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The broad ice face of Hubbard Glacier at the head of Disenchantment Bay

Glacier

Hubbard Glacier

North America's largest tidewater glacier, 76 miles long, calving into Disenchantment Bay; seen by boat or air from Yakutat.

Reference 53

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve · NPS

Glacier type
Tidewater
Length
76 mi
Status trend
Advancing
Viewing access
Boat · Bush plane
Viewing notes
Boat tours of 4 to 5 hours from Yakutat through Disenchantment Bay; flightseeing by air taxi.
Calving activity
Frequent calving at the terminal face.

Hubbard Glacier starts near Mount Logan in Yukon and ends in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve at the head of Yakutat Bay. The Park Service describes it as 76 miles long and about 7 miles wide, with a terminal face about 600 feet tall, 350 feet of it above the water. Unlike most Alaska glaciers it advanced over the last century and is thickening; in 1986 and 2002 it surged across the mouth of Russell Fiord and briefly turned the fjord into a lake. The only way to see it is from Yakutat, by boat or plane, or on a cruise itinerary. Yakutat Tlingit regard the glacier as a strong spirit to be approached quietly and with respect.

  1. [1]Width: about 7 miles wide at the face (NPS Wrangell-St. Elias glaciers page (fact list)); also reported as face 6 miles wide (NPS Wrangell-St. Elias glaciers page (summary)). All footnotes
  2. [2]Face height: about 350 ft above the waterline (600 ft total) (NPS Wrangell-St. Elias glaciers page); also reported as over 300 ft above the waterline; up to 400 ft (Yakutat Bay Adventures). All footnotes

Location

In pictures

Disenchantment Bay with floating ice below the mountains
Reference 50
The broad ice face of Hubbard Glacier at the head of Disenchantment Bay
Reference 53

Connected places & operators

Flightseeing · Wildlife viewing · Photography · Boating

Sources

Last updated 2026-11-09