Hike Alaska: Valdez and Wrangell St Elias

5.0Based on

Carbon neutral

7 daysDuration

Small Group TourUsually 8-12 participants, maximum 18 travelers

12 peopleMaximum group size

12 - 100 yearsAge range for participants

EnglishGuide language

Challenging

Demands good physical fitness and stamina for more intense or extended activities.

Starts

Anchorage, USA

Ends

Anchorage, USA

Highlights

Hike along the Worthington Glacier.

Fall in love with the scenery in Valdez.

Get on the water with a guided kayaking excursion on Glacier Lake.

Explore at leisure in McCarthy.

Walk the Bonanza Mine trail in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.

Camp under the stars

Itinerary

Craving a deeper connection with Alaska’s untamed beauty? The "Hike Alaska: Valdez and Wrangell St Elias" trip is a seven-day, challenging adventure designed for young adults and seasoned travelers who thrive on active exploration. Trek across glacier fields, navigate rugged wilderness, and visit hauntingly beautiful abandoned mining towns. With each step, you’ll discover the raw grandeur of the "Land of the Midnight Sun," from towering peaks to serene valleys. Featuring a variety of hikes and the guidance of expert leaders, this tour’s USP is its immersive approach—offering rare access to Alaska’s wild places and the exhilaration of true adventure in America’s final frontier.

day 1 - Anchorage/Valdez

After a brief welcome meeting with your CEO, travel to the Matanuska Recreation Site where you will be able to view the glacier along the interpretive nature trail. After a picnic lunch the group will continue travelling onward to Valdez where you will have the opportunity to walk and visit the Worthington Glacier. In the evening, have dinner as a group around the fire.

Meal:Dinner

Accomodation:Valdez KOA Journey (or similar)

Transport:Private Vehicle Duration : 2.0 hr Distance : 154 km, Private Vehicle Duration : 3.75 hr - 4.0 hr Distance : 329 km

Included Activities:Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group Duration : 1.0 hr, Matanuska Glacier Recreation Site, Worthington Glacier Visit Duration : 0.5 hr - 2.0 hr Distance : 1 km

day 2 - Valdez

What’s in store today will certainly be an adventure. After a quick breakfast, you'll have free time to walk, journal, or hang out with friends.

After lunch head to Glacier Lake in Valdez where you’ll go on a hike and guided kayak tour of the lake. If you have yet to set your eyes on an iceberg, this might just be your chance. This gorgeous lake in Valdez is often home to large chunks of floating ice coming from the Valdez Glacier. With great views and miles of open water to paddle there’s no better way to get in touch with nature.

Meal:Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accomodation:Valdez KOA Journey (or similar)

Included Activity:Glacier Lake Kayaking

Optional Activities:Hiking Around Valdez Valdez is known for having amazing hikes in and around the city. Pack your water bottle, pick a route, and go hit the trail! Thompson Pass is an alpine pass through the Chugach Mountains between Glennallen and Valdez and is an adventurer’s playground when the right conditions sweep through. The alpine area surrounding the pass allows for endless exploring and jaw-dropping views making this area wonderful for alpine hiking. The Shoup Bay trail is a long, but gradual hike sporting great views hugging the Alaskan coastline. Make sure to bring layers and waterproof shoes as it can get muddy at points.

day 3 - Valdez/McCarthy

You’ll spend time today in a private vehicle en route to McCarthy, but don’t worry there will be plenty of epic road trip worthy stops along the way. First up is a stop at Thompson's Pass viewpoint to start the Day with stunning vistas. As you continue driving highway 10 there will be plenty of quick stops at worthy viewpoints all along the Copper River. Then enjoy a visit to Liberty Falls State Recreation Site where you can stretch your legs and visit the falls, which plunge 20 ft into the Liberty Creek. Continue along the scenic highway to McCarthy. Stop and see the fish wheels at Kuskulana River Canyon and Bridge, along Gilahina River, and at Gilahina Trestle Wayside. Arrive in McCarthy, visit the town, maybe catch some live music after dinner.

