Hubbard Glacier: North America's Largest Tidewater Glacier and Alaska's Most Active

Located just 30 miles north of Yakutat, Hubbard Glacier is North America's largest tidewater glacier. This 8-mile-wide frozen giant is Alaska's most active, with powerful riptides and currents surging between Gilbert Point and its face—only 1,000 feet away—causing near-continuous calving at peak tides. The surrounding 545-square-mile Russell Fjord Wilderness is among Alaska's most captivating destinations, typically explored via flightseeing or boat tours.
Is Hubbard Glacier Still Advancing?
Stretching 76 miles long, this glacier drew national attention in the mid-1980s by surging across Russell Fjord, sealing it off as a lake. It later receded, reopening the fjord, but advanced again in 2002 and nearly repeated the surge in 2011.




