Glaciers are nature’s frozen time capsules—vast rivers of ice that carve landscapes, preserve climate history, and sustain ecosystems across the globe. Found on every continent except Australia, glaciers are critical to understanding Earth’s past and predicting its future. From the high Arctic to the southern Andes, they feed rivers, shape valleys, and reflect millennia of climate shifts. Here’s a look at the top 10 countries with the most glaciers, a journey through icy realms that hold both breathtaking beauty and urgent lessons about our planet’s changing climate.
#1: Canada (Over 200,000 Glaciers, covering more than 75,000 square miles)
Canada reigns supreme in glacier territory outside the polar regions, with enormous icefields blanketing its western mountain ranges and Arctic islands. The Columbia Icefield in Alberta is one of the most famous, home to the Athabasca Glacier—a popular stop along the Icefields Parkway. Canada’s glaciers extend from the jagged peaks of the Rockies to the frozen expanses of Baffin and Ellesmere Islands. These Arctic glaciers are remnants of the last Ice Age, holding ice that’s tens of thousands of years old. Interestingly, the Devon Ice Cap on Devon Island—Earth’s largest uninhabited island—serves as a Mars analogue, used by NASA to simulate extraterrestrial missions. But Canada’s glaciers are melting fast. In western Canada, the rate of ice loss has nearly doubled since the 1980s, feeding powerful rivers like the Columbia and Fraser but also threatening long-term water stability. For adventurers, hidden gems like the Bugaboos and the Wapta Icefield offer surreal landscapes where turquoise meltwater pools shimmer against towering ice walls.
#2: Russia (Over 25,000 Glaciers, covering about 38,000 square miles)
Russia’s vastness makes it a land of extremes, and its glaciers reflect that—from the soaring peaks of the Caucasus Mountains to the remote Kamchatka Peninsula, where volcanic heat and ice coexist in a rare natural duel. Mount Elbrus, Europe’s tallest mountain, wears a crown of ice year-round, and its twin summits rise above an ancient network of glaciers. In the far northeast, the Koryak and Chersky Ranges hold smaller glaciers that feed into Arctic rivers, while Siberia’s Putorana Plateau hides icy remnants clinging to its basalt cliffs. In Kamchatka, glaciers form on volcanoes like Klyuchevskaya Sopka, one of the most active on Earth, creating explosive interactions when lava meets ice. These dynamic systems sculpt the land into ash-streaked valleys and frozen calderas. Historically, Russian explorers mapped these icy territories in the 19th century, often under brutal conditions. Despite their remoteness, many of Russia’s glaciers are now retreating rapidly, particularly those in the Caucasus, where the once-mighty Kolka Glacier catastrophically collapsed in 2002, triggering a deadly avalanche that remains a haunting reminder of glacial instability.
#3: United States (Over 27,000 Glaciers, covering about 28,500 square miles)
The U.S. is home to a dazzling array of glaciers spread across Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and even Montana’s Glacier National Park. Alaska alone accounts for over 95% of the nation’s glacier area, with titans like the Malaspina Glacier fanning out across the coastal plain and the colossal Bering Glacier stretching over 115 miles long. These icy giants define Alaska’s rugged wilderness, feeding salmon streams and carving fjords that attract visitors from around the world. In Washington State, Mount Rainier and Mount Baker boast hundreds of glaciers that supply water to Seattle and the Puget Sound basin. Glacier National Park in Montana, once home to more than 150 glaciers, now has fewer than 25—each shrinking at alarming rates. One fascinating fact: some Alaskan glaciers, such as Taku Glacier near Juneau, were actually advancing until recent decades—a rare phenomenon that reversed as global temperatures rose. Hidden gems like the Harding Icefield near Seward or the Mendenhall Glacier outside Juneau offer visitors close encounters with living ice, complete with blue caves that glow from within.
#4: China (Over 18,000 Glaciers, covering around 22,000 square miles)
China’s glaciers dominate the “Third Pole,” the vast ice reserves of the Tibetan Plateau that feed Asia’s greatest rivers—the Yangtze, Mekong, and Indus. Towering peaks like Mount Gongga and the Himalayas’ western ranges harbor some of the planet’s highest glaciers. The Hailuogou Glacier in Sichuan, a rare valley glacier, cascades down through a lush forest—an almost surreal contrast of ice and greenery. China’s glaciers aren’t just geological marvels; they’re vital water sources for nearly 1.5 billion people downstream. Historical records reveal that ancient traders along the Silk Road crossed glacial passes to connect East and West. In more recent decades, scientists have discovered prehistoric plant and animal remains preserved in the ice, offering snapshots of climate history. One hidden wonder is the Yulong Snow Mountain Glacier in Yunnan Province, where visitors can ascend by cable car to glimpse the melting summit ice. Unfortunately, the retreat here is severe—many glaciers have shrunk by more than 25% in the past 40 years, an alarming change visible even from satellite images.
#5: Argentina (Over 16,000 Glaciers, covering roughly 11,000 square miles)
Stretching along the spine of the Andes, Argentina’s glaciers are some of the most awe-inspiring in the Southern Hemisphere. The Southern Patagonian Icefield—the world’s second-largest contiguous icefield outside Antarctica—spills into both Argentina and Chile. On the Argentine side, the Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park is legendary for its dramatic calving events, where towering ice cliffs thunder into Lake Argentino. Unlike most glaciers, Perito Moreno has been relatively stable for decades, a scientific curiosity amid widespread retreat. Argentine glaciers also hold deep historical ties: indigenous Tehuelche legends describe the ice as “the breath of spirits,” and early explorers like Francisco Moreno (the glacier’s namesake) braved the frigid wilderness to chart these unknown lands. Hidden gems like the Upsala Glacier reveal how dynamic these systems are—once the largest in South America, it’s now rapidly retreating, leaving behind vast lagoons of meltwater and sculpted icebergs.
