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BASE CAMP HIKING

Discover true wilderness

Fly deep into the pristine backcountry of Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and set up a camp – your wilderness home for the next few days. Explore the surrounding area on day hikes varying in views and challenge level. Each base camp destination provides a staging ground for epic adventures and spectacular vistas.

 

Keeping the same camp every night allows you to explore with a light backpack and without the pressure of a committing point-to-point itinerary. Immerse yourself in the grandeur of Alaska’s largest National Park. 

Explore the Untamed Beauty: Alaska Hiking Tour

St. Elias Alpine Guides is your gateway to unforgettable Alaska hiking adventures. Immerse yourself in the raw beauty of the Last Frontier with our Alaska hiking tour, designed for seasoned trekkers and those new to the wonders of the Alaskan wilderness.

Base Camp Bliss: Overview of Alaska Base Camp Hiking

Our Alaska Base Camp Hiking experience is a unique opportunity to explore the pristine landscapes surrounding our base camp. Nestled in the heart of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, our base camp offers a comfortable and strategic starting point for your adventure. Accessible by air, the location provides a spectacular panorama of glaciers, towering peaks, and untamed wilderness.

Gateway to Wilderness: Alaska Base Camp Location & Accessibility

Embark on a journey through diverse hiking trails and activities curated by St. Elias Alpine Guides. From leisurely strolls to challenging ascents, our expert guides ensure an experience tailored to your skill level and interests. Discover the secrets of the Alaskan ecosystem and witness its resident wildlife in their natural habitat.

Trail Tales: Hiking Trails & Activities by St. Elias Alpine Guides

Safety is our priority, and we encourage all hikers to adhere to our comprehensive safety tips when exploring Alaska’s rugged terrain. Our guides are trained in wilderness first aid, ensuring a secure and enjoyable adventure for all.

Safety First: Tips for Hiking in Alaska

Are you preparing for your Alaska Base Camp Trip? Pack essentials, dress in layers, and prepare for an immersive nature experience. Our camping adventure promises breathtaking landscapes and the camaraderie of like-minded adventurers.

Ready, Set, Explore: Preparing for an Alaska Base Camp Trip

Join us at St. Elias Alpine Guides for an Alaska Hiking Tour that goes beyond the ordinary. Experience the untamed beauty of the Last Frontier with the assurance of expert guidance and safety. Your Alaskan adventure awaits!

hiking icon Base Camp Hiking Trips

Nikolai Pass Base Camp Hiking 
Hike high, dramatic ridgelines and drop into green valleys to camp

 

Duration: 2.5 days

Price: starting at $1,890/person

Bremner Mine Base Camp Hiking 

Versatile hiking in the alpine and a journey back in time

 

Duration: 3.5 days

Price: starting at $2,700/person

Wolverine Base Camp Hiking 
Panoramic views and vast alpine tundra landscapes

 

Duration: 3.5 days

Price: starting at $2,400/person

Fan Glacier Base Camp Hiking 
Rugged hiking through a colorful and living landscape of glacial retreat

 

Duration: 4 days

Price: $2,570/person

Group Trip: June 23-26, Sept 2-5, 2026

Steamboat Hills Base Camp Hiking 
Soft and easy tundra hiking with spectacular views and alpine lakes

 

Duration: 4 days

Price: starting at $2,290

DETAILS

Alaska fly-in hiking and paddling

Group & Private Trips

All of our Base Camp trips are offered in a Private Trip format and custom dates are available. Private Trips are just for you and your crew! Every detail is customized to your interests and goals.

 

The Fan Glacier Base Camp is also available in a Group Trip format with set dates. Group Trips are a great way to meet new people with similar interests and share costs. We guarantee our lowest tier pricing for Group Trips no matter how many people join.

Hikers in mountainous Alaska

Adventures with Ease

We know this area can be a little tricky, logistically speaking, so we’re here to help!

 

We can arrange transportation to and from the Wrangells, local lodging, and other local activities before and after the backcountry trip.

 

Upgrade your backcountry adventure to a Trip Package and get all your logistics included! The Trip Package upgrade is $50/person plus the cost of the individual logistics.

 

Every adventure is unique so we’ll work with you to customize a Trip Package that fits your schedule and budget. 

