Benson Glacier, Eagle Cap Wilderness

#13 among attractions in Eagle Cap Wilderness

Natural attraction, Natural feature

Map

Facts and practical information

Benson Glacier is in the U.S. state of Oregon. The glacier is situated in the Wallowa Mountains at an elevation generally above 8,500 feet on the eastern slopes Glacier Peak, a subpeak of Eagle Cap. The glacier was named in honor of Frank W. Benson, former Governor of Oregon during an expedition in 1914. Benson Glacier is estimated to be 560 ft long. Due to its small size, researchers have frequently questioned whether it was a glacier or a perennial snowfield. Areal photography taken in 2007 showed crevasses on the surface, confirming that it does flow and is a true glacier. It is not expected to remain a true glacier much longer, however, due to climate change. ()

Coordinates: 45°9'55"N, 117°18'11"W

Address

Eagle Cap Wilderness United States

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Eagle Cap Wilderness

Day trips

Benson Glacier – popular in the area (distance from the attraction)

Nearby attractions include: Ice Lake, Aneroid Lake, Eagle Cap, Sacajawea Peak.

4.6 miN
Natural attraction, Lake
Ice Lake, Eagle Cap Wilderness
118 min walk • Ice Lake is a small freshwater lake at 7,900 feet on the south skirt of the Hurwal Divide within the Eagle Cap Wilderness region in Wallowa County, in northeastern Oregon, United States.
5.7 miNE
Natural attraction, Lake
Aneroid Lake, Eagle Cap Wilderness
145 min walk • In common with many of the neighboring lakes in the Eagle Cap Wilderness of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in Wallowa County, Oregon, Aneroid Lake is nestled in an example of a cirque valley with large tarn scoured out of the mountain side by glacial movements during the Pleistocene.
~700 ftS
Natural attraction, Mountain
Eagle Cap, Eagle Cap Wilderness
4 min walk • Eagle Cap is a mountain peak located in the Wallowa Mountains, Wallowa–Whitman National Forest, in the U.S. state of Oregon. The peak is in the Eagle Cap Wilderness and the Benson Glacier is along the east flank of the summit ridge.
5.5 miN
Natural attraction, Mountain
Sacajawea Peak, Eagle Cap Wilderness
140 min walk • Sacajawea Peak is a peak in the Wallowa Mountains, in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is in the Eagle Cap Wilderness and the Wallowa–Whitman National Forest.
1 miN
Natural attraction, Lake
Mirror Lake, Eagle Cap Wilderness
25 min walk • Mirror Lake is a lake in Wallowa County, Oregon. It is located in Eagle Cap Wilderness about 1.1 miles north-northwest of Eagle Cap peak.
2.6 miNW
Natural attraction, Lake
Minam Lake, Eagle Cap Wilderness
68 min walk • Minam Lake is a high-elevation reservoir in the Eagle Cap Wilderness of the Wallowa Mountains in the U.S. state of Oregon. The unusual reservoir, a modified natural lake, has outlets on both its north and south ends.
6 miNE
Natural attraction, Lake
Roger Lake, Eagle Cap Wilderness
154 min walk • Roger Lake is a mountain pond located in a meadow on Aneroid Mountain in the Eagle Cap Wilderness of Northeastern Oregon, United States. It is 0.5 miles from Aneroid Lake on trail 1804.
6.3 miSW
Natural attraction, Waterfall
Copper Creek Falls, Eagle Cap Wilderness
162 min walk • Copper Creek Falls is a waterfall from Copper Creek, just before it empties into Eagle Creek at Bench Canyon, in Union County, Oregon. Access to Copper Creek Falls is from a trail that parallels the river for over 15 mi.
5.9 miNW
Natural attraction, Mountain
Elkhorn Peak, Eagle Cap Wilderness
151 min walk • Elkhorn Peak is an 9,238-foot summit of the Wallowa Mountains in Wallowa County, Oregon in the United States. It is located in the Eagle Cap Wilderness of the Wallowa National Forest.
5.5 miN
Natural attraction, Natural feature
Wallowa Mountains, Eagle Cap Wilderness
141 min walk • The Wallowa Mountains are a mountain range located in the Columbia Plateau of northeastern Oregon in the United States. The range runs approximately 40 miles northwest to southeast in southwestern Wallowa County and eastern Union County between the Blue Mountains to the west and the Snake River to the east.