Private Tour
Half Day Root Glacier Hike
Overview
Available languages
5 hours
Mobile ticket
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
Additional Info
Service animals allowed
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
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
Cancellation Policy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
What‘s Included
Private transportation
Local guide
Trekking Poles (by request)
Private tours
Crampons
Lunch or Snacks
Water Bottle
Sturdy Hiking Shoes or Boots
Sunglasses & Sunscreen (Even if it is Cloudy!)
Rain Gear (Top & Bottom)
Backpack
Camara
Lightweight Gloves
A Tip for your Guide! (10-20% of trip cost is recommended)
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
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.
Options
Half Day Root Glacier Hike
Option 1: Join us for an exciting Private half day Glacier Hike adventure of the Root Glacier in Kennecott, Alaska. Explore the Blue Pools, Moulin’s, Crevasses and rolling Ice of the Root Glacier.
Pickup included
Reviews
21 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Veronica and McCarthy River Tours are Root Glacier's Best Hiking Guides
pasdedeux092907,
Jan 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Hiking the Root Glacier was exciting and a little scary as our first glacier hike. However, hiking with a friendly, experienced, and knowledgible guide, such as Veronica, from McCarthy River Tours made our day. Veronica prepared us for the hike and provided all of the guidance needed. Veronica stayed with us every step, she shared her experience and knowledge to insure a safe hike as well as an interesting experience. We would never have ventured as far and as safely on the Root Glacier if we had hiked without a guide. Veronica made this hike a memorable and fun one.
Glacier hike
Scott T,
Jun 28, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00An amazing view of a real live glacier. A scenic hike along the historic mining town of Kennicott takes you to the bottom of the root glacier where you strap on supplied crampons to hike around a beautiful white ice glacier with the option to swim in a glacial pool. Knowledgeable guides keep you informed about your surroundings and the history of the old mining town.
A great private tour with an excellent guide.
Owen T,
Jun 6, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00This was a great day hiking to the glacier and over it. Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly.
Fantastic!
DouglasF2219,
Sep 2, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a wonderful time hiking to and on the glacier. We booked last minute due to weather and they were very accommodating. Our guide John was terrific and we enjoyed our day with him very much. He shared his knowledge of the area and glaciers, fitted us with equipment and instructed us well on how to stay safe. Great experience! We're so glad we did this!
Quite an experience and harder then I expected
patellaOwensboro,
Aug 15, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Just enjoyed the experience of being on the glazier and learning about the glaziers. Our guide Macie was knowledgeable. I am certainly glad we had a guide.
Great walk, beautiful glacier
apsback,
Aug 1, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We went for the glacier walk with beautiful weather late July. The walk on the glacier is spectacular as it gives amazing views to the surrounding mountains and the different shapes and colors of the ice and crevasses around. While it was warm on the way to the glacier, it was much cooler once on the glacier. So take at least two layers to manage the change of temperature.
Gorgeous glacier hike
Robin M,
Jul 19, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Very well run operation and an almost spiritual experience. The glacier hike was stunning and our guide was both knowledgeable and fun, while also very safety conscious. Highly recommend!
Great experience with something new (ice hiking)
745alliec,
Jul 19, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Jeremiah was a great guide. He was full of local knowledge and made us feel comfortable on our hike. Only 1 in 4 of us had ever been on crampons before but he made sure we had a good fit and knowledge of how to use. Would definitely recommend
Root Glacier Hike, McCarthy Alaska
Kirsten N,
Aug 30, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We went on the Root Glacier Hike with our daughter and her friend. This was his first trip to Alaska. We live in the area, and had been to McCarthy many times, but had never been to Root Glacier. Walking on the glacier was a highlight for all of us. We had a great hike. The glacier was amazing. Our guide, Johnny, was informative, helpful, and outgoing. As a bonus, he took beautiful pictures with our camera and cell phones. We saw guides from another outfit with large groups of people and we were sure glad we selected McCarthy River Tours; since it was just the four of us and our guide, we could go at our own pace and fully explore the area. Thank you, Johnny!
Unforgettable Root Glacier Hike
AimeeBDC,
Aug 21, 2019
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I 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!
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