Experience the beauty and awe of the Matanuska Glacier on a full-day trip from Anchorage. Drive the Glenn Highway up the Matanuska Valley along the Matanuska River. The glacier is 100 miles (161 kilometers) from Anchorage, so there are vast open vistas to enjoy along the way when the weather is clear. Check in at the Glacier Park office and take advantage of the indoor restrooms before heading up to the trailhead. Drive up to the trailhead, where the initial view of the glacier is breathtaking. Collect your safety equipment - ice spikes/crampons for your shoes year-round plus helmets in the summer. Then head out with an experienced glacier guide. In winter (late November through April) you will load onto sleds and enjoy a slow, safe snow machine ride out to the magnificent blue ice. In summer (May through early November) experience a longer, more strenuous hike. No matter when you visit there will be epic photos and fantastic memories for you to take home. This tour is a full eight-plus hours and operates snow or shine. If the weather in Anchorage is poor, the area near the glacier is often better. Other tours may say they'll deliver an experience of a lifetime, but this one truly does.