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Lookout · Glenn Highway

Matanuska Glacier Viewpoint

OpenStreetMap
Looking south from Matanuska Glacier Viewpoint. Terrain and imagery at true elevation.
Overview · Assembled from verified data

This overlook sits along the Glenn Highway at an elevation of 3,006 feet, facing south, with the terrain dropping 1,310 feet within 600 meters of the viewpoint. Mount Wickersham rises to the south at a distance of 5.3 miles, with an elevation of 7,249 feet; it was named in 1960 by Senator Bob Bartlett and Secretary of the Interior Fred A. Seaton in memory of James Wickersham, an attorney, district judge, and Territorial Delegate to Congress from Alaska who led an unsuccessful 1903 attempt to climb Denali. Iceland Peak is visible to the southeast at 13.9 miles, reaching 8,827 feet, and Mount Thor stands farther southeast at 26.8 miles with an elevation of 12,306 feet. Daylight hours vary widely across the year at this location, from a sunrise of 04:04 and sunset of 23:42 at the June solstice to a sunrise of 10:13 and sunset of 15:27 at the December solstice. The next stop along the route is the Gorge Viewing Deck.

Access
0.6 mi detour
Elevation
3,006 ft
View
South · 180°
Relief
1,310 ft drop
In view
3 named features
Photos · Real imagery only
Label view of ant Myrmica brevispinosa specimen casent0104831 .
April Nobile · CC BY 4.0 · source
Profile view of ant Myrmica brevispinosa specimen casent0104831 .
April Nobile · CC BY 4.0 · source
Head view of ant Myrmica brevispinosa specimen casent0104831 .
April Nobile · CC BY 4.0 · source
Dorsal view of ant Myrmica brevispinosa specimen casent0104831 .
April Nobile · CC BY 4.0 · source
Chugach mountains in the background
Eric Kilby · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
North aspect of Lion Head (right) in Alaska. Matanuska Glacier in the background through the gap.
Eric Kilby · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
In view · Named features

What you’re looking at

Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.

  • Mount Wickersham7,249 ftsouth · 5.3 mi
  • Iceland Peak8,827 ftsoutheast · 13.9 mi
  • Mount Thor12,306 ftsoutheast · 26.8 mi
When to look · Sun at this latitude

Light

DateSunriseSunsetGolden hour
March equinox07:5220:0619:07
June solstice04:0423:4222:11
September equinox07:3519:5318:55
December solstice10:1315:27—

Local time (America/Anchorage). Computed for this exact position.

Getting there · Position and access

Where it is

After it: Gorge Viewing Deck →
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From the source · Verbatim

Mount Wickersham · WikipediaCC BY-SA

Mount Wickersham is a 7,415-foot (2,260 m) elevation mountain summit located 48 mi (77 km) east of Palmer, in the northern Chugach Mountains of the U.S. state of Alaska. This landmark of the Matanuska Valley is set midway between Anchorage and Glennallen, at mile 101 of the Glenn Highway. It is situated immediately west of Matanuska Glacier, and 10.5 mi (17 km) east of Amulet Peak. The mountain was named in 1960 by Senator Bob Bartlett and Secretary of the Interior Fred A. Seaton, to remember James Wickersham (1857–1939), attorney, District Judge, and Territorial Delegate to Congress from Alaska. In June 1903, Wickersham was also leader of the (unsuccessful) first attempt to climb Denali. His attempt was stymied by steep cliffs which also now bear his name, Wickersham Wall.

Read it at Wikipedia →
Common questions

How high is Matanuska Glacier Viewpoint?

Matanuska Glacier Viewpoint sits at about 3,006 feet (916 m).

What can you see from Matanuska Glacier Viewpoint?

From Matanuska Glacier Viewpoint: Mount Wickersham (S, 5.3 mi); Iceland Peak (SE, 14 mi); Mount Thor (SE, 27 mi).

What is the next lookout after Matanuska Glacier Viewpoint?

Gorge Viewing Deck is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Matanuska Glacier Viewpoint.

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Matanuska Glacier Viewpoint — confirmed, rated, and photographed by people who actually pulled over. A local confirmation is what upgrades a lookout from Discovered to Verified. Zero hallucinations.

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