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ROOT GLACIER OVERNIGHT
BACKPACKING TRIP

Multi Day

Best overnight trip in Alaska!

The majestic Kennicott Valley is a great introduction to hiking and backpacking in the Alaska backcountry. An extended version of our popular full-day glacier hikes, this overnight trip allows two full days to explore the glacier and its surroundings, as well as a night under the stars…or midnight sun, or northern lights, depending on the time of year!

 

If you want to get out and experience the grandeur of an Alaskan backpacking trip in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, but simply don’t have time for a longer trip – or perhaps it’s your first trip and you’d prefer a shorter outing – this overnight adventure is perfect for you!

Trip Details

Trip Length
2 days

Total Mileage
 10-25mi

Total Elevation Gain/Loss
1,000-5,000

This trip is highly customizable, with many route options to choose from.)

Private Rates
Solo
$1,280

2 Participants
$755/person

3-8 Participants
$580/person

Find the dates you want by clicking the “Book Now” button below or schedule a call with our Expedition Coordinator to plan your Private Trip today!

FAQ

Wrangell – St. Elias National Park is home to both black bears and grizzly bears and we are honored to share our home with such majestic animals. We treat the bears with respect and do our best to maintain their wild environment and nature. The bears out here are truly very wild and have very little contact with humans – this means that they are naturally afraid of us! Yes, even grizzlies! Bears do not hunt humans and our most common bear sighting is of a bear’s butt as they run away.

Although bear sightings may be exciting, we do our best to avoid close encounters with preventative measures at camp and while hiking that our guides will share with you. Just in case of unusually close encounters, our guides carry flare guns (to scare a bear away) and pepper spray (in case of an uncomfortably close meeting). It is very uncommon to have to use either.

If you want to, you can bring your own bear spray too, however, know that your guide has one and has been trained on how to use it. With 40 years of guiding in the Park, we have found that being bear aware, taking preventative measures and the flare gun and pepper spray to be sufficient mitigations.

Please refrain from bringing firearms with you on our trips. Not only does this make our other guests and guides uncomfortable, but they are also completely unnecessary for bear safety. We know that other areas of Alaska may recommend firearms for bear safety, but we specifically recommend against them.

This is one of the most commonly asked questions!

We practice Leave No Trace principles and make sure to minimize our impact on the natural landscape as much as possible.

In Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the recommended practice for backpackers is to either individually dig small holes (your guide will carry a small trowel) to use as a personal latrine per-use or choose a place near camp but with some privacy and dig a trench for use as a group latrine, depending on the location. You will carry out all your used toilet paper and all other sanitary products and trash.

On rafting trips, we carry a plastic toilet box with a seat that is set up near camp and your guides will carry out all waste on the boats.

On mountaineering trips, the latrine is commonly a crevasse or snow-pit protected from camp by a wall of snow.

Your guides will instruct you on the particulars of the situation per camp to set you up for success and all possible comfort. Please don’t be shy to ask them questions on this matter. It’s a necessity that has been given lots of thought your guides are experts in ALL things outdoors!

Our wilderness trip guides are the best of the best! They have worked for us as day guides for at least one full season, have extensive experience in the backcountry, advanced wilderness medical training, a good head on their shoulders, and are also fun and personable people to spend a few days or a few weeks with. They love what they do and want to make sure you have the best experience possible. Our guides come in many shapes and sizes and from many different backgrounds – you can get to know them here. We assign guides to individual trips 2-4 weeks prior to the trip and do our best to match their personalities to yours and your group’s. Your guide plans to contact you 1-2 weeks before the trip to introduce themselves and answer any last minute questions you might have.* Our schedule is as dynamic as our environment and we apologize if this doesn’t happen or isn’t as timely due to busy schedules and/or last-minute scheduling additions and changes.

*Our Mountaineering Guides get assigned several months in advance and will be contacting you 2 months before the expedition to make introductions and answer any last minute questions.

Want to book a Private Trip or not sure if this is the right trip for you? Schedule a call with our Expedition Coordinator at a time that works well for you. She’ll help you narrow down which trip is best for you and answer any questions you have about our trips, the local area or surrounding logistics.

GET IN TOUCH
WITH AN EXPEDITION
COORDINATOR!

Cancellation Policy

Your payment is fully refundable up to 48 hours prior to the start of the trip. If anything comes up prior to that time, call or email us to cancel your reservation for a full refund. Within 48 hours, there is no refund for cancellations. No-shows will be charged the full price. Our trips go out rain or shine! In the rare event that we to cancel a trip due to dangerous conditions, you will be notified and receive a full refund.

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