Portage Glacier @ Gridwood, Alaska

I visited Portage glacier via a private owned tour company which offer one day package to visit several places in Alaska. I take a cruise to see this great glacier view and Portage glacier is the most visited glacier in Alaska due to its proximity to Anchorage. Portage glacier cruise is about 1 hour drive from Anchorage and you will need to take Ptarmigan boat. You have many photo opportunity to have great glacier photos once the boat get close to the glacier. Do bring jacket for this tour as Alaska weather is unpredictable and temperature do drop significantly when the boat approaching glacier. If you forgot to bring jacket, the cruise does have jacket available for free. It was raining and cold during my cruise day but this does not hinder me from having good photos. I was lucky to be able to take this glacier cruise as that day was the last cruise of the season as they close during winter as the lake will be frozen. The next cruise will be in May next year. Besides glacier, you will also see specular mountain views and the ranger narration onboard does give great insight about the area and informative.

Rating:9/10(For such a short trip of one hour, you able to view nice glacier and insight about the ecology and nature of Portage lake).


Portage glacier cruise via Ptarmigan boat.

Waiting to board Portage glacier cruise.

Boarded inside the boat. Most people went outside for amazing glacier view.


Be ready to embrace cold strong wind and rain.

Extremely foggy on that day.



Big chunk of ice from broken from glacier.




Portage glacier.

Visitors don't want to miss the opportunity to capture the structure of Portage glacier.

Me with Portage glacier.

Bye Portage glacier.

GPS/Coordinate: 60.784641, -148.841181
Address: Portage Lake Loop, Girdwood, Alaska, USA.
Fee: USD34.00 for adult on 1 hour cruise with ranger narration. Cruise is only available from May to September. Closed on other months due to frozen lake.