Alaska Hiking Plus – Wrangell-St. Elias

10 days
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Small Group Tour
Eight days spent in the vast, all-encompassing solitude of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is freedom at its finest. Stretching across 13,000,000 acres, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park offers a humbling reminder of nature’s raw power and overwhelming beauty. It’s the largest national park in the United States and contains some of the highest peaks. This e...
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Overview

Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Strenuous
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

    • Explore the landscapes of Wrangell-St.Elias, America’s largest national park
    • Strap on your crampons and take a hike on massive Root Glacier
    • Spend three days hiking in the spectacular Wrangell-St. Elias backcountry
    • Discover the fun of packrafting on one of the park’s glacier-fed lakes
    • All flights within the trip itself are included as noted on the itinerary below

What's this trip about?

    Eight days spent in the vast, all-encompassing solitude of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is freedom at its finest. Stretching across 13,000,000 acres, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park offers a humbling reminder of nature’s raw power and overwhelming beauty. It’s the largest national park in the United States and contains some of the highest peaks. This exploration fully immerses us in this magnificent wilderness, with the chance to experience the park on foot, by air and on the water.

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Details

Itinerary focusActive and Outdoor Sports
Group sizeIntimate group - max of 10 people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportAll internal ground transport included
Start CityFairbanks
End CityAnchorage

Travel Themes

  • Hiking & Walking
  • National Parks
  • Nature & Wildlife
  • Rafting, Kayaking, Canoeing

Destinations

  • North America
  • United States

Attractions

  • Alaska
  • Anchorage
  • Fairbanks
  • Gates of the Arctic National Park
  • Wrangell
  • Yukon

Activities

  • Canoeing
  • Hiking
  • Nature
  • Rafting
  • Wildlife viewing

Trip includes

    • Professional guide leadership
    • 7 nights lodging/camping accommodations as noted on itinerary
    • All meals from lunch on Day 1 through lunch on Day 8 except for dinner on Day 6
    • All ground transfers as noted on the daily itinerary
    • 3 internal flights as noted on daily itinerary
    • Sleeping bag
    • Crampons for glacier hike
    • Tents and group camping gear, packraft and related gear for Day 7
    • Park entrance/permit fees

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Itinerary

Day 1: Fly from Anchorage to McCarthy, in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.

Meals: Lunch and Dinner

Flying time to McCarthy: 2 hours.

Our trip begins today in Anchorage, Alaska, where we meet at 8:30am at our host hotel. From the hotel, we transfer to Merrill Field for our scenic two-hour flight over the Chugach Mountains to the...

Day 2: Get out on the ice and take a hike on the Root Glacier.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Hiking: 7-9 miles (4 miles on dirt trail, 3-5 miles on ice) with approx. 300’ of elevation gain/loss.

After breakfast, we pick up our crampons in preparation for our day out on the incredible white ice of the Root Glaci...

Day 3: Fly into the park backcountry and begin our camping adventure!

Flying time: 45 minutes; hiking: 2-4 miles over varied terrain.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Comprised of over 13 million acres of pristine wilderness and containing some of the highest mountain peaks in North America, Wrangell-St. Elias is the lar...

Days 4-5: Take daily hikes from our basecamp. Explore the surrounding landscape.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Hiking: 4-6 miles daily over varied terrain with elevation gains/losses of up to 1,500’.

Waking up in a 13-million-acre wilderness playground affords us many activity options during the next two days. With our guides le...

Day 6: Enjoy a final backcountry hike before flying back to McCarthy.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Flying time: approx. 45 minutes; hiking: 2-4 miles over varied terrain.

We break camp this morning before setting out on a final hike. By now we’ve become accustomed to hiking on tundra and navigating through the Alaskan bush b...

Day 7: Jump into a packraft and explore a glacial lake.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Hiking: 3 miles with minimal elevation gain/loss; packrafting: 4-5 hours.

Today’s amphibious adventure is good fun for novice and experienced paddlers alike. With our one-person boats and paddling gear loaded in our pac...

Day 8: Say goodbye to Wrangell-St. Elias before driving back to Anchorage.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

After an 8am breakfast, we begin the scenic eight-hour drive back to Anchorage, stopping for a picnic lunch and at numerous panoramic viewpoints along the way. On a clear day, four of the park’s giant volcanic peaks, Mount Sanford (16...

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Dates & Availability

Price From $5,599
Price per day$560
Single supplement (single occupancy)$599
Last Updated: 10/14/2019

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with REI Adventures.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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REI Adventures Reviews & Ratings

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Logistics

What's excluded

    • Roundtrip airfare from your hometown to Anchorage
    • Airport transfers
    • Dinner on Day 6
    • Guide gratuities for lead and assistant guide
    • Items of a personal nature such as laundry and internet fees
    • Alcoholic beverages
    • Other services not clearly noted in the Included section above

Accommodation

,Lodge, 2 nights Private cabins, 2 nights Backcountry camping, 3 nights
Cancellation policy

A refundable deposit of $400 is required at time of booking to secure space. Full payment is required 60 days before departure date.

If you decide to cancel your trip, the following fees apply and are due when we receive notice of your cancellation:

91+ days prior to departure = $0

61 to 90 days = $400

31 to 60 days prior to departure = 50% of the total trip cost is non-refundable

0 to 30 days prior to departure = 100% of the trip cost is non-refundable

If you instead transfer to another trip, the following fees are due at the time of the request:

61+ days prior to departure = $0

31 to 60 days = $400

0 to 30 days prior to departure = 100% of the trip cost is non-refundable

Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Meals Included

6 Breakfasts, 7 Lunches and 5 Dinners

Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Additional Information

This trip is rated as Moderate plus [3-4]. It is not necessary to be an expert hiker to participate but you should feel comfortable spending 4-6 hours hiking on most days and arrive at the beginning of the trip in as good a shape as possible. Much of our hiking takes place off trail on spongy tundra (and glacial ice on Day 2). Daily elevation gains/losses vary but generally won't exceed 1,500'. Hikes may also involve short stretches of exposed, narrow trail, loose scree, and some river crossings. Our glacier hike and packraft excursions are suitable for novices.

To maximize your enjoyment of the trip and avoid sore muscles, we suggest beginning a regular exercise regimen at least 3 months prior to departure. Recommended exercises include hiking, jogging, paddling, and/or swimming. The better shape you are in, the more fun you will have. Get out on those hills if possible!

  • Hiking
  • Rafting
  • Camping
Trip ID
reiadv-AlaGatReiAdv

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