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Glenn Highway: Palmer to Sheep Mountain, Matanuska Valley, Alaska
Photo: Cecil Sanders · CC BY 2.0

Drives Alaska Anchorage, the Kenai and Southcentral Alaska

Glenn Highway: Palmer to Sheep Mountain

Glenn Highway, AK 1 · Palmer → Sheep Mountain Lodge

Leisurely64 mi1 hr 20 min7,200 ft climbHigh point ≈ 2,800 ftOne way
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The drive

The Glenn Highway began in the 1930s as the Palmer Road to reach an agricultural colony at Palmer. This drive heads east from Palmer and follows the Matanuska River toward the Matanuska Glacier, through Sutton.

The glacier is 27 miles long and about 4 miles wide, the largest glacier in the United States reachable by car, and it can be seen from the highway. The Glenn is listed among Alaska's scenic byways and ends in this drive at Sheep Mountain Lodge.

Along the way

  1. Palmer
  2. Sutton
  3. Matanuska Glacier
  4. Sheep Mountain Lodge
Elevation
7,200 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 2,800 ft
PalmerSheep Mountain Lodge
Curves
Mostly gentle curves
PalmerSheep Mountain Lodge
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • The Matanuska Glacier State Recreation Site is reached by a bridge where a private company charges a toll, even though the park is public.
  • Check Alaska 511 for conditions before winter trips.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Alaska 511 road conditions.

Questions about this drive

How long is the Glenn Highway from Palmer to Sheep Mountain Lodge?

The Glenn Highway from Palmer to Sheep Mountain Lodge is 63.9 miles and takes about 1 hr 20 min.

Can you see Matanuska Glacier from the Glenn Highway?

Yes. The glacier lies near the Glenn Highway about 100 miles northeast of Anchorage, and it is the largest glacier in the US accessible by car.

Is the Glenn Highway twisty?

Mostly not. This stretch is rated Leisurely, with mostly gentle curves.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
Drive it with no signalAPEXDownload the map and every turn before you go.
Live Group TrackingAPEXEveryone on the route, on the map, by name.
Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.
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More drives near here

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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Glenn Highway: Palmer to Sheep Mountain, from Palmer to Sheep Mountain Lodge