Root Glacier Trail — Attraction in Alaska

A must! The Root Glacier Trail in Wrangell–St. Elias National Park is about 4 miles round trip( but you can go further on the glacier ) with minimal elevation gain, making the hike to the glacier itself easy and approachable. The path is mostly flat, with gorgeous scenery along the way. We brought our own crampons and, as experienced glacier hikers, found it safe and exciting to explore. Walking sticks and proper crampons are a must—spikes or microspikes won’t work here. The farther you venture onto the ice, the fewer people you’ll encounter, and the sweeping glacier and mountain views are absolutely...

Nice hike out from the Kennecot historical area. Well marked and easy to follow trail. The very end of the trail dropping to the actual glacier is a bit more steep and scrambly - toughest part of the hike.

Great opportunity to get up close on the glacier, see the water flowing and the vast amount of rock and gravel being moved.

Like others have noted - you really should have crampons to get very far on the glacier. The risk of a fall and slide could be serious. Some hikers had the ice fishing/mini spikes and were fine, but just hiking boots...

First need to visit the visitor center to get information about this place before visiting this place. Or visit online national park website. Road from Chitina to McCarthy is 2.5 hrs drive (one way) on unpaved road. Then you need to take shuttle to go to Kennecott where the trail actually starts. The shuttle runs only up to 7pm (if I’m not wrong). Or you can hike from McCarthy itself with additional miles. Not sure about accessibility during winter. Lots of mosquitoes and very limited facilities. Prepare with repellents, enough...