List of glaciers in Wyoming facts for kids
Wyoming is a cool state in the western United States, known for its amazing mountains and wide-open spaces. Even though it's a big state, not many people live there. A large part of Wyoming is covered by the Rocky Mountains, which are huge and beautiful.
Did you know that Wyoming is home to at least 37 named glaciers? Glaciers are like giant, slow-moving rivers of ice. They form over many years when snow piles up and gets compressed into ice. These icy giants are found high up in the mountains, especially in the Wind River Range and the Teton Range.
What is a Glacier?
A glacier is a huge mass of ice that moves very slowly over land. Think of it like a frozen river! Glaciers form in places where more snow falls in winter than melts in summer. Over hundreds or even thousands of years, layers of snow build up. The weight of the new snow presses down on the old snow, turning it into solid ice.
These giant ice formations can be found in high mountains or near the Earth's poles. As they move, glaciers can carve out valleys and shape the landscape. They are an important part of Earth's climate system.
Wyoming's Glaciers
Wyoming's glaciers are mostly found in the western part of the state. This area is home to the Rocky Mountains, including the Wind River Range and the Teton Range. These mountains have high peaks where temperatures stay cold enough for snow to turn into ice and form glaciers.
Many of Wyoming's glaciers are located in Fremont County, Wyoming and Sublette County, Wyoming. These counties are known for their rugged mountain terrain. Glaciers are important because they store a lot of fresh water. When they melt slowly, they feed rivers and streams, which is vital for plants, animals, and people.
List of Wyoming's Glaciers
Here is a list of some of the named glaciers you can find in Wyoming. Each one is a unique part of the state's amazing natural landscape. They are often found at very high elevations, sometimes over 10,000 feet (about 3,000 meters) above sea level!
- Baby Glacier, Sublette County, Wyoming, 43°10′16″N 109°41′01″W / 43.17111°N 109.68361°W, el. 11,696 feet (3,565 m)
- Bull Lake Glacier, Fremont County, Wyoming, 43°07′28″N 109°35′56″W / 43.12444°N 109.59889°W, el. 12,306 feet (3,751 m)
- Connie Glacier, Sublette County, Wyoming, 43°16′07″N 109°41′37″W / 43.26861°N 109.69361°W, el. 12,021 feet (3,664 m)
- Continental Glacier, Fremont County, Wyoming, 43°20′03″N 109°41′29″W / 43.33417°N 109.69139°W, el. 12,424 feet (3,787 m)
- Dinwoody Glacier, Fremont County, Wyoming, 43°10′24″N 109°38′19″W / 43.17333°N 109.63861°W, el. 11,585 feet (3,531 m)
- Downs Glacier, Fremont County, Wyoming, 43°17′41″N 109°39′49″W / 43.29472°N 109.66361°W, el. 11,995 feet (3,656 m)
- Dry Creek Glacier, Fremont County, Wyoming, 43°10′38″N 109°30′30″W / 43.17722°N 109.50833°W, el. 12,320 feet (3,760 m)
- DuNoir Glacier, Fremont County, Wyoming, 43°47′46″N 109°52′10″W / 43.79611°N 109.86944°W, el. 11,142 feet (3,396 m)
- East Torrey Glacier, Fremont County, Wyoming, 43°19′16″N 109°40′31″W / 43.32111°N 109.67528°W, el. 12,600 feet (3,800 m)
- Falling Ice Glacier, Teton County, Wyoming, 43°50′00″N 110°46′13″W / 43.83333°N 110.77028°W, el. 10,991 feet (3,350 m)
- Fishhawk Glacier, Park County, Wyoming, 44°15′40″N 109°51′58″W / 44.26111°N 109.86611°W, el. 10,646 feet (3,245 m)
- Gannett Glacier, Fremont County, Wyoming, 43°11′45″N 109°38′44″W / 43.19583°N 109.64556°W, el. 11,817 feet (3,602 m)
