A Trip Inside Alaska’s Frozen Caves Is Positively Surreal
Inside one of Alaska’s incredible glaciers is a magical place that looks like it’s from a dream. The Mendenhall Ice Caves are absolutely beautiful, glittering with an unearthly blue and shimmering in the cool light. You’ll adore a visit to the ice caves in Alaska for a winter adventure you’ll never forget.
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The adventure includes travel to the accessible ice caves, usually by boat or helicopter, and a trek of a mile or two to get to the caves. This is a great adventure for those with proper warm gear and a love for hiking.
Most caves are formed when water pours in at a "moulin," basically an entrance into the interior of the glacier. The water eventually finds its way out and into the ocean, leaving a beautiful frozen cave behind.
The caves are formed from a mere trickle of water melting the interior of the glacier. The caves are rare, hard to reach, and occassionally unstable, so you will want to go with a guide that knows about the current conditions of the terrain.
These glacier ice caves are illuminated by the sun through the layers of brilliant blue glacier ice. The light has an otherworldly quality and nothing is quite so beautiful.
The Mendenhall Ice Caves are truly a wonder of the world, found right here in Alaska. If you ever have the opportunity, you will never forget the incredible beauty of this unique feature of Alaska.
