Mount Veniaminof

Quick Facts

Location:

Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge

Significance:

The most extensive crater-glacier in the nation.

Designation:

National Natural Landmark

MANAGED BY:

US Fish & Wildlife Service

An active volcano of great mass, Mount Veniaminof contains a cupped ice field of 25 square miles, the most extensive crater-glacier in the nation. The caldera originated when the former summit collapsed. It is the only known glacier on the continent with an active volcanic vent in its center. Located within Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge, Veniaminof is usually shrouded in fog and clouds, and local residents indicate that the entire volcano is visible only one or two days a year. Mount Veniaminof was designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1967, and is 659,149 acres large.

^{Photo by Tim Plucinski courtesy the Alaska Volcano Observatory / USGS.}