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Hiking Alaska's
Wrangell St
Elias Natlonal Park
Falcon Guides
Hiking Alaska's
Wrangell St
Elias Natlonal Park
Falcon Guides
Unique Alaska high country backpacking route with amazing views, waterfalls, hanging glaciers…Our #1 trip for spotting wildlife including black and brown bears, dall sheep, mountain goats and caribou. Those with an interest in Alaska geology will love this trip - geodes, fossils and more abound.
When it comes to adventures, this one has just the right amount of challenge with plenty of rewards to pay you back for your efforts.
The traditional route on this backpacking trek is to drop down to the Chitistone river about half way into the trip and then hike to Glacier Creek along the river. But instead of spending a couple of days hiking on river rocks we prefer to remain in the high country for the entire trek! We also do a variation on the route that few others do - going around the "back side" of Wolverine and visiting the beautiful Grotto Creek area.
A fantastic flight into the backcountry of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park marks the start of this awesome adventure. We fly over the Nizina glacier and check out the icebergs floating in the lake at its terminus before dropping into beautiful Skolai Pass to begin our backpacking adventure.
People who take this trip are stunned by the drama of the country through which this route traverses. This is a great alaska trekking adventure through unique and varied wilderness.
| Pre Trip | Arrive in Anchorage 2 days prior to the start date of your trek. Travel Anchorage to McCarthy (not included) Chose one of the shuttle services or You may elect to drive in a rental car if you prefer. It's an amazing drive and one of the most scenic in Alaska. Arrive in McCarthy around 5-6:00 pm in time for the meeting with your guide. The guide will review your gear and distribute food and group gear as well as go over logistics for the following departure day into the backcountry. |
| Day 1 | We get an early start and begin our trek with a bush flight from McCarthy to Skolai Pass - our landing strip for the start of this adventure. Once our entire group is reassembled at the pass we hike through this delightful are that is home to caribou, bear, wolves and other critters. our first day we spend in the pass and hike to the Russell Glacier to set up our camp. After dinner we head down to get a closer look at this dramatic glacier. |
| Day 2 | Today we shoulder our packs for the hike up to beautiful Chitistone Pass, exploring some seldom travelled spots along the way. I like to think of this route as the back door to Chitistone Pass. Our campsite tonight is surrounded by stunning peaks and hanging glaciers all around. The sunsets here are especially nice and offer plenty of photo opportunities. This is a great area for wildlife spotting. |
| Day 3 | Today we have some interesting hiking as we follow the Goat Trail down the lush Chitistone valley. We have one stream crossing in this section that can sometimes be challenging. There is also some travel over rocky sections that slow us down. Then we cross the infamous scree slopes - which are not as bad as they look from a distance. The "trail" is a narrow footpath originally made by miners to get to the northern gold fields. But you’ll feel like a goat as we traverse the red and brown slopes. There is some exposure in the scree slope section which some find a bit stressful, but we're not walking along cliffs or ledges or anything like that. Then we turn up a new valley and the scree gives way to the lush green of the Hasen Creek bowl. There is a very good chance of seeing sheep or mountain goats in this area, as there is plenty of grass for them to feed on as well as nearby rocks for escaping predators. We will set up camp somewhere just before entering the Hasen Creek bowl. |
| Day 4 | Day four of our wilderness adventure is a shorter day and we get a bit of rest. We can do some exploring of the bowl or take a short hike up the ridge to peak over the other side for a view down into the Nizina River valley and glacier. This is the day that we are most likely to spot goats. Previous groups have spotted as many as 40-50 goats out grazing on the summer grass. Then we do about a half-day of very pleasant hiking through the basin to arrive at a high perch of a campsite. From here we have a gorgeous view back into Hasen Creek basin including some awesome waterfalls. |
| Day 5 | This will be a day with some challenges. From our campsite went don't have far to go to reach the pass above us where we have a view of the headwaters of Doubtful Creek. Our route then invloves a rocky moraine crossing. We stop for lunch at a small lake created by rockslides that cut off the flow of water. Newly fortified we keep hiking over the next small pass and down the other side along the edge of a moraine field. After a hike up a gully we arrive on top of a ridge then drop a short and easy distance into beautiful Grotto creek. We make our camp after a tough day of backpacking. But the views of the nearby peaks make it all worthwhile. If the visibility is good we can see the Dragon’s Back. |
| Day 6 | This day looks like it’s all downhill but it's rather deceptive. It’s actually a bit of up and down as we travel across some rolling terrain and small ridges as we pick the easiest route. We set camp on this, our final night in the Alaskan wilderness, just a mile away from the Wolverine airstrip. From our camp we have great views of the Chitistone valley almost 3000 feet below. |
| Day 7 | This is a high elevation airstrip and it has a tendency to get windy later in the day, making landings difficult. We get up early and after our morning coffee, make the short hike to the airstrip and await our pilot for the flights back to McCarthy. After showers and fresh clothes we gather at the local saloon for a celebratory dinner. |
| Post Trip | Make the return trip to Anchorage arriving around 6:00 pm. Overnight in Anchorage |
How Do We Get to McCarthy Alaska?
There are several options.
