Trip Description
Water, Ice and Air combines our two most popular local adventures, exploring the magic of the Root Glacier and paddling in Kennicott Glacier Lake, with a Fly-in Hike in the Backcountry of Wrangell-St. Elias. These trips are all amazing, combined they are the best the Wrangells have to offer.
Customize your package from the trip options listed for each day. You will have the opportunity to choose your preferred trips and locations during booking.
Glacier Day: Hike on a glacier! All of our glacier hikes start at our office in Kennicott, include a history tour through the Kennicott Millsite, interpretive nature hike on the Root Glacier Trail and exploration of the white ice of the Root Glacier. Click on the links below for a more detailed description of each hike.
Glacier Day Options:
| Trip Name | Difficulty & Length of Trip  | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Half Day Glacier Hike | Easy 4-5 hours | Hiking on a glacier! See blue pools, canyons, moulins and more! |
| Full Day Glacier Hike | Easy to Moderate 7 - 8 hours | Everything the half-day has to offer, just more of it! |
| Ice Explorer Climb & Hike | Medium to Hard 7 - 9 hours | The best of all worlds from Glacier Hiking & Ice Climbing. Great for families with mixed abilities and interests and for those who want it all. |
| Full day Ice Climb | Medium to Hard 7-9 hours | Ice climbing anywhere is extraordinary. Ice climbing on a glacier is out of this world. |
| Donoho Lakes Hike | Moderate 7-9 hours | Take the full day glacier hike and add an amazing waterfall and stunning alpine lakes. |
Packraft Day: Packraft on a glacial lake! Paddle your own boat around icebergs, explore the glacier’s edge and take in 360 degree views. Packrafts are inflatable, one-person boats that fit in a light backpack. A uniquely Alaskan experience.
Packraft Day Options:
| Trip | Difficulty & Length of Trip | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Glacier Lake Packraft | Easy 4 - 5 hours | Paddle your own boat in the stunning setting of a glacial lake. |
| Hike and Packraft | Medium 6 - 8 hours | Hike in, gear up, and explore areas only accessible by packrafts. |
Fly-In Hike Day: The Fly-in Day Hike is a full value Alaska backcountry experience. Get the feeling of immersion usually reserved for long expeditions, on a single day adventure, by using bush plane access makes it possible. With a variety of locations and objectives, these hikes can be as relaxing or as exerting as you want them to be.
See a list of locations below. Each is also a Backcountry location, by clicking on the name you visit the corresponding page for more information and photos.
Fly-In Hike Options:
| Trip | Highlights |
|---|---|
| The Fosse | Fly over Alaska valley glaciers. Hike through wildflower-filled alpine to an iceberg filled lake and views of 16,390 ft Mt. Blackburn. |
| Skolai | Fly through the heart of the Wrangells to an epic alpine pass at 6,000ft. Hike to waterfalls, hanging glaciers, lakes and big views. |
| Fan Glacier | A long flight gets you away from the crowds. Excellent hiking to views of hanging glaciers, huge vistas and unique kettle pools. |
| Iceberg | Fly through a large portion of the park. Hike to emerald alpine lakes in a valley surrounded by jagged peaks in an impressive landscape. |
| Hidden Gems | These are special flights to places seldom seen. Trips and locations custom tailored to personalized itinerary and logistics. |
| Nizina Lake | Fly past the Mile-High Cliffs to our packraft version of a fly-in day hike. Combine paddling the iceberg lake with great day hiking. If packrafting doesn’t interest you there is plenty to explore on foot! |
ALL Packages Include:
- The same private guide for the entire package
- Made to order lunches
- Round-trip transportation from your local lodging to where we begin each trip.
Duration: 3 days
Difficulty: Easy-Hard
Highlights:
- Ease of booking and customizable options
- Building a relationship with the same guide
- Bush plane flight to an amazing location
- Seeing glacial formations: waterfalls, crevasses, blue pools, moulins
- Use packrafts to explore a unique, otherwise inaccessible landscape
Trip Details
Terrain Challenges: Uneven trail surfaces, loose rocks, short and steep gain/loss of elevation and walking in crampons on uneven glacial surfaces. Need to actively paddle your own packraft with a kayak paddle, in cold, glacial fed water.
Who: Anyone looking for 2 full days of adventure
When: June-September
Flight times depend on air service availability.
Where: Our Glacier Hikes leave from our office in Kennicott and our Packrafting Trip leaves from the Footbridge in McCarthy. Our Fly-In Day Hike leaves from the McCarthy Airstrip.
