チューガック国勢調査地域のおすすめウォーキング＆ハイキングルート

This is about as far as you'd want to go on the sometimes steep, unstable and unofficial gravel "path" that parallels the glacier. You do get some amazing views here, but all the warning signs you hiked past are there for a reason. This isn't the safest trail on the planet, and it's very easy to suddenly notice you're walking on the glacier itself, as the rock and dirt you started on merge seamlessly into the ice itself. Don't believe me? Look for the glimmers of blue and blue-white ice peeking out through the grime, and trace the source of the miniature waterfalls spilling down near the trail. They're fueled by melting ice.

This is the closest of a couple different viewpoints you can reach with some easy walking. From here, you get very nice views of the glacier's blue ice and the lake of meltwater in front of it. What might be less obvious is that the glacier is actually larger than it appears: A portion of it is covered in dirt, rock, and silt that makes it look like part of the earth.

Follow the gravel path

This viewing platform marks the end of the maintain trail. On a clear day, it offers stunning views of Whittier, directly downslope from you, and the deep blue waters of Passage Canal just beyond.

This is one of the better viewpoints for spotting Horsetail Falls on the far side of the valley. However, to the falls are only impressive in the spring when they are running at high volume due to all the melting snow — and you never get very close to them. Instead, I recommend continuing on to the viewpoint overlooking Whittier.

At the moment, the Horsetail Falls trail starts along an old, unpaved road, just past the gated end of a parking area that is also unpaved, but usually passable for passenger vehicles. The city of Whittier is constructing a new connector trail that may make it possible to access this trail from right in town.

Divide Lake is flat, tranquil, and edged with grass, almost as if it sprang out of the tundra on its own. As the trail passes it and begins a downhill grade, you'll catch glimpses of the lake's outflow — Divide Creek — as it races you down to Portage Lake below.

Burns Creek is more of an obstacle than it might appear at first. Its water is fast, cold, and full of silt that makes it hard to judge the depth or spot ankle-twisting boulders littered around the stream bed. If you do choose to cross and continue toward the face of the glacier, please remember that it's very dangerous to walk on the glacier ice or in close proximity to it; falling chunks of ice could crush you.