Half Day Root Glacier Hike
Overview
Tour Highlights
~Interpretive Walking Tour through the Historic Kennicott Mining Town
~Soaring Glacial & Mountain Vistas
~Hike on the White Ice of the Root Glacier
~Explore Unique Glacial Features (Blue Pools, Moulins, Crevasses)
~Drink from a Glacial Stream
~Unbeatable Views of the Stairway Icefall
~Interpretive Walking Tour through the Historic Kennicott Mining Town
~Soaring Glacial & Mountain Vistas
~Hike on the White Ice of the Root Glacier
~Explore Unique Glacial Features (Blue Pools, Moulins, Crevasses)
~Drink from a Glacial Stream
~Unbeatable Views of the Stairway Icefall
Inclusions
- Local guide
- Private tours
- Crampons
- Trekking Poles (by request)
- Private transportation
What to expect
Itinerary
Explore the Blue Pools, Moulins, Crevasses and rolling Ice of the Root Glacier accompanied by one of our local, knowledgeable guides. Well studied in glaciology and geology, our guides will bring you on a glacier hike adventure in one of the earth’s most dynamic landscapes. Outfitted with a pair of crampons and a pre-trip orientation, we’ll shuttle you from our shop in McCarthy 5 miles up the road up to historic Kennecott.
Our glacier hike begins in historic Kennecott where your guide explains the buildings and history of the purest copper ever found on Earth. Your guides “insider” knowledge will help to illuminate the stories that once unfolded here.
From Kennecott it is a two mile trek along the well-marked glacier trail. Check out wild-flowers, maybe taste a few of the Alaska Berries along the way. The roughly 2 mile hike from bus depot to white ice provides for great photo ops and stops along the way. Your guide will offer a immersive interpretive tour of glacier, alpine mountains and the creatures that roam here. Spend a few hours circling moulins, traversing fields of ice & basking in the beauty of blue pools, ice-falls & soaring mountains.
Stop At:
• McCarthy River Tours & Outfitters, McCarthy, Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Preserve, AK
• Root Glacier Trail, Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Preserve, AK
Explore the Blue Pools, Moulins, Crevasses and rolling Ice of the Root Glacier accompanied by one of our local, knowledgeable guides. Well studied in glaciology and geology, our guides will bring you on a glacier hike adventure in one of the earth’s most dynamic landscapes. Outfitted with a pair of crampons and a pre-trip orientation, we’ll shuttle you from our shop in McCarthy 5 miles up the road up to historic Kennecott.
Our glacier hike begins in historic Kennecott where your guide explains the buildings and history of the purest copper ever found on Earth. Your guides “insider” knowledge will help to illuminate the stories that once unfolded here.
From Kennecott it is a two mile trek along the well-marked glacier trail. Check out wild-flowers, maybe taste a few of the Alaska Berries along the way. The roughly 2 mile hike from bus depot to white ice provides for great photo ops and stops along the way. Your guide will offer a immersive interpretive tour of glacier, alpine mountains and the creatures that roam here. Spend a few hours circling moulins, traversing fields of ice & basking in the beauty of blue pools, ice-falls & soaring mountains.
Stop At:
• McCarthy River Tours & Outfitters, McCarthy, Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Preserve, AK
• Root Glacier Trail, Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Preserve, AK
Additional information
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Minimum age is 8 years
- Dress code is outdoors ready, participants should bring sunglasses, gloves and rain gear and dress appropriately for the temperature.
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
- Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
- Gear/equipment sanitized between use
- Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
- Guides required to regularly wash hands
- Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
bookworm9992001
October 2017
Husband and I went on a private guided hike in July during our stay at Kennicot Glacier Lodge. We booked the tickets using American Express (Australia) points. Our hotel shuttle took us there on one of their scheduled runs. Kevin was our guide, a lovely; extremely patient; amazing and helpful gui...
Husband and I went on a private guided hike in July during our stay at Kennicot Glacier Lodge. We booked the tickets using American Express (Australia) points. Our hotel shuttle took us there on one of their scheduled runs. Kevin was our guide, a lovely; extremely patient; amazing and helpful guide. I was apprehensive, being overweight and unfit. But these fears were allayed by Kevin. The entire experience was done at our own pace with no impatience or feeling that I was too slow. We were kitted out in McCarthy with the crampons. You are taught how to wear them, and how to walk using them; then remove them and pack them for carrying- you must have your own backpack. Kevin then drove us up to Kennicot, and pointed out a porcupine crossing the road. He parked across Kennicot Glacier Lodge and we walked until we reached the glacier. I must say there were some hair raising moments when I was terrified that I would slip on loose gravel. There is a clean toilet on the way, just before you begin the main part of the trail. After a long (for me at any rate) hike, we reached the Glacier. Kevin offered us mats to sit on and wear the crampons, but we preferred to sit on some rocks. Then began the long uphill trek on the ice. Alot easier than expected, and surprisingly not cold. Though I think you must carry a rain jacket just in case. And do wear sunglasses. We walked a long distance, though it didn't feel like it. ( Husband's fit bit kept track). It was absolutely exhilarating. Kevin pointed out moulins and other features. Finally when we'd had our fill, we had to descend...a lot more difficult and scary for me than the uphill. Then back on the trail to Kennicot, this time around I was slow and again Kevin did not rush me. By the end I was exhausted!!! That night I had hubby massage my sore calves. Fyi hubby is 51 and I am 47. He has knee and back problems but managed the hike fine with no adverse effects. Please do go...it is truly the experience of a lifetime, but all the more enjoyable by a fantastic guide.AimeeBDC
August 2019
I booked a Root Glacier hike with Johnny and boy am I glad I did! I normally would forego a formal tour and take a hike by myself, and I'm happy that I did the opposite this time. Johnny was an awesome guide! He was patient, informative, and since we were the only two people on the glacier at 8 ...