Trip Includes
- Pre-trip planning.
- Experienced, friendly, knowledgeable guides!
- Round-trip, local transportation to where we begin our trip.
- Small guide to client ratios.
- Customizable itinerary.
- Airfare into the backcountry.
- Medical equipment, training and protocols to Wilderness First Responder Standards.
- SAT phone & Delorme InReach.
- Emergency camping gear (in the rare instance the plane cannot pick us up, do to weather conditions, we are prepared to spend the night in the backcountry)
- Technical gear and equipment.
- Day packs (if needed)
- Leave No Trace and Bear Safety education/ ethics.
Trip Does Not Include
- Guide Gratuity (recommended 10-20% of tour cost)
- Personal clothing & gear. For further suggestions on gear you will want to bring from home (this might help you pack for your whole Alaskan vacation!) visit our Trip Planning Page for a gear list.
- Pre & Post trip lodging.
- Transportation to and from Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.
Water, Ice, & Air: Three Day Package Pricing
Client:Guide Ratio & Price (Price Includes Flight Cost)
Fosse
1:1 / $2,780 per person
2:1 / $1,830 per person
3:1 / $1,470 per person
4:1 / $1,370 per person
Nizina
1:1 / $3,290 per person
2:1 / $2,235 per person
3:1 / $1,845 per person
4:1 / $1,775 per person
Skolai
1:1 / $3,260 per person
2:1 / $2,190 per person
3:1 / $1,790 per person
4:1 / $1,730 per person
Fan
1:1 / $3,390 per person
2:1 / $2,285 per person
3:1 / $1,880 per person
4:1 / $1,825 per person
Iceberg
1:1 / $3,390 per person
2:1 / $2,295 per person
3:1 / $1,885 per person
4:1 / $1,835 per person
Hidden Gems
1:1 / $5,050 per person
2:1 / $3,530 per person
3:1 / $2,985 per person
4:1 / $2,695 per person
$60/child discount for all children 12 and under on all private day hikes (issued at final payment)
$30/person discount for AK residents & Active Military and family. Valid with current I.D. (Issued at final payment)
Photo Gallery
Click to enlarge
Water, Ice, & Air: Three Day Package Pricing
Client:Guide Ratio & Price (Price Includes Flight Cost)
Fosse
1:1 / $2,780 per person
2:1 / $1,830 per person
3:1 / $1,470 per person
4:1 / $1,370 per person
Nizina
1:1 / $3,290 per person
2:1 / $2,235 per person
3:1 / $1,845 per person
4:1 / $1,775 per person
Skolai
1:1 / $3,260 per person
2:1 / $2,190 per person
3:1 / $1,790 per person
4:1 / $1,730 per person
Fan
1:1 / $3,390 per person
2:1 / $2,285 per person
3:1 / $1,880 per person
4:1 / $1,825 per person
Iceberg
1:1 / $3,390 per person
2:1 / $2,295 per person
3:1 / $1,885 per person
4:1 / $1,835 per person
Hidden Gems
1:1 / $5,050 per person
2:1 / $3,530 per person
3:1 / $2,985 per person
4:1 / $2,695 per person
$60/child discount for all children 12 and under on all private day hikes (issued at final payment)
$30/person discount for AK residents & Active Military and family. Valid with current I.D. (Issued at final payment)
Trip Description
Water, Ice and Air combines our two most popular local adventures, exploring the magic of the Root Glacier and paddling in Kennicott Glacier Lake, with a Fly-in Hike in the Backcountry of Wrangell-St. Elias. These trips are all amazing, combined they are the best the Wrangells have to offer.
Customize your package from the trip options listed for each day. You will have the opportunity to choose your preferred trips and locations during booking.
Glacier Day: Hike on a glacier! All of our glacier hikes start at our office in Kennicott, include a history tour through the Kennicott Millsite, interpretive nature hike on the Root Glacier Trail and exploration of the white ice of the Root Glacier. Click on the links below for a more detailed description of each hike.