- Gooseneck Glacier, Fremont County, Wyoming, 43°10′55″N 109°38′54″W / 43.18194°N 109.64833°W, el. 12,375 feet (3,772 m)
- Grasshopper Glacier, Fremont County, Wyoming, 43°14′12″N 109°39′55″W / 43.23667°N 109.66528°W, el. 12,257 feet (3,736 m)
- Harrower Glacier, Sublette County, Wyoming, 43°06′02″N 109°35′18″W / 43.10056°N 109.58833°W, el. 12,014 feet (3,662 m)
- Heap Steep Glacier, Fremont County, Wyoming, 43°10′30″N 109°37′03″W / 43.17500°N 109.61750°W, el. 11,785 feet (3,592 m)
- Helen Glacier, Fremont County, Wyoming, 43°09′21″N 109°37′01″W / 43.15583°N 109.61694°W, el. 11,909 feet (3,630 m)
- Hooker Glacier, Fremont County, Wyoming, 42°51′24″N 109°18′40″W / 42.85667°N 109.31111°W, el. 11,197 feet (3,413 m)
- J Glacier, Sublette County, Wyoming, 43°14′17″N 109°41′56″W / 43.23806°N 109.69889°W, el. 11,876 feet (3,620 m)
- Klondike Glacier, Fremont County, Wyoming, 43°13′26″N 109°39′59″W / 43.22389°N 109.66639°W, el. 12,600 feet (3,800 m)
- Knife Point Glacier, Fremont County, Wyoming, 43°06′41″N 109°34′39″W / 43.11139°N 109.57750°W, el. 11,552 feet (3,521 m)
- Lander Glacier, Fremont County, Wyoming, 42°52′02″N 109°19′45″W / 42.86722°N 109.32917°W, el. 11,800 feet (3,600 m)
- Lizard Head Glacier, Fremont County, Wyoming, 42°47′34″N 109°12′23″W / 42.79278°N 109.20639°W, el. 12,000 feet (3,700 m)
- Lower Fremont Glacier, Fremont County, Wyoming, 43°07′56″N 109°35′49″W / 43.13222°N 109.59694°W, el. 12,090 feet (3,690 m)
- Mammoth Glacier, Sublette County, Wyoming, 43°10′05″N 109°39′59″W / 43.16806°N 109.66639°W, el. 11,886 feet (3,623 m)
- Middle Teton Glacier, Teton County, Wyoming, 43°43′57″N 110°48′15″W / 43.73250°N 110.80417°W, el. 10,869 feet (3,313 m)
- Minor Glacier, Sublette County, Wyoming, 43°11′12″N 109°39′45″W / 43.18667°N 109.66250°W, el. 12,047 feet (3,672 m)
- Petersen Glacier, Teton County, Wyoming, 43°46′45″N 110°50′54″W / 43.77917°N 110.84833°W, el. 9,813 feet (2,991 m)
- Sacagawea Glacier, Fremont County, Wyoming, 43°08′37″N 109°36′42″W / 43.14361°N 109.61167°W, el. 11,985 feet (3,653 m)
- Schoolroom Glacier, Teton County, Wyoming, 43°43′33″N 110°50′56″W / 43.72583°N 110.84889°W, el. 10,203 feet (3,110 m)
- Skillet Glacier, Teton County, Wyoming, 43°50′14″N 110°45′50″W / 43.83722°N 110.76389°W, el. 10,006 feet (3,050 m)
- Sourdough Glacier, Sublette County, Wyoming, 43°14′48″N 109°41′15″W / 43.24667°N 109.68750°W, el. 11,794 feet (3,595 m)
- Sphinx Glacier, Sublette County, Wyoming, 43°09′56″N 109°38′53″W / 43.16556°N 109.64806°W, el. 13,000 feet (4,000 m)
- Stroud Glacier, Sublette County, Wyoming, 43°08′50″N 109°40′46″W / 43.14722°N 109.67944°W, el. 11,663 feet (3,555 m)
- Teepe Glacier, Teton County, Wyoming, 43°44′11″N 110°47′55″W / 43.73639°N 110.79861°W, el. 11,480 feet (3,500 m)
- Teton Glacier, Teton County, Wyoming, 43°44′30″N 110°47′32″W / 43.74167°N 110.79222°W, el. 10,600 feet (3,200 m)
- Tiny Glacier, Sublette County, Wyoming, 43°03′13″N 109°33′56″W / 43.05361°N 109.56556°W, el. 11,591 feet (3,533 m)
- Triple Glaciers, Teton County, Wyoming, 43°50′17″N 110°47′04″W / 43.83806°N 110.78444°W, el. 10,518 feet (3,206 m)
- Twins Glacier, Sublette County, Wyoming, 43°08′59″N 109°39′15″W / 43.14972°N 109.65417°W, el. 11,539 feet (3,517 m)
- Upper Fremont Glacier, Fremont County, Wyoming, 43°07′52″N 109°36′58″W / 43.13111°N 109.61611°W, el. 13,028 feet (3,971 m)
- Washakie Glacier, Fremont County, Wyoming, 42°48′31″N 109°14′47″W / 42.80861°N 109.24639°W, el. 11,335 feet (3,455 m)
- Wind River Glacier, Fremont County, Wyoming, 42°42′31″N 109°07′41″W / 42.70861°N 109.12806°W, el. 12,600 feet (3,800 m)
See also
