 North American glaciers are primarily located along the spine of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada , and the Pacific Coast Ranges extending from northern California to Alaska . While Greenland is geologically associated with North America , it is also a part of the Arctic region . Apart from the few tidewater glaciers such as Taku Glacier , in the advance stage of their tidewater glacier cycle prevalent along the coast of Alaska , virtually all of those in North America are in a state of retreat . This rate has increased rapidly since around 1980 , and overall each decade since has seen greater rates of retreat than the preceding one . There are also small remnant glaciers scattered throughout the Sierra Nevada mountains of California and Nevada . 
