The Matanuska Glacier is about a 90 mile drive northeast (mostly easterly) from the town of Palmer, Alaska. The Glenn Highway, which for many years was the only road to link southcentral Alaska to the Interior, follows the winding and sometimes steep valley that the Matanuska River has carved. It is one of the most continuously spectacular drives with the Chugach Mountain Range to the south and the Talkeetna Mountains to the north.

These mountains, glaciers, and river valleys often create a cold air flow that culminates in a funnel of strong winter winds that rack the northern part of the southern Matanuska Valley.

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This page last updated June 4, 2006