The Chugach Mountains of southern Alaska are the northernmost of the several mountain ranges that make up the Pacific Coast Ranges of the western edge of North America. The range is about 250 miles (402 km) long and 60 miles (97 km) wide, and extends from the Knik and Turnagain Arms of the Cook Inlet on the west to Bering Glacier, Tana Glacier, and the Tana River on the east. It is bounded on the north by the Matanuska, Copper, and Chitina rivers. The highest point of the Chugach Mountains is Mount Marcus Baker, at 13,094 feet (3,991 m), but with an average elevation of 4,006 feet (1,221 m), most of its summits are not especially high. Even so, its position along the Gulf of Alaska ensures more snowfall in the Chugach than anywhere else in the world, an annual average of over 1500 cm (800 in).
The Kenai Peninsula is a large peninsula jutting from the coast of Southcentral Alaska. The name Kenai is derived from the word "Kenaitze" or "Kenaitze Indian Tribe", the name of the Native Athabascan Alaskan tribe, the Kahtnuht’ana Dena’ina, who historically inhabited the area. They called the Kenai Peninsula Yaghanen.
The Copper River or Ahtna River, Ahtna Athabascan ‘Atna’tuu, "river of the Ahtnas", Tlingit Eeḵhéeni, "river of copper", is a 290-mile (470 km) river in south-central Alaska in the United States. It drains a large region of the Wrangell Mountains and Chugach Mountains into the Gulf of Alaska. It is known for its extensive delta ecosystem, as well as for its prolific runs of wild salmon, which are among the most highly prized stocks in the world. The river is the tenth largest in the United States, as ranked by average discharge volume at its mouth.
Turnagain Arm is a waterway into the northwestern part of the Gulf of Alaska. It is one of two narrow branches at the north end of Cook Inlet, the other being Knik Arm. Turnagain is subject to climate extremes and large tide ranges.
John Meares was an English navigator, explorer, and maritime fur trader, best known for his role in the Nootka Crisis, which brought Britain and Spain to the brink of war.
Portage Glacier is a glacier on the Kenai Peninsula of the U.S. state of Alaska and is included within the Chugach National Forest. It is located south of Portage Lake and 6 km (4 mi) west of Whittier.
The Chugach National Forest is a 6,908,540-acre (27,958 km2) United States National Forest in south central Alaska. Covering portions of Prince William Sound, the Kenai Peninsula and the Copper River Delta, it was formed in 1907 from part of a larger forest reserve. The Chugach includes extensive shorelines, glaciers, forests and rivers, much of which is untouched by roads or trails. It hosts numerous bird, mammal and marine species, including extensive shorebird habitat and a bald eagle population larger than the contiguous 48 states combined. Human industry in the forest includes extensive tourism and some mining and oil and gas operations.
Chenega Glacier is a tidewater glacier located in Prince William Sound and on the Kenai Peninsula in the U.S. state of Alaska.
Barnard Glacier is a 53 km (33 mi) long glacier in the U.S. state of Alaska. It trends southwest to the Chitina River east of Hawkins Glacier, 64 km (40 mi) southeast of McCarthy in the Saint Elias Mountains. The glacier is named for Barnard College, a member of the Seven Sisters that is associated with Columbia University in New York, New York.
The Martin River is a stream on the Kenai Peninsula in the U.S. state of Alaska. Beginning at Portlock Glacier in the Kenai Mountains, it flows north for 7 miles (11 km) into Kachemak Bay. The upper river lies within Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. The river mouth is 20 miles (32 km) northeast of Homer.
The Sargent Icefield is a large icefield located on the eastern portion of the Kenai Peninsula bordering Prince William Sound in Alaska. The ice field has numerous outflow glaciers including the Chenega, Princeton, and Ellsworth Glaciers.
The Princeton Glacier is a glacier in the Sargent Icefield, Kenai Peninsula in Alaska.