Glacier Day Options:
| Trip Name | Difficulty & Length of Trip | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Half Day Glacier Hike | Easy 4-5 hours | Hiking on a glacier! See blue pools, canyons, moulins and more! |
| Full Day Glacier Hike | Easy to Moderate 7 - 8 hours | Everything the half-day has to offer, just more of it! |
| Ice Explorer Climb & Hike | Medium to Hard 7 - 9 hours | The best of all worlds from Glacier Hiking & Ice Climbing. Great for families with mixed abilities and interests and for those who want it all. |
| Full day Ice Climb | Medium to Hard 7-9 hours | Ice climbing anywhere is extraordinary. Ice climbing on a glacier is out of this world. |
| Donoho Lakes Hike | Moderate 7-9 hours | Take the full day glacier hike and add an amazing waterfall and stunning alpine lakes. |
Packraft Day: Packraft on a glacial lake! Paddle your own boat around icebergs, explore the glacier’s edge and take in 360 degree views. Packrafts are inflatable, one-person boats that fit in a light backpack. A uniquely Alaskan experience.
Packraft Day Options:
| Trip | Difficulty & Length of Trip | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Glacier Lake Packraft | Easy 4 - 5 hours | Paddle your own boat in the stunning setting of a glacial lake. |
| Hike and Packraft | Medium 6 - 8 hours | Hike in, gear up, and explore areas only accessible by packrafts. |
Fly-In Hike Day: The Fly-in Day Hike is a full value Alaska backcountry experience. Get the feeling of immersion usually reserved for long expeditions, on a single day adventure, by using bush plane access makes it possible. With a variety of locations and objectives, these hikes can be as relaxing or as exerting as you want them to be.
See a list of locations below. Each is also a Backcountry location, by clicking on the name you visit the corresponding page for more information and photos.
Packraft Day Options:
| Trip | Highlights |
|---|---|
| The Fosse | Fly over Alaska valley glaciers. Hike through wildflower-filled alpine to an iceberg filled lake and views of 16,390 ft Mt. Blackburn. |
| Skolai | Fly through the heart of the Wrangells to an epic alpine pass at 6,000ft. Hike to waterfalls, hanging glaciers, lakes and big views. |
| Fan Glacier | A long flight gets you away from the crowds. Excellent hiking to views of hanging glaciers, huge vistas and unique kettle pools. |
| Iceberg | Fly through a large portion of the park. Hike to emerald alpine lakes in a valley surrounded by jagged peaks in an impressive landscape. |
| Hidden Gems | These are special flights to places seldom seen. Trips and locations custom tailored to personalized itinerary and logistics. |
| Nizina Lake | Fly past the Mile-High Cliffs to our packraft version of a fly-in day hike. Combine paddling the iceberg lake with great day hiking. If packrafting doesn’t interest you there is plenty to explore on foot! |
ALL Packages Include:
- The same private guide for the entire package
- Made to order lunches
- Round-trip transportation from your local lodging to where we begin each trip.
Duration: 3 days
Difficulty: Easy-Hard
Highlights:
- Ease of booking and customizable options
- Building a relationship with the same guide
- Bush plane flight to an amazing location
- Seeing glacial formations: waterfalls, crevasses, blue pools, moulins
- Use packrafts to explore a unique, otherwise inaccessible landscape
Trip Details
Terrain Challenges: Uneven trail surfaces, loose rocks, short and steep gain/loss of elevation and walking in crampons on uneven glacial surfaces. Need to actively paddle your own packraft with a kayak paddle, in cold, glacial fed water.
Who: Anyone looking for 2 full days of adventure
When: June-September
Flight times depend on air service availability.
Where: Our Glacier Hikes leave from our office in Kennicott and our Packrafting Trip leaves from the Footbridge in McCarthy. Our Fly-In Day Hike leaves from the McCarthy Airstrip.
Trip Includes
- Pre-trip planning.
- Experienced, friendly, knowledgeable guides!
- Round-trip, local transportation to where we begin our trip.
- Small guide to client ratios.
- Customizable itinerary.
- Airfare into the backcountry.
- Medical equipment, training and protocols to Wilderness First Responder Standards.
- SAT phone & Delorme InReach.
- Emergency camping gear (in the rare instance the plane cannot pick us up, do to weather conditions, we are prepared to spend the night in the backcountry)
- Technical gear and equipment.
- Day packs (if needed)
- Leave No Trace and Bear Safety education/ ethics.
Trip Does not Include
- Guide Gratuity (recommended 10-20% of tour cost)
- Personal clothing & gear. For further suggestions on gear you will want to bring from home (this might help you pack for your whole Alaskan vacation!) visit our Trip Planning Page for a gear list.
- Pre & Post trip lodging.
- Transportation to and from Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.
Water, Ice, & Air: Three Day Package
Photo Gallery
Click to enlarge, or use arrows to scroll.
