ERIE MINE
HIKE
Day Trip
- Hiking
- Expert
Journey to a 100-year-old bunkhouse!
CANCELLED FOR 2024 DUE TO TRAIL WASH OUT!
The Erie Mine Hike will challenge even the most seasoned hiker. The old bunkhouse is a hard-to-reach landmark built in the early 1900s. Still standing over 100 years later, even flight tours get close to the ridge to catch views of this incredible structure.
You’ll start this hike on the well-traveled Root Glacier Trail before peeling off to begin your climb. There are no trails once you start your ascent, and the tricky nature of this alpine hike will leave you relieved that you have a guide with you as they navigate the challenging terrain. The most difficult aspects of the route can include steep sidehill traversing, exposed rock scrambling, and 2,500 ft of elevation gain/loss over 1 mile. Participants should be experienced hikers who are sure-footed and have good balance. This hike is not for the faint of heart!
Tour Details
Price
$200 per participant
Mileage
10 miles round trip
Terrain
Uneven trail surfaces, extremely steep trail-less hiking, exposed scrambling, loose rock
Tour Length – Day Trip
8 hours
Tour Start Times
9 am in Kennecott
Dates Offered
CANCELLED FOR 2024
Age Limit
All Ages welcome!
Group Size
Private
DETAILS
Trip Highlights
- Exploration of the 100-year-old Erie Mine Bunkhouse
- Peer into the old Erie Mine Entrance
- Incredible views of the 7,000 ft Stairway Icefall and Root Glacier
What’s Included?
- Experienced and knowledgeable guide
- Helmet
- Roundtrip transportation to and from Kennecott!
What’s Not Included?
- Gratuity
- Personal gear
- Lunch or snacks
Equipment List
Come prepared with the following:
- Rain Gear – Both jacket and pants!
- Extra layers – Warm sweater and/or jacket
- Hat and Light Gloves
- Sunglasses, Sunscreen, and Bug Spray
- Hiking Boots with ankle support or other sturdy walking shoes.
- Trekking Poles
- Lunch, Snacks, and Plenty of Water
- Camera/Phone to Take Pictures!
- Backpack – Please make sure it is big enough to carry your extra layers, lunch, snacks, and water.
GALLERY
FAQ
We are located in the heart of Wrangell – St. Elias National Park. There is a 60mi dirt road that connects us to the highway system and there is also an airstrip in town!
There are several options for getting to McCarthy-Kennecott – driving, riding in a van shuttle, taking a scheduled or chartered flight, or some combination of these options. Please visit our Transportation+Lodging page for more detailed information.
Tipping is customary in the guiding industry and always appreciated. Our guides are paid professionals but tips make up a significant portion of their income and can go a long way toward making guiding a feasible long-term career choice. For our day trips, a good estimate is between 10% and 20% of the trip cost. So if you go on a day hike or climb with us, that would come to between $10 and $35 per person, depending on the trip and the percentage. As in any industry, your tip should be based on the service you feel you received. If you had the time of your life, the sky’s the limit! You can tip your guides in cash, via Venmo or you can leave a gratuity on your card. If your trip includes a flight you should plan on tipping your pilot independently, any amount that you pre-tip will go to your guide directly. Thank you for considering this ahead of time!
The towns of McCarthy and Kennecott are closed to outside vehicle traffic, and the Footbridge is the only way for visitors to enter the area. The Footbridge is a pedestrian bridge that crosses over the Kennicott River and is located at the end of the McCarthy Road.
You can pay to park your car at the Base Camp Kennicott Campground at the end of the McCarthy Road. To access the towns of McCarthy and Kennecott, you’ll want to cross the Footbridge. Once on the other side, there are a few different ways to get to where you need to go:
- If you need to get to your lodging, check with your lodging host to arrange a pick-up with them.
- If you need to get around the area for the day, there is a local shuttle service that provides rides up to Kennecott at a cost. However, you can always ride your bike or walk the ½ mile to McCarthy or the 5 miles to Kennecott. There are no bike rentals available in the area.
- If you’re joining us for a glacier activity, rafting trip, fly-in hike or multi-day activity - transportation is included! Once you’ve booked a trip with us, check your confirmation for more information.
Meet the incredible guides that are the heart of our trips!
Who are the guides that make up the St. Elias Alpine Guides team? They are a diverse and competent group of people from all across the country. Their extensive outdoor experience, wilderness medical training, and great personalities make them stand out from the crowd. We put them through a thorough training program unique to our area – glaciology lessons, backcountry navigation, and training trips on the slopes of the Wrangell Mountains add to our guides’ abilities to adapt and dominate in the diverse terrain of WSENP. From a glacier hike to an 8-day expedition, they’ll be sure to make it a trip of a lifetime!
Because our schedule is as dynamic as the environment we live in, we usually assign guides the night before for our Day Trips. And while we can’t guarantee who your guide will be – we love and trust every one of them and we know you will too!