Stoken the Stove, Sway Penny Yoga, Talons, Thursday Night Cruiser, Tibetan Prayer Flags Made in China, Trustafarian (Rasta With a Trust Fund), Unknown, Unknown 3, Valet at the Movement, What Would Squeak Do?, Yippie (Yuppie Hippie),

Streams:

Bear Creek, Bench Creek, Brown Creek, Browns Creek, Cascade Creek, Heiden Creek, Ptarmigan Creek, Sheep Creek, Wortmanns Creek,

Routes:

Browns Creek Trail, DOT Glacier Trail, Little Odessey Trail, Pack Trail of 1899, Thompson Pass Pipeline Access Road, Trans-Alaska Trail - Valdez to Thompson Pass, Tsina River Trail, Worthington Glacier Ridge Trail,

Valleys:

Heiden Canyon, Keystone Canyon, Snowslide Gulch,

Waterfalls:

Bridal Veil Falls, Horsetail Falls, Rudleston Falls,