Stunning glacier! Portage lake is everything you can imagine in a glacial lake, my only grievance was with the tour company that does the cruise to the glacier. They were not ideal and the operation felt very rinky dink. I do think it would be cool to kayak to the glacier and around the icebergs! This is a fairly easily accessible glacier! 10/10 would go again! read more

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The Portage Glacier in Chugach National Park is definitely worth a stop. You can glide right up to the face of the glacier for a pretty low cost (about $45) on a ship called the Ptarmigan. The glacier has receded quite a bit so is no longer visible from the visitor center like it used to be. So you'll definitely want to do the Ptarmigan cruise up to the face of it. The water around the glacier is a piercing blue turquoise color. So the boat ride up to the face of the glacier is very pretty in that respect too. There were also many small waterfalls all around the lake that were great to see as we strode by. It was raining and sleeting when we took the cruise, but we still managed to trod up to the outdoor deck and snap pictures of the glacier up close. If you'll be in the area, definitely make a trip to see this beauty before it's totally gone! read more

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Portage Glacier Visitor Center is one of those "must do" side trips when you visit Anchorage. Easily accessed off the Seward Highway, it's a great spot to spend an hour or two. The facility is aging but really well cared for. The displays and information are engaging for all age groups. It's really a great experience. Weather can be cold and windy so dress appropriately and bring a rain jacket. Bonus is to see spawning salmon in nearby creeks during the run. read more

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Must see! Worth the drive. Download the directions before you go because you will lose service. read more

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Great hike! Ummm, I agree with Andrew, if you can walk to the glacier why take a boat? This was my first time and I got here early as it is later in the season and warms up. About 3/4 of a mile to the glacier I started to punch through the snow a bit, and quite a bit more on the way back as the sun was burning off the clouds. So,I started out around 8 and there was so much fog I couldn't see more than 100 ft, but kept track of the location of the sun as I walked. Slowly but surely the fog lifted in areas and rounded the corner to see the glacier. What was cool is as I was leaving to head back I took one last look at the glacier and it was covered in fog, so I hit it at the right time. I would recommend this hike as it's an easy 6 miles walk round trip, and is receding fast. When I was a wee thing I used to be able to see the glacier from the visitor's center. The tour boat used to sound the horn to get the glacier to calve. Seems like we're reaping the results of that poor decision along with global warming. read more

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Ha! What a bunch of haters! "The lake was frozen and we couldn't ride the boat, one star!" I suppose this place will remain a local gem thanks to all these tourists that haven't done their research. A few things: You CAN NOT see the Portage Glacier from the Portage Glacier Visitor Center. It's impossible. You *can* see *a* glacier, but that is the Shakespeare Glacier. You can see the glacier a couple of ways: 1) Pay to take the boat ride in the summer. I've never done this because it seems like an overpriced tourist trap. 2) Walk/fatbike/ice skate to the Portage Glacier in the winter when the lake is frozen. This is THE BEST way to do it, it's a truly unique Alaska experience! 3) Hike the Portage Pass Trail (https://www.yelp.com/biz/portage-pass-trail-whittier) in the summer. You can supposedly walk the shoreline right up to the toe of the glacier. I've hiked the hike (it's awesome), but I've never tried to access the glacial toe. Anyway you get here, it's absolutely worth it! read more

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If it's your first time in Alaska, and you've never seen a glacier, chances are it'll be Portage Glacier that pops your cherry. It's easily accessible by the Alaska road system- it's only one turn off the Seward Highway onto Portage Glacier Road and then a short few miles down and voila! Glacier!!! Actually, there's several glaciers clustered here, but Portage gets all the attention since it's where the Visitor Center is located. Portage Glacier has been retreating in the past few years, so you can't walk right up to it like you used to be able to. But it's still there, smack dab in your face. Super cool. There's several smaller glaciers that you can view and any of the several turn-offs on the Portage-Glacier Road that feed beautiful glacier lakes and rivers. This is a NOT-to-be missed part of any trip to the Anchorage area. Portage is easy to find, if you can get someone local to give you directions. It's less than 90 minutes from Anchorage. It's just troublesome because there's no actual address... it's south of Anchorage, sandwiched between Girdwood and Whittier. The GPS coordinates are on the Chugach National Park Portage Glacier page that I've linked here. It's impossible to get lost going here becuase there aren't enough roads to get lost on. LOL! Hop in your rental car and take a half-day adventure from Anchorage to Portage. And pack a lunch if you're picky because there's only one eatery at the park's edge. This is also a great location for children and the elderly, because by Alaska standards, this is accessible as it gets. There's even clean, handicap accessible indoor toilets at the Begich Boggs visitor center! There's some interpretive videos and lectures for a small fee as well. This is also a good place to pick up free Alaska National Park Brochures- there's even some great ones for kids. Keep in mind the Visitor Center is only open May-September, but the park itself is open year round, If you decide to venture to Portage during winter, the roads can be rough, so don't venture to there without 4 wheel drive, pee before you leave since the restrooms are closed and pack a snack. Regardless of what time of year you visit, it's always 10-15 degrees cooler than Anchorage, so plan accordingly. read more

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We went on the one-hour boat tour for $45. It was nice and worth the money. Good narration. Nice boat. You get near the glacier and can take great pictures. This was during Covid so boat was at half capacity. Masks worn on bottom/closed level of boat, but not on top/open level of boat. read more

There are two ways to view Portage Glacier, by hiking from Whittier or takes a lake cruise. We went the easy way and paid $39 a person for a cruise ticket. The cruise was about an hour long and there was park ranger on broad to give educational information. The boat went pretty close to the glacier and there were plenty of photo opportunity to take picture of the surrounding mountains. The cruise was worth the cost. read more

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It was a complete waste of time for me. I tried to go in February and it was difficult getting there on the slushy road and when I got there the entrance was closed. read more

Unfortunately there was a fire between Anchorage and Girdwood so to discourage people from traveling down they cancelled all trips for the day. Was incredibly disappointing since it was something we had done 20+ years ago and were really looking forward to the trip. They did however refund us the money which was nice, but we wouldn't have cut our time at the Alyeska Resort short if we would have known. The visitors center near by was a nice 5 minute stop and they showed us pictures of the area over the years and how the glaciers have started to deteriorate. read more