The Glacier Fields of Kluane National Park

Kluane National Park is on the Canadian side of the St. Elias Mountain Range with includes Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska. It is the home to Mt. Logan, the highest point in Canada and lies in the extreme Southwest corner of the Yukon.

I had the pleasure of having two aerial photography sessions over the ice fields of Kluane National Park in the Yukon back in June. One in a helicopter and the other the next day in a fixed wing airplane. It was one of the best photography experiences I’ve had in my 4.5 years of traveling.

I’d like to give a big thanks to Yukon Tourism for showing me a great time and giving me the chance to take such amazing photos.

Now I’ll let the photos speak for themselves….


30 thoughts on “The Glacier Fields of Kluane National Park”

  1. My wife and I went there in 1976. I tried to bath in Kluane Lake and did, barely. It is still the coldest swimming I have ever done. It wasn’t really swimming. It was more of greased lightning dip. It was beautiful though. Thanks for the pictures.

  2. Truly magnificent photos of a truly magnificent place, but how sad to see the extent of the melting. For those who not visited, you’d best hurry!

  3. Stunning pictures & wonderful that you can get to the air to capture the scale.
    NZ’s glaciers are a modest comparison.
    Envious as ever of your endeavour :o)

  4. Wow! Amazing pictures.I really had no idea how beautiful this place was. I guess someday I will have to start traveling within my own country, so many amazing things to see.

  5. Wow these are breathtaking photos Gary! Great patterns.. you really capture how diverse the glacier fields are. Must’ve been a fun experience up in the air over such beautiful scenery!

  6. I knew that my country was beautiful but to see it the way you “picture it” is just overwhelming! To be honest with you, I almost had tears in my eyes… never thought that seeing pictures of Canada would make me so emotional… simply amazing!
    Thank you!

  7. to agree with everyone else these photos are indeed amazing its cool how that land spreads for miles

  8. This is absolutely one of the most enticing photo essays I’ve ever seen. Canada has never been particularly high on my list of places, but this alone pushes it up there! Great shots and great work, man.

  9. Did you work with Pete of Yukon Tourism (he showed me around when I was up there). He’s such a character.

  10. That is one of my favorite glaciers I’ve ever visited. I’m with you Gary, those are some of the most colorful blue waters you can see in a glacier. I actually took one of my portfolio photographs in Kluane. I simply love the Yukon.

    Did you try the sourtoe cocktail, Gary? It’s basically a severed human toe that’s preserved in salt and placed in a glass of Yukon Jack- It’s an incredible experience. They only do that late at night in the Downtown Hotel in Dawson City. THAT WOULD BE ONE FOR THE BLOG.

    • My article on the Sourtoe cocktail club is forthcoming!

      Suffice to say my membership card is one of the few things I carry in my wallet :)

  11. I agree that these are the best pics I’ve seen from you. I live on a Caribbean island (that you haven’t been to yet) and I’ve never seen snow. I’d really like to, though…

  12. Gary – all I can say is WOW! These photos are the most stunning I’ve ever seen from you. I had my first encounter with a glacier when I walked to the foot of the Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand. That was my introduction to the myriad shapes and colors that present in a world that most think of as black, white, and gray. But Franz Josef can’t hold a candle to Kluane National Park.

    • I’ve been to Franz Joseph and Fox Glacier also, but those are pretty small compared to this. Most of things I took photos of here you can’t even access on foot.

      I think I’m going to try and do more aerial photography if I can swing it.

    • As I was looking at the photos, my reaction was the same… Wow! I have never been to the park, but it has made my list.

  13. Wow! Seriously each one get’s better and better! Plus look at how small the trees are – crazy! What a spectacular place! That blue is surreal. You really have an eye for capturing patterns too. :)

  14. I spied my first glacier last year in Iceland, and I was also amazed by the colors, especially some of the deep blues. Really nice work on capturing the colors and patterns of the glacier fields.

  15. Incredible photos Gary! I love that electric blue color on the glacier! This makes me wish I could hire a plane and snap some pics like this!

  16. One word – Awesome! What a great travel experience for you. I especially enjoy the patterns that the glaciers make.

  17. Great bunch of photos. People can’t usually grasp the total beauty of glaciers unless they see them from a low-flying aerial perspective. Nice work.

    • The blue pools of water you see in the ice blew me away when I saw them. I can’t say I’ve ever seen as deep a blue as what I’ve seen in the glaciers.

  18. These are simply stunning! Such a gorgeous place & something else to put on my “Must See” list. Glaciers are fascinating & so unbelievable- their patterns, their size, their history. I’ve been to a few in Alaska and New Zealand, but I fall in love with them more each time.

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