Nassau Fjord or Nassau Fiord is a four mile long inlet in Alaska branching off from Prince William Sound. Nassau Fjord is glacially carved and also home to the famous tidewater Chenega Glacier which shares a two mile long calving face with the Fjord. The Princeton and Tigertail Glaciers both come terminate within one mile of the fjord's waters as well.
The Harvard Glacier is a large tidewater glacier in the Alaska's Prince William Sound. The glacier has a 1.5-mile (2 km) wide face where it calves into the College Fjord. It is 300 ft thick and covers 120,000 acres of Chugach National Forest. The Harvard Glacier is the second largest glacier in the Prince William Sound, after the Columbia Glacier. It is a popular destination of cruise ships in the Prince William Sound.
Crow Creek is a stream in the Chugach Mountains, Alaska, US. It is the only notable tributary of Glacier Creek, which enters Turnagain Arm from the north, 12 miles (19 km) from its eastern end. The stream is notable as the site of ongoing gold mining since the late 19th century.
Bard Peak is a 3,850-foot (1,173 m) mountain summit located in the Kenai Mountains, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated in Chugach National Forest, 2.5 mi (4 km) southwest of Whittier, Alaska, at the isthmus of the Kenai Peninsula, where the Kenai Mountains meet the Chugach Mountains. Although modest in elevation, relief is significant since the eastern aspect of the mountain rises up from the western sea-level arms of Prince William Sound. Bard Peak is often seen and photographed with Shakespeare Shoulder, a 3,517-foot (1,072 m) sub-summit, because they are in the background behind Portage Lake, a popular tourist and recreation destination.
Carpathian Peak is a prominent 6,000+ ft mountain summit located in the Kenai Mountains, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated in Chugach National Forest, 8 mi (13 km) southwest of Whittier, Alaska, at the isthmus of the Kenai Peninsula, where the Kenai Mountains meet the Chugach Mountains. Although modest in elevation, relief is significant since the eastern aspect of the mountain rises from sea level at Blackstone Bay in Prince William Sound. The peak's nearest higher peak is Isthmus Peak, 8 mi (13 km) to the south, and nearby Bard Peak lies 5 mi (8.0 km) northeast. The mountain's name was officially adopted in 1959 by the United States Geological Survey. The 1959 first ascent party of Keith Hart, Ted Barrett, and Mat Nitsch suggested the name as a tribute to the Carpathian Mountains back in Mat's homeland which at the time was behind the Iron Curtain, with the intention to create a symbol of freedom.
Maynard Mountain is a 4,137-foot (1,261 m) mountain summit located in the Chugach Mountains, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated in Chugach National Forest, 3 mi (5 km) northwest of Whittier, Alaska, at the isthmus of the Kenai Peninsula, where the Chugach Mountains meet the Kenai Mountains. Nearby peaks include Bard Peak, 4.14 mi (7 km) to the south, and Begich Peak, 3.1 mi (5 km) to the west-northwest. Although modest in elevation, relief is significant since the eastern aspect of the mountain rises up from the tidewater of Prince William Sound's Passage Canal in approximately one mile. Maynard Mountain is often seen and photographed in the background behind Portage Lake, a popular tourist and recreation destination. The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, often called the Whittier Tunnel, is a dual-use highway and railroad tunnel that passes through Maynard Mountain. With a length of 13,300 feet, it is the second-longest highway tunnel and longest combined rail and highway tunnel in North America.
Passage Peak is a prominent 5,990-foot (1,826 m) mountain summit located in the Chugach Mountains, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The unofficially named peak is situated in Chugach National Forest, 9 mi (14 km) northeast of Whittier, Alaska, near the isthmus of the Kenai Peninsula, where the Chugach Mountains meet the Kenai Mountains. Nearby peaks include Maynard Mountain and Boggs Peak, each approximately 10 mi (16 km) to the southwest. Although modest in elevation, relief is significant since the southern aspect of the mountain rises up from the tidewater of Prince William Sound's Passage Canal in approximately five miles. The peak takes its name from Passage Canal, which in turn was named in 1794 by Captain George Vancouver, presumably because it leads to a portage connecting Prince William Sound with Cook Inlet.