Meal:Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accomodation:Glacier View Campground (or similar)

Transport:Private Vehicle Duration : 4.75 hr - 5.5 hr Distance : 290 km

Included Activities:Liberty Falls Visit, Highway 10 View Points & Fish Wheel Stops

day 4 - McCarthy

Visit Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and spend the Day hiking along the Bonanza Mine trail. A hike that includes stunning scenery, a trek to the top of a mountain and 1930’s mining ruins all in a frontier Alaskan setting. Coming in at 9 miles total, the hike is strenuous, but with the views you’ll be admiring, you might not notice at all. In the evening relax back at camp and have dinner as a group.

Meal:Breakfast and Lunch

Accomodation:Glacier View Campground (or similar)

Included Activities:Explore Wrangell-St Elias, Bonanza Mine Trail Hike Duration : 6.0 hr - 7.0 hr Distance : 14 km

day 5 - McCarthy

Hiking is unique in its ability to nourish the body and the mind, but it’s nice to have a free Day every now and then to let your body recover and your mind wander. Spend today in McCarthy choosing from a variety of optional activities to keep you busy. Head out on a guided ice walk tour, visit the Kennicott Mills Town on a guided tour, go whitewater rafting down the Copper River, or hop on a scenic flight of the national park. Unwind at camp in the evening and talk about your adventures.

Meal:Breakfast and Lunch

Accomodation:Glacier View Campground (or similar)

Optional Activities:Kennicott Ghost Town Guided Tour Explore Kennecott, a ghost town frozen in time. When the Kennecott Copper Corporation abruptly abandoned the town in 1938 they left behind their equipment, buildings and personal belongings. Their stories of discovery, perseverance, and ingenuity, however, live on. See what it was like to live and work in this remote wilderness as you tour the town site with a guide, listening to tales of lucky fortunes, tenacious frontiersmen and tragic endings., Wrangell-St. Elias Scenic Flight Get a bird's eye view of this gorgeous landscape and try to take it all in., Rafting on Copper River

day 6 - McCarthy/Glennallen

A relaxed morning in McCarthy allows for you to enjoy your last Day in the Alaskan wilderness as you’d like. Take one final hike along the West Kennecott Glacier Trail, spend some more time in McCarthy or just sit by the glacial lake and take in the views of the Stairway Icefall and the Wrangell mountains. On the drive north you’ll go slowly, stopping at viewpoints that the clouds might have hidden on our way here. You’ll cross the Copper River one last time and hope to see Mount Drum and Mount Sanford. Visit the Copper Visitor Center and go for short walks in the area and make sure not to miss the amazing viewing platform that can be reached from the Visitor Center. You’ll spend the night comfortably in a bed at Alaska’s oldest continually operated roadhouse.

Meal:Breakfast

Accomodation:Gakona Lodge (or similar)

Transport:Private Vehicle Duration : 3.5 hr Distance : 198 km

Included Activities:McCarthy Highway & Copper Visitor Centre, Copper Visitor Center

Optional Activities:Half-Day Float on Gulkana River

day 7 - Glennallen/Anchorage

In the morning transfer with the group from Glennallen to Anchorage, tour ends on arrival.

Transport:Private Vehicle Duration : 3.5 hr Distance : 289 km

Hike Alaska: Valdez and Wrangell St Elias

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What's Included

Accommodation

Participation camping (5nts), Rustic Lodge (1nt).

Meals

5 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 3 dinners
Note: Allow USD140-185 for meals not included.

Transport

Private vehicle and hiking.

Guide

CEO (Chief Experience Officer) throughout.

Included activities

Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and GroupVisit to Matanuska Recreation SiteWorthington Glacier hikeGlacier Lake guided hiking and kayaking tripStop at Liberty Falls Recreation SiteWrangell-StElias National Park visitBonanza Mine trail hikeFree time in McCarthy for optional activitiesCopper Visitor Center tripNational Park entrance feesAll transport between destination and to/from included activities

What's Excluded

Customer Reviews

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based on 6 reviews

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