Eldridge Glacier is a major
glacier
A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...
in
Denali National Park and Preserve
Denali National Park and Preserve, formerly known as Mount McKinley National Park, is a List of national parks of the United States, United States national park and National preserve, preserve located in Interior Alaska, centered on Denali (feder ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Alaska
Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
. The long glacier originates on the east side of
Explorers Peak, flowing northeast to a basin below
Mount Eldridge
Mount Eldridge is a mountain in the Alaska Range, in Denali National Park and Preserve. Mount Eldridge lies to the northeast of Denali, overlooking Eldridge Glacier. The mountain is a large massif with several summits along a ridge. Mount Eldr ...
, gathering flow from several glaciated cirques, then flowing southeast to the valley of the
Chulitna River, where it gives rise to the
Fountain River
A fountain, from the Latin "fons" (genitive "fontis"), meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect.
Fountains were or ...
. A large unnamed tributary glacier joins Eldridge Glacier a few miles above its terminus.
See also
*
List of glaciers
A glacier ( ) or () is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight; it forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation (melting and sublimation) over many years, often centuries. Glaciers slowly defor ...
References
Glaciers of Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska
Glaciers of Denali National Park and Preserve
Glaciers of Alaska
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