Hubbard Glacier is the largest tidewater glacier in North America, and it stands out because it’s actually advancing instead of retreating.

You don’t hike to Hubbard Glacier. Most people see it by cruise ship or boat tour, usually from Yakutat or as part of a Gulf of Alaska route.

The glacier face is massive—towering above the water and stretching across a wide area. When it calves, it’s loud. You’ll hear deep cracks and see huge sections of ice break off and crash into the ocean.

Because it’s advancing, it has a different feel than many other glaciers. It’s pushing forward, building up ice instead of pulling back.

The water around it is filled with ice, and ships keep a safe distance because of how active it is.

Hubbard Glacier is one of those places where the scale is hard to process until you’re actually there.