Worthington Glacier State Recreation Site
113-acre state recreation site at Mile 28.7 of the Richardson Highway, just east of Thompson Pass on the run down to Valdez. A four-mile-long glacier descends nearly to the roadway and is accessible via a paved, wheelchair-accessible trail to a covered viewing platform. Interpretive signs, viewing scopes, parking, and pit toilets on-site. Designated a National Natural Landmark.
The pull-off comes up fast on the descent from Thompson Pass, and the glacier fills the view before you've even cut the engine. What makes this stop genuinely unusual is the proximity: the four-mile-long glacier descends almost to the roadway, and a short paved trail — wheelchair-accessible, running from the parking area to a covered viewing platform — puts you within reach of the ice without any real effort. The pavilion holds a scale model of the glacier alongside interpretive panels, and viewing scopes are positioned at the platform.
The site was designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service in 1968. The glacier has been retreating steadily, but the model at the pavilion lets you see how far it has pulled back, which puts the scale of change in plain terms. The ridge trail that once allowed a closer approach has been closed due to rockfall and unstable conditions, so the paved lookout route is the one to use. The site is open seasonally — winter snow and ice conditions determine when it closes — and there is a parking fee. Vault toilets are on-site.
Coming off Thompson Pass on the Richardson — one of Alaska's most dramatic descents — this glacier is within walking distance of the highway. The scenery is extraordinary and the stop is free.
Shot by the riders who've run it.
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