I booked a Root Glacier hike with Johnny and boy am I glad I did! I normally would forego a formal tour and take a hike by myself, and I'm happy that I did the opposite this time. Johnny was an awesome guide! He was patient, informative, and since we were the only two people on the glacier at 8 AM in the morning, he took me around to all of the good picture taking spots. He showed me some of the remnants of the Gold Rush systems that exist on the mountainside to the right of the glacier; that was cool! I got some really amazing photos of the ice fall and other glacial structures and he even helped me fill my Camelback with delicious glacier water! He was super knowledgeable about the area, about the Root glacier structure (as well as the surrounding Kennicott glacier), and about the history of the surrounding area. It was truly an amazing and unforgettable experience and I'm glad I got a super cool and relatable guide like Johnny!Malvika B
July 2018
Everything from the booking to the actual day of hike was very smooth with McCarthy River Tours & Outfitters. A big shout-out to our guide for the day, Emily, who made our experience even more memorable. She was very well versed with the history of Kennicott and our pace to, on and from the glaci...
Everything from the booking to the actual day of hike was very smooth with McCarthy River Tours & Outfitters. A big shout-out to our guide for the day, Emily, who made our experience even more memorable. She was very well versed with the history of Kennicott and our pace to, on and from the glacier was comfortable. We received crampons (but no trekking poles) that made walking on the actual glacier so much easier. While on the glacier, time permitting, she took us to different spots, each with something unique to offer. We were lucky to get a private tour as the other couple scheduled for the day was unable to show up which made the experience even more special. Highly recommend touring with this company.jonathan s
July 2018
My wife and myself took the 1/2 day root glacier hike with our guide Emily. She was amazing. She was very knowledgeable about the geology, mining, glaciers and the local flora. She was always pleasant and helpful with us two old retirees.We both highly recommend both the company and her specifically
My wife and myself took the 1/2 day root glacier hike with our guide Emily. She was amazing. She was very knowledgeable about the geology, mining, glaciers and the local flora. She was always pleasant and helpful with us two old retirees.We both highly recommend both the company and her specificallyscorpionz
July 2018
We just concluded a 2 week trip to Alaska and this was one of the two best highlights of our trip. Although my wife & I do a lot of hiking, we'd never hiked on a glacier before and hence decided to do a guided tour. Best decision ever! Root glacier by itself is great but the experience was impr...
We just concluded a 2 week trip to Alaska and this was one of the two best highlights of our trip. Although my wife & I do a lot of hiking, we'd never hiked on a glacier before and hence decided to do a guided tour. Best decision ever! Root glacier by itself is great but the experience was improved manifold by our guide, Emily. Emily was FANTASTIC! She is very pleasant and has great knowledge of the geology, flora & fauna, and history of the place. She is genuinely passionate about the outdoors which was visibly apparent as she explained the various features of the glacier to us. We loved chatting with her throughout the 5-6 hours. She was patient with us as we did an extended photography session and helped us out with crampons & stuff whenever we needed help. Since it was only my wife & I, we did more of an exploratory hike but we always felt safe following her direction. We would have never ventured out as far had we hiked by ourselves. We really can't say enough great things about her. Although we could have hiked ourselves (since we had our own crampons), we would have not learnt anything about the park or the glacier. Would highly recommend a guided tour for folks who are doing this activity for the first time. We will be sure to return to this company for more tours in our future visits!Chufina
June 2018
We hiked Root Glacier and it was a great experience. Beautiful place, and a reasonably easy hike (about 1.5h hike to get there, plus 2h on the ice, plus another 1.5h to get back). We booked using the toursaver discount and even though it is supposed to be valid only at 1pm, they were super kind a...
We hiked Root Glacier and it was a great experience. Beautiful place, and a reasonably easy hike (about 1.5h hike to get there, plus 2h on the ice, plus another 1.5h to get back). We booked using the toursaver discount and even though it is supposed to be valid only at 1pm, they were super kind and allowed us to do it early in the morning to better fit out travel plans. Would definitely recommend.