Alaska Wrangell-St. Elias Katmai & Lake Clark National Parks Custom Adventure Tour
Alaska's Hidden Treasures
Embark on an unforgettable journey through the untamed wilderness of Alaska where nature's grandeur unfolds at every turn. Hike amidst towering snow-capped peaks, explore the features of an immense glacier and delve into the rich history of Alaska's past. While exploring this vast, diverse terrain and pristine wilderness, you'll have the opportunity to seek out majestic brown bears in their natural habitat, a truly exhilarating and humbling<br>experience that will stay with you for a lifetime.
Embark on an unforgettable journey through the untamed wilderness of Alaska where nature's grandeur unfolds at every turn. Hike amidst towering snow-capped peaks, explore the features of an immense glacier and delve into the rich history of Alaska's past. While exploring this vast, diverse terrain and pristine wilderness, you'll have the opportunity to seek out majestic brown bears in their natural habitat, a truly exhilarating and humbling<br>experience that will stay with you for a lifetime.
Experience a thrilling off-trail hike in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park after a scenic bush flight into remote Alaskan wilderness
[Description] => Experience a thrilling off-trail hike in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park after a scenic bush flight into remote Alaskan wilderness
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Walk atop the stunning Root Glacier, exploring deep blue pools, crevasses, and ice caves with a professional guide
[Description] => Walk atop the stunning Root Glacier, exploring deep blue pools, crevasses, and ice caves with a professional guide
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Witness iconic brown bears fishing during the salmon run at Katmai National Park's famed Brooks Falls viewing platforms
Upon arrival in Anchorage, collect your luggage and meet your driver outside of the arrivals hall for a short drive to your accommodations. The remainder of the day is on your own to rest, relax or explore.
Accommodation: Hotel Captain Cook
Charter flight to McCarthy & Tour of Historic Kennicott Copper Mill
Day 2
Early this afternoon you are transferred to the airport to board your small plane for a spectacular scenic flight into Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Along the way enjoy exceptional vistas of the major peaks of both the Wrangell and St. Elias mountain ranges, Kennicott, Root and Gates Glaciers, Stairway Icefall, and Erie Mine. A flyby of Kennicott and McCarthy towns will give you a great view of the area you will be exploring. Throughout the flight enjoy learning about land marks and interesting facts about wildlife and human history of the region from your pilot. This afternoon meet your private guide for an exploration of the historic Kennecott Copper Mill. The Mill was frozen in time when it was abruptly abandoned in 1938. The workers left behind their equipment and many personal belongings creating a ghost town and an amazing view into the past. Learn about the individual stories of discovery, perseverance and ingenuity of the individuals that resided and worked in the mines from your knowledgeable guide. Explore the various buildings and equipment and learn what the mine produced and how. After your tour, return to your lodge and enjoy the remainder of the evening on your own.
Accommodation: Kennicott Glacier Lodge-Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska
Activity: Private tour of Kennicott Copper Mill
Transportation: 2-hour private charter flight
Meals: Dinner
Full-Day Fly-Out Off-Trail Hike
Day 3
Today, start your adventure with a flight over the stunning mountains of Wrangell-St Elias National Park to a remote wilderness pass. Your pilot drops you with your guide to begin your off-trail hike through the mountains and rugged and wild lands of the Alaskan backcountry. Your guide caters the day to your interests, abilities, and energy levels. The area is known for its wildlife including caribou, Dall sheep and bear. After your adventure, return to McCarthy via bush flight and enjoy the remainder of the day on your own.
Accommodation: Kennicott Glacier Lodge-Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska
Activity: Private flight and full day hiking tour
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Full-Day Glacier Hike
Day 4
Spend a full day on the Root Glacier exploring features such as crevasses, blue pools, canyons, waterfalls, and moulins. Hike to where Donoho Falls pours under the cracking edge of the glacier and/or explore the Jumbo Creek ice cave, where you will be surrounded by blue ice. Today's adventure encompasses 8-10 miles of hiking in approximately 8 hours. Your professional mountain guide will share in your excitement as you explore deep out onto the glacier to find exciting new features that are constantly transforming on this moving river of ice
Accommodation: Kennicott Glacier Lodge-Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska
Activity: Private guided full day hike
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Explore McCarthy, Flight to Anchorage & Guided Tour of the Anchorage Museum
Day 5
This morning you can choose to rest and relax or take the short shuttle into the nearby town of McCarthy. This unique town is very small and unassuming. It features a handful of buildings dating back to the early 1900s when it served as a place for workers in Kennicott to escape their hard lives milling and mining copper and indulge their vices on their rare day off. Afterwards, board your return charter flight from McCarthy to Anchorage. After checking into your accommodations, enjoy a short walk to the Anchorage Museum for a docent-led private tour of the facility. The Anchorage Museum is a small but mighty museum with extensive historical and cultural exhibits which your guide shares with you and helps you to understand in the context of Alaska and its peoples. Enjoy learning interesting information and facts as you walk through the art halls and various displays.
Accommodation: Hotel Captain Cook
Activity: Private tour of Anchorage Museum
Transportation: 2-hour private charter flight
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Morning at Leisure & Flight to Lake Clark
Day 6
This afternoon you are transferred to the airport for the approximately 1-hour flight to Lake Clark. Upon arrival you are driven a short distance from the airstrip to the lodge, uniquely situated on the point of a long peninsula that overlooks beautiful Lake Clark. This stunning lake is Alaska's 2nd largest and is within the boundaries of Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. After settling into your room, enjoy tonight's appetizers and a delicious dinner.
Accommodation: Lake Clark Lodge
Transportation: 1-hour shared flight
Meals: Dinner
Fly-out Guided Tour of Katmai National Park & Bear Viewing
Day 7
This morning you meet your pilot/guide for a day in Katmai National Park and Preserve in hopes of viewing some of the over 2,000 brown bears for which the park is known. Katmai is one of the most iconic bear-viewing locations in the world and a hot spot to observe bears during the salmon run. Stops today will vary depending upon where the most bears have been seen in the area and the day's weather. One stop will likely be Brooks Falls to walk the famous bear viewing platforms. These raised walkways provide a secure and unobtrusive vantage point, allowing observers to witness bears fishing in their natural habitat.
Accