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Walk from Kennecott to the Root Glacier with an experienced guide and strap on crampons to explore icefalls, crevasses, and meltwater canyons. This half-day, 5–6 mile guided excursion mixes natural history, mining heritage, and safe glacier travel.
Walk from Kennecott to the Root Glacier with an experienced guide and strap on crampons to explore icefalls, crevasses, and meltwater canyons. This half-day, 5–6 mile guided excursion mixes natural history, mining heritage, and safe glacier travel.
You step off the gravel road and the air changes: cold, clean, and edged by the distant rumble of melting ice. The approach from the Kennecott office moves through alder and willow, then opens onto braided streams that dare you to keep moving toward the slick blue horizon. In five or six hours you'll cover roughly 5–6 miles round trip, including a 2-mile interpretive trail to the glacier’s edge and guided travel across the Root Glacier itself.
Verified experiences and guided adventures in the surrounding area.
Operated by St. Elias Alpine Guides · Kennecott, Alaska
You step off the gravel road and the air changes: cold, clean, and edged by the distant rumble of melting ice. The approach from the Kennecott office moves through alder and willow, then opens onto braided streams that dare you to keep moving toward the slick blue horizon. In five or six hours you'll cover roughly 5–6 miles round trip, including a 2-mile interpretive trail to the glacier’s edge and guided travel across the Root Glacier itself.
This landscape is shaped by ice and industry. The mine and company town at Kennecott tell a short, intense chapter of Alaska’s copper boom, while the glacier records longer geologic forces — flow, freeze, and melt carving canyons of ice and the dramatic 7,000-foot Stairway Icefall visible from the surface. Guides from the valley add cultural context about the Athabascan presence in the region and the early 20th-century mining infrastructure you’ll pass near Kennecott.
On the ice you’ll hear crampons bite and see crevasses and seracs change color as light shifts; your guide points out glacial streams, meltwater falls, and moraine features, explaining why this glacier is always moving.
Practical guidance: dress in layers and bring rain shells (no shorts), sturdy ankle-support boots, gloves, sun protection, and a filled water bottle. Guides provide crampons and instruction; group sizes are small (about eight per guide). If you’re staying in McCarthy, factor in shuttle timing to Kennecott. Expect uneven terrain, wet crossings, and bright reflection off the ice — move deliberately, hydrate, and let the guide set the pace.
moderate.
5–6 hours.
Moderate fitness—comfortable with steady uphill sections, uneven terrain, and several hours of walking.
No — this is a guided glacier walk; guides provide crampons, safety instruction, and route-finding for participants of varying experience.
Families are welcome, but the tour is challenging for children under 7 and anyone with knee or spine issues; a hands-free carrier is required for children 2 or under.
Crampons are provided; you must bring layered clothing, rain jacket and pants, sturdy boots, gloves, water, and snacks or lunch.
Check in at the Kennecott office (walkable if staying in Kennecott); if staying in McCarthy you’ll need the scheduled shuttle that runs before departure times.
Kennecott is a historic copper-mining settlement from the early 20th century; the surrounding area later became part of Wrangell–St. Elias National Park, protecting both cultural and natural resources.
The root glacier is a dynamic, sensitive system — stick to guide routes, pack out waste, and avoid disturbing meltwater channels and fragile vegetation on the moraine.
St. Elias Alpine Guides operates guided outdoor trips and adventures with an emphasis on safety, stewardship, and memorable experiences.
You step off the gravel road and the air changes: cold, clean, and edged by the distant rumble of melting ice. The approach from the Kennecott office moves through alder and willow, then opens onto braided streams that dare you to keep moving toward the slick blue horizon. In five or six hours you'll cover roughly 5–6 miles round trip, including a 2-mile interpretive trail to the glacier’s edge and guided travel across the Root Glacier itself.
You step off the gravel road and the air changes: cold, clean, and edged by the distant rumble of melting ice. The approach from the Kennecott office moves through alder and willow, then opens onto braided streams that dare you to keep moving toward the slick blue horizon. In five or six hours you'll cover roughly 5–6 miles round trip, including a 2-mile interpretive trail to the glacier’s edge and guided travel across the Root Glacier itself.
This landscape is shaped by ice and industry. The mine and company town at Kennecott tell a short, intense chapter of Alaska’s copper boom, while the glacier records longer geologic forces — flow, freeze, and melt carving canyons of ice and the dramatic 7,000-foot Stairway Icefall visible from the surface. Guides from the valley add cultural context about the Athabascan presence in the region and the early 20th-century mining infrastructure you’ll pass near Kennecott.
On the ice you’ll hear crampons bite and see crevasses and seracs change color as light shifts; your guide points out glacial streams, meltwater falls, and moraine features, explaining why this glacier is always moving.
Practical guidance: dress in layers and bring rain shells (no shorts), sturdy ankle-support boots, gloves, sun protection, and a filled water bottle. Guides provide crampons and instruction; group sizes are small (about eight per guide). If you’re staying in McCarthy, factor in shuttle timing to Kennecott. Expect uneven terrain, wet crossings, and bright reflection off the ice — move deliberately, hydrate, and let the guide set the pace.