Car Rentals
If you have more than 2 in your group then renting a car out of Anchorage can be a good option.
Shuttle Van
Two shuttle services provides van transportation between Anchorage to McCarthy, Alaska. The shuttle departs Anchorage at 8:00 am arriving around 5-5:30 pm in McCarthy. This is the best, most economical way for one or two people to get to McCarthy and back.
If you are driving or taking the shuttle it takes about 8 hours to drive Anchorage to McCarthy.
Once you have a hotel reservation in Anchorage you will need to let them, as well as Trek Alaska, know where you will be staying. Also give them your cell phone number if you will have one with you. Please note that in McCarthy only Verizon has coverage.
Overflow Transit
Operates on a fixed schedule with two trips in each direction per week
https://overflowtransit.com/
Email: overflowtransit@gmail.com
Phone: (907)-707-9921
Copper Spike Transport
Operates “on demand” rather than set schedule
https://www.copperspiketransport.com/
jamie@copperspiketransport.com
Phone: 907.406.9599
Ride n Fly
The last 60 miles from Chitina to McCarthy is on the McCarthy road most of which is gravel. It's usualy in good shape and any vehicle can easily drive it. But some folks prefer not to.
An alternative is to drive to Chitina and from there take the Wrangell Mountain Air shuttle that flies three times daily to McCarthy.
Wrangell Mt. Air - http://www.wrangellmountainair.com/getting_to_alaska.htm
Wrangell Mt. Air can also arrange a charter flight just for your group. Contact them about current rates.
Mail Plane
There is a mail plane that flies between Anchorage and McCarthy twice a week - on Mondays and Thursdays. This is a good way for one or two people to get to and from McCarthy. Beautiful flight and no long drive in the car. With only two flights weekly you would likely need to arrive a few days early in McCarthy.
https://www.coppervalleyairservice.com/flights/flights-anchorage-gulkana-mccarthy
Where Do We Meet in McCarthy?
The shuttle vans usually arrives in McCarthy by 5:30 pm. If you are flying you will arrive earlier. The meeting begins when the whole group has arrived which is usually around 5:30-6:00 pm/ At this time you will meet your guide and the rest of the group in McCarthy for an orientation meeting the evening before the trip begins. We will meet up in front of Ma Johnsons Hotel in the middle of McCarthy. McCarthy is a very small town so don't worry, you'll have no problems finding your way around. We make every effort to be on hand with everyone upon arrival in McCarthy. You will be contacted approximately 2-3 weeks before your trip and we will confirm the exact location of the orientation meeting. The morning of departure it's a short walk down the street to Wrangell Mt. Air where we catch a shuttle van to the airstrip for our departure into the backcountry.
If you're on the Donoho trip the van to Kennicott departs right by Ma Johnsons. All those details will be covered at the meeting with the guide on arrival.
Drop Off/PickupTimes
We like to get an early start on the first day as it might take two flights to get everyone into the backcountry. Departure times of 8:30 a.m. are common. Our pickups on the last day are usualy around mid-day to allow us time to get back to McCarthy and get cleaned up and relax before dinner.
Safety Considerations
Your safety is our top priority. Our treks are led by professional hiking guides, all of whom are certified wilderness first responders, each with years of wilderness experience. The guide carries a satellite phone on all trips. If you have any further questions about safety, please contact us at 907.795.5252 or trips@trekalaska.com for more information.
Guides
Your tour will be led by a trained, experienced professional with a solid guiding background, years of personal wilderness and hiking experience, medical certifications, and a passion for leading people into breathtaking landscapes. Check out our Meet Our Team page for staff bios.
Forms/Policies
Here is a link to forms that you will need to complete and return to us before the trip. These include medical history, dietary restrictions, conditioning information as well as policies such as cancellations and refunds.
Group Size
We prefer to run small groups and our clients like it that way too. The standard group size on backpacking trips is 5 guests and 1 guide. Larger groups are possible for private trips. If you have more questions about group size, please give us a call at 907.795.5252 and we'll answer all your questions.
Weather in the Wrangells
Alaska is pretty far north and like any mountain environment we are prone to sudden temperature and weather shifts. To be fully prepared, please follow the recommended clothing list closely (this list comes as part of your trip packet when you register). See below for average summer temperatures in Wrangell-St. Elias. July is especialy variable and we have had temps hit the low 80s some summers. Mid August is when things start to cool down a bit but still great hiking weather.
What's Included
What's Not Included
Meals: What To Expect
All of our hiking and backpacking tours include a diversity of tasty meals packed full of critical carbohydrates, proteins and fats. We carry foods that travel well in the backcountry – rice, pastas, lentils, beans, packaged meats, nuts, breads, oatmeal, granola, and more.
For optimal taste and energy, we supplement all our meals with spices, herbs, oils, cheeses, butter, sugar, and fruits and vegetables. In addition, we provide you with with an assortment of trail mix, snacks, and dried fruits to eat at your own discretion.
We try to accomodate restricted diets and will make adjustments for food allergies. It depends on the severity of the restrictions. Vegetarian diets are easy to accomodate but gluten-free for example is more challenging. Contact us to discuss your situation and needs.
