Ruth Glacier
Ruth Glacier plunges through the Great Gorge in descending 2,000 feet in about six miles.
Plan Around Ruth Glacier
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Ruth Glacier Details
Originating about three miles below the summit of Mt. McKinley, Ruth Glacier plunges through the mile wide Great Gorge in descending 2,000 feet in about six miles. The cliffs in the gorge rise 5,000 feet above the surface of the moving ice, which itself is 3,700 feet thick at this point, making this the deepest gorge in the world. Among the features surrounding the gorge are Mt. Dickey and the granite spires known as Moose's Tooth, Broken Tooth, Wisdom Tooth, and Bear Tooth. The lower section of the glacier, the 10-square-mile Ruth Ice Fall, is an impregnable made of fractured ice. This spectacular glacier can be treacherous with its many crevices and holes, but nonetheless gets visits from mountaineers, skiers, and even air taxis.
Difficulty
Low
Distance
N/A
Estimated time
N/A
Region
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Nearby Parks Around Ruth Glacier
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Nearby Points of Interest Around Ruth Glacier
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Ruth Glacier while the map context is still fresh.
7.2 mi away
The Great Gorge
The mile wide Great Gorge of the Ruth Glacier is the deepest gorge in the world.
10.3 mi away
Mount Goldie
Mount Goldie is a peak in the Alaska Range within Denali National Park.
12.9 mi away
Mount Dickey
The east face of Mt. Dickey is a mile-high sheer granite wall -- as tall as two Half Domes.
16.1 mi away
Don Shelton Amphitheater
The Don Sheldon Amphitheater is sometimes called the single most beautiful spot in Denali.
16.3 mi away
Mount Huntington
The pyramid-shaped Mt. Huntington stands close to Denali (Mt. McKinley) and Mt. Hunter.
