Key Information
Mendenhall Glacier and Ice Caves
| Type | Glacier and Ice Caves |
| Length | 13.6 miles |
Learning Point
- The Mendenhall Glacier is a massive, 13-mile-long river of ice in Alaska that looks like something straight out of a fantasy movie. It’s famous for its stunning Ice Caves, where melting water carves out hollow tunnels under the glacier, creating a surreal world of glowing, electric-blue walls. However, because of rising temperatures, the glacier is retreating rapidly, making the caves both rare and potentially dangerous to enter. It’s a breathtaking spot to see the raw power of nature firsthand, but it’s also a sobering reminder of how quickly our planet’s climate is changing.
Project
- Draw a picture of the Mendenhall Glacier and the Ice Caves.
- Overview
Location
| Location | Coast Range, Juneau, Alaska, United States |
Fun Facts
- The Mendenhall Glacier is a “river of ice” that slowly flows downhill because of its own massive weight. It moves about 2 feet every single day.
- The ice inside the glacier often looks bright neon blue. This isn’t because of dye or magic; the ice is so thick and dense that it absorbs all the other colors of the rainbow and reflects only the blue light back to your eyes.
- Scientists have found “ghost forests” under the glacier. These are ancient tree stumps that were frozen hundreds of years ago.
- Because the glacier is always moving and melting, the caves are constantly changing shape—or even disappearing and reappearing in new spots!
Past Lessons
| 190 | March 16, 2026 | (North America) |