#6: Chile (Over 24,000 Glaciers, covering about 8,000 square miles)
Chile’s glacier wealth is stunning, spanning the arid Atacama Desert’s volcanic slopes to the subpolar fjords of Patagonia. The Northern and Southern Patagonian Icefields dominate Chile’s southern coast, feeding colossal glaciers like San Rafael and Grey, which descend directly into turquoise lakes and icy fjords. In the remote Aysén region, explorers can kayak through floating ice chunks beneath the hanging glaciers of Queulat National Park. These formations are part of a landscape shaped by tectonic uplift and relentless precipitation from the Pacific. Chile’s glaciers have been vital to human survival for centuries, providing water to Indigenous Mapuche communities and serving as natural archives for climate researchers. The San Rafael Glacier, first reached by Europeans in 1675, still captivates with its spectacular blue ice. Yet Chile’s glaciers are among the fastest retreating in the world—some have lost more than 20 feet of thickness annually.
#7: Greenland (Over 20,000 Glaciers, covering 660,000 square miles of ice sheet and outflow glaciers)
Greenland is practically synonymous with ice. The Greenland Ice Sheet dominates the island, holding about 8% of the world’s freshwater. But beyond the main sheet, countless outflow glaciers such as Jakobshavn Isbræ surge toward the sea, calving massive icebergs into the North Atlantic. Jakobshavn, believed to have birthed the iceberg that sank the Titanic, is one of the fastest-moving glaciers on Earth, advancing up to 130 feet per day. The Ilulissat Icefjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers an otherworldly glimpse into this frozen world—massive walls of ice rumbling and breaking into the ocean. Inuit legends speak of glaciers as living spirits that move and breathe, and scientific data now shows just how alive these glaciers are, responding to minute temperature and ocean changes. Greenland’s ice loss has accelerated dramatically, with melting contributing over a quarter of global sea-level rise. Hidden gems like the Kangerlussuaq Glacier or the towering blue caves beneath Sermeq Kujalleq give a firsthand look at nature’s raw power.
#8: Pakistan (Over 7,000 Glaciers, covering roughly 5,000 square miles)
Pakistan’s Karakoram Range is home to some of the world’s longest non-polar glaciers, including the mighty Baltoro Glacier, stretching nearly 39 miles. Nestled among 8,000-meter peaks like K2 and Gasherbrum, these glaciers form one of the most spectacular alpine landscapes on Earth. The Siachen Glacier, straddling the disputed Kashmir region, is also the world’s highest battlefield—where soldiers endure freezing temperatures year-round. Despite being in one of the most rugged environments on the planet, Pakistan’s glaciers are relatively stable compared to global averages, a phenomenon known as the “Karakoram Anomaly.” Ancient caravans once crossed these icy passes on their way to China, and mountaineers today retrace their routes through valleys like Hunza and Gilgit. Locals refer to glaciers as “white dragons,” vital lifelines feeding the Indus River system. Hidden wonders like the Biafo Glacier connect trekkers to remote Snow Lake, a high-altitude basin of pristine ice surrounded by silence so pure it feels timeless.
#9: Norway (Over 2,500 Glaciers, covering about 1,200 square miles)
Norway’s glaciers, carved into deep fjords, are a defining feature of its legendary landscapes. The largest, Jostedalsbreen, stretches nearly 300 square miles and sends icy tongues into emerald lakes surrounded by pine forests. The Nigardsbreen and Briksdalsbreen glaciers are among its most photographed, their radiant blue ice drawing thousands of hikers each summer. In medieval times, glaciers were feared as omens—Viking sagas spoke of “frozen mountains” that advanced to swallow farms. Modern visitors, however, find serenity in their stillness. Norway’s glaciers are crucial to its hydropower system, as meltwater feeds countless dams and rivers. One fascinating detail: scientists have uncovered Viking artifacts preserved in ice, including skis, arrows, and tunics, offering glimpses into daily life a thousand years ago. Yet even in the land of fjords, the ice is retreating quickly, with some tongues losing hundreds of feet per year.
#10: India (Over 9,500 Glaciers, covering roughly 4,000 square miles)
High in the Himalayas, India’s glaciers are lifelines for millions, feeding the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Indus Rivers. The Siachen Glacier—shared with Pakistan—is both a strategic and environmental hotspot, while Gangotri Glacier holds deep spiritual significance as the source of the sacred Ganges. Pilgrims trek to its snout, Gaumukh, believed to resemble a cow’s mouth, to witness the river’s icy birth. Ancient texts reference these glaciers as abodes of the gods, and their meltwater still sustains vast agricultural regions. The Chhota Shigri and Zemu Glaciers in Himachal and Sikkim provide scientific insight into monsoon-linked melting cycles. Hidden gems like the Drang-Drung Glacier in Ladakh mesmerize visitors with surreal mountain light and desert-ice contrasts. Yet, India’s glaciers are receding rapidly, with Gangotri shrinking by more than 80 feet per year—a trend that poses challenges for both faith and livelihood.
Conclusion
From Canada’s Arctic icefields to India’s Himalayan peaks, glaciers tell the story of Earth’s evolving climate, geography, and human connection. They feed our rivers, inspire our myths, and capture ancient air in their crystalline depths. Yet they’re disappearing faster than ever recorded in human history. Preserving these frozen frontiers isn’t just about saving beauty—it’s about safeguarding balance, memory, and the rhythms that sustain life itself.