Beaver Plane At Wolverine

What's Included

  • Customized trip planning
  • Orientation and a Gear Shakedown
  • Your professional guides
  • Scenic bush flights in and out of the backcountry
  • All the food while you’re in the backcountry
  • Group gear and technical equipment

FAQ

All the pictures and descriptions sound amazing! How do I know what’s right for me? Please see our blog post dedicated to the subject of choosing the best multi-day trip for you.

Likely, at some point or another, at least a little bit, yes.

On a Rafting Trip, you can help the guides unload the boats, set up camp, and carry your dry bags to your tent nearby. After breakfast, you can help take down camp and load up the boats.

On a Base Camp Trip, you will need to carry your gear about 5-20min from the backcountry airstrip to where you plan to set up your camp. You'll carry your gear once at the beginning of the trip and then pack it up and carry it back to the airstrip at the end. Throughout the trip you will hike with a small day pack – this is usually 5-15lbs.

On a Mini-Backpacking Trip you will carry all your gear between the airstrip and your camp, which will be 1-3mi away. This means at least 2 one-way trips with the big backpack (usually 35-45lbs). After setting up camp you will enjoy day-hikes with a much lighter day pack (usually 5-15lbs).

On a Backpacking Trip, you will move camp every night and will need to carry everything you need with you throughout each day. For a trip up to 4 days in length, you can expect packs in the 35-45lb range and for trips in the 6-8 day range, please be prepared for weights closer to 45-55lbs. The burly gear that is required for the Alaskan backcountry isn’t very light so forget “ultralight” and think heavy-duty!


For all Base Camping and Backpacking Trips, the pack weight will really depend on what you bring, so we do recommend having a minimalist mindset. In addition to your own gear, we will be giving you a bear canister full of food and supplies, potentially another item like a fuel canister or a stove, and maybe a part of a tent if you’re not bringing your own (we recommend sharing tents to save weight). Your guides are weight-conscious packers and will never burden you unnecessarily. It’s likely that over the course of the trip you’ll be able to start adding your own things into the bear canister and your pack should get lighter as you eat your food and use supplies.

On our objective-based Mountaineering Expeditions, you will be required to carry all your own gear and some group gear between camps. Depending on the terrain, you may bring sleds with you for all or some of the route. Depending on the route, you may do stretches of the route multiple times, caching gear as you go, so you may not always have the full weight of all your equipment with you at all times. At maximum, you can expect weights of 80-160lbs to be split between a backpack and a sled and at minimum a 30lb bag for single-day excursions.

Most of our Multi-day Trips are offered in both a Group and Private Trip format.

 

Group Trips have set dates and are made up of individual travelers or smaller parties who don’t know each other but are excited to adventure together! On a Group Trip, you’ll meet new people with similar interests and be able to spread the costs of the trip resulting in a lower per-person rate. We guarantee the lowest possible rate for all land-based Group Trips and the 3-6 Person rate for all multi-day rafting Group Trips (we'll lower this rate if more than 6 people join). This means, you're guaranteed a low rate, no matter how many people join the group! We'll run the trip even if only 1 person signs up! Our land-based group trips max out at 8 participants and 12 participants for rafting trips.

 

Private Trips have custom dates and are just for your party. Private Trips are great for families, especially those with young children, close groups of friends and couples just wanting to spend time together, or those with special interests like photography or birding that they want to focus on during the trip. On a Private Trip, the entire experience is customized to your party and you don’t have to compromise to anyone else’s interests or abilities. Private Trips can be for just one, solo adventurer or get as big as 12 participants for larger groups.

 

For both Group and Private Trips, we work with a ratio of 1:4 for land-based trips, 1:3 for rafting trips, and 1:2-3 for mountaineering and ski trips. This helps with any pacing or interest discrepancies and provides additional support for bigger groups.

Traveling solo but want custom dates? Start a new Private trip and find partners and new backcountry buddies on our dedicated SEAG Partner Finder Facebook page!

NEED A PARTNER
TO MAKE THE
TRIP MORE
AFFORDABLE?

Curious about skiing deep in Alaska’s biggest mountains?

Watch our recorded, in-depth webinar on our Chugach Backcountry Ski Base Camp Trip! We cover what makes skiing here so unique, what to expect from camp, the terrain and conditions, how to prepare your skills and gear, and wrap up with a Q+A.

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