One of my favorite guided tours we’ve done here in Alaska is the hike to the Root Glacier from Kennicott in Wrangell-St Elias National Park. Kennicott Wilderness Guides does a great job outfitting guests for a glacier hike and then safely getting them onto the Root Glacier and exploring. We did this with our 11 and 14 year olds and they LOVED the adventure of it (and didn’t even complain about the hiking). If you’re planning your time in the Copper Valley and aren’t sure how to make the most of a visit to McCarthy and Kennicott, put the Root Glacier hike with Kennicott Wilderness Guides on your list. The people are great, they care about the environment they’re guiding in, and it’s just good Alaska fun.
We’re happy to share our experience going out with Kennicott Wilderness Guides and exploring the Root Glacier. Hiking on ancient ice-pack and enjoying a snowy picnic in summer is a wonderfully unique experience. If you have any questions about this guided tour or need more recommendations for things to do in McCarthy and Kennicott, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you plan a great AK trip.
Highlights of doing a Root Glacier Guided Hike
Doing a Root Glacier hiking tour is a highlight for a lot of people visiting McCarthy and Kennicott. You can see the Kennicott Glacier from many places, including from the historic site visitor center, but the Root Glacier requires a hike, both to really see it and to walk on the glacier. While you can do the hike to the glacier on your own, once you get there is when you need to be on a guided hike/tour. Walking on a glacier is tricky and sometimes dangerous business, so it’s helpful to go with a professional. Going with Kennicott Wilderness Guides, we had both a professional guide to help us along and the right gear to keep us safe and warm. You can’t just rent crampons in Kennicott or McCarthy, and they are key to staying safe on a Root Glacier hike, so doing a Root Glacier guided hike is the best option.
A lot of people are interesting in hiking when they come to Wrangell-St Elias National Park, and getting a tour of the Root Glacier is a top tour pick, but what is it that you actually get to see? A lot of people get to see glaciers from a cruise ship, gorgeous and icy blue, calving off into a fjord, but visiting the Root Glacier gives you the other version of what a glacier can be. Doing an Alaska glacier hike like this takes you across the ice where there are streams flowing through ice valleys, and waterfalls pouring into moulins (ice wells), and there are blue pools that look so tempting to jump into. Being on the Root Glacier is like being in another world where the ice and water are all around you and your crampons are the thing keeping you from sliding into the crevasses. I know it sounds a little precarious, but it’s not scary when you’re doing a Root Glacier guided hike. It’s more beautiful and fascinating than anything else.
Check out Kennicott Wilderness Guides
Use discount code 2traveldads for a 5% discount on your booking (except fly-outs).
Tips for a Good Root Glacier Hiking Experience
From the time you leave the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark district until you return, the nature is really something, and very Alaska. Your guided hike to Root Glacier goes along the valley overlooking the Kennicott Glacier, crossing several streams, you’ll see waterfalls, and then you get to the base of the Root. Between the Kennecott Mill buildings and the actual glaciers here, this tour allows you some of the most unique sights in Wrangell-St Elias National Park. Kennicott Wilderness Guides are trained on the ecology and history of the area, so as your hiking, you actually get to learn about everything you see, from the wildlife to the old mill power plant. It’s pretty cool.
From the time you depart on the Root Glacier guided hike until you return to the Kennicott Glacier Lodge area (you leave from the road in front of the Glacier Lodge), it’s about five hours. A lot of this is hiking on the trails and loose rocks, and then the rest of it is doing your glacier walk and navigating the ice in your crampons. You should plan for this to be a very active experience, as the total ground covered can be 6-7 miles in total (depending on the route). You don’t have to be in incredible shape, but the descent along the valley to the glacier and then back up is a challenge. The loose rocks of the trail as it crosses the moraine are a workout to hike over. Be sure that anyone in your group who’s interested in doing the guided Root Glacier hike is going to be able to complete it before it’s on everyone’s Wrangell-St Elias National Park itinerary.
If you’re traveling solo to McCarthy and Kennicott, you can still do the half day or full day hike on the Root Glacier; you don’t need your own group because you can book either a private hike or a group where you can join other like-minded people. I think this is a great option if you’re really interested in doing a glacier walk and others in your party aren’t. Being flexible and able to join the guided tour with strangers can make it a really fun experience. Kennicott Wilderness Guides offers both half and full day hiking on Root Glacier, and it can be booked as a private tour or group.
Is Glacier Hiking Dangerous?
A lot of people who want to do a glacier walk in Alaska have never actually been ON a glacier before, so this is a great opportunity to have the experience. I will say, if you just plan to do it on your own, think twice and do go on a guided glacier hike because it is actually a very dangerous environment. Between the glacier moulins and icy blue pools, there are lots of hazards all around Root Glacier. Being led by somebody who’s on the ice every day is key to a safe experience. Heck, even something as simple as putting crampons onto your boots can make or break the dangerous side of being on a glacier, which is another reason to go with a guide and let them provide the gear and make sure you’re using it properly. Safety first!
Half Day Glacier Hike or Full Day?
Because Kennicott Wilderness Guides offer both a half day and full day hike, you might be confused about which one to choose. If you’re staying at the McCarthy Lodge Resort or Kennicott Glacier Lodge, you can for sure book the full day hike and really cover some ground up the glacier valley. If you’re just visiting for the day, a good plan is to do the half day glacier hike with Kennicott Wilderness Guides and then spend the rest of your time exploring the Kennecott Mines National Historic Site. You can add a Kennecott Mill Tour to your visit for AFTER your Root Glacier hike.
