Portage Glacier facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Portage Glacier
Portage Glacier in 2009
Type	Mountain glacier
Location	Anchorage and Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, U.S.
Coordinates	60°45′11″N 148°47′08″W / 60.75306°N 148.78556°W / 60.75306; -148.78556
Length	6 miles (9.6 km)
Terminus	glacial lake
Status	retreating

Portage Glacier has retreated substantially since this image was taken in 1958 (Bard Peak to left)

Portage Glacier is a large glacier found in Alaska, a state in the U.S.. It is located on the Kenai Peninsula and is part of the Chugach National Forest. You can find it south of Portage Lake and about 6 kilometers (4 miles) west of Whittier.

This glacier got its name because it was part of a "portage" route. A portage is a path where people carry boats or goods overland between two waterways. This route connected Prince William Sound and Turnagain Arm. The name "Portage Glacier" was first written down in 1898.

Hundreds of years ago, Portage Glacier was much bigger. It filled the entire Portage Valley, stretching about 14 miles (22.5 km). Back then, it was connected to what are now five separate glaciers. Today, the glacier is getting smaller, which means it is "retreating."

The Begich/Boggs Visitor Center was built in 1986 by the U.S. Forest Service. This center helps people learn about the glacier. However, the glacier has moved so far back that you can no longer see it from the visitor center. To see the glacier up close, you need to take a boat ride across the lake. Many companies offer these boat tours.

Where is Portage Glacier?

Portage Glacier is located near Turnagain Arm, which is about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of downtown Anchorage. You can get there by car using the Seward Highway. This highway leads to the former town of Portage. That town was flooded and abandoned after a big earthquake in Alaska in 1964.

The Portage Glacier Road is about 6 miles (9.6 km) long. It passes by several U.S. Forest Service campgrounds. This road used to end at the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center. But now, it continues eastward. It leads to the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel and then to the town of Whittier.