Gear and Being Prepared for the Root Glacier Guided Hike
When it come to gear and being prepared for the Root Glacier hike, you’ll need to consider the environment you’re heading to. The glacier trek starts in the Kennicott town and then moves through the alpine forest to the glacier. This part of the hike may be pretty warm depending on the weather. Once you’re hiking on glaciers though, the temperature and even weather can change. When dressing for an Alaska glacier trek, dress in layers with a warm base layer and then top layers that you can easily remove. Also, consider a rainjacket or waterproof pants as a part of your gear because in addition to the glacier acting like a giant alpine air conditioner, moisture and rain frequently happen during glacier hikes in Wrangell-St Elias National Park. When it comes time to walk on a glacier, you should not attempt this on your own without the proper knowledge or gear, and the most important part of the gear are the crampons.
When you go with Kennicott Wilderness Guides, they’ll provide crampons for you, but if you’re thinking about doing the Root Glacier hike on your own, you won’t be able to rent crampons anywhere in McCarthy or Kennicott. This is strategic so that you must be a part of a guided hike, both for safety and impacts’ sake. If you need hiking poles, your guide can provide those as well.
What’s NOT provided are your hiking boot, so be ready for your guided hike in your own boots, and your lunch. Yes, whether you’re doing the half day hike or full day guided glacier trek, you do need to provide your own lunch, which you can get to-go from the McCarthy Mercantile Cafe or Kennicott Glacier Lodge. Kennicott Wilderness Guides will provide hot cocoa during your Root Glacier walk, but lunch is on you.
Root Glacier Guided Hike Cost
Doing a Root Glacier guided hike will cost between $130 and $250 per person. For the half day guided hike, around $130 is what you can expect (book with our code below and get a discount), and then the full day glacier hike with Kennicott Wilderness Guides is about $175. There are other guided hiking options to visit Root Glacier, but Kennicott Wilderness Guides has both the best rate and really wonderful people leading the glacier trek experiences.
Check out Kennicott Wilderness Guides
Use discount code 2traveldads for a 5% discount on your booking (except fly-outs).
How Do You Get to the Root Glacier Hike
The Root Glacier walks head out from the Kennicott Wilderness Guides building in the town of Kennicott, across the road from the Kennicott Glacier Lodge. If you’re staying in McCarthy or are visiting just for the day, you can arrange to be picked up by the KWG van and brought to the office to be fitted for your crampons and meet your guide. If you’re parking on the other side of the Kennicott River, be sure that you CROSS THE FOOTBRIDGE to the shuttle pickup spot so you don’t miss your Root Glacier tour. Give yourself plenty of time so you don’t scramble to make it to your shuttle. You CANNOT drive yourself into Kennicott. All visitors MUST park on the west side of the Kennicott River.
NOTE: in case you didn’t know, McCarthy and Kennicott are at the end of the 60 mile long gravel McCarthy Road. Rental cars in general are prohibited from driving this dirt road route (it’s a 2 hour drive on gravel). Be sure you’re rental allows a visit to McCarthy. We use GoNorth Alaska Rentals for 4WD and gravel-highway-approved vehicles when we need them.
Root Glacier Guided Hike Photo Gallery
Since I love glaciers and the beautiful blue pools and moulins you get to see, here are some shots from our Root Glacier guided hike with Kennicott Wilderness Guides. Such a fun day, and the kids loved it too.
Kennicott Wilderness Guides Operating Info
To complete your planning, here is all the information to plan and book your adventure.
- Operating Dates/Season: May through September
- Tour office phone number: 800-664-4537 or 907-554-4444 (summer)
- Company website: KennicottGuides.com
- Tour check-in address: office in Kennicott; park your car HERE, Mile 59.2 McCarthy Road End of the Road, McCarthy, AK 99588
More Things to Do in the Copper River Valley
The Copper River Valley is known for its world-famous salmon, but there’s much more to this vast region of Alaska. Stretching from Valdez and Cordova in the south and up to Glennallen at the north, the Copper Valley is a beautiful, mountainous with countless tributaries to the Copper River. Wrangell-St Elias National Park is accessible from the Copper Valley via McCarthy and Copper Center, and several state parks and recreation sites make it an outdoors destination you’ll love.
If this is your first visit to the Copper Valley, you’ll love the drive on the Richardson Highway and want to do it again. Starting in Valdez and ending in Fairbanks, the Richardson Highway is the second longest highway in Alaska, second only to the Dalton Highway which connects Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay. As it heads north from Valdez, Keystone Canyon is the first beautiful stretch, full of waterfalls and the old railroad route. Heading up the mountains, Thompson Pass is next with beautiful hikes, epic views and glaciers you can walk to. As you keep driving along the Richardson Highway, you’ll pass through several tiny town and villages, and eventually you’ll come to Copper Center where you’ll enjoy fishing for the world-famous Copper River salmon!
Here are our suggestions for things to do and ways to enjoy your time in the Copper River Vally:
Where to Stay in the Copper Valley
While you may have lots of choices for lodges and hotels in the Anchorage area or around Denali National Park, the Copper River Valley, from outside Valdez all the way to Delta Junction, is very limited. There are not many hotels or lodges, and even private vacation rentals and cabins are few and far between. There are choices though! We’ve gotten to stay in a few wonderful spots which you can read about here on our site (see below). In the meantime, feel free to do a search for stays in the Copper River Valley or check out the map below.
I hope you’re excited to experience the Root Glacier up close with a guided hike. Doing an Alaska glacier hike is a cool adventure and Wrangell-St Elias National Park is beautiful; I know you’ll love it. If you have any questions about visiting McCarthy or the Copper River Valley please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to help with travel planning for an Alaska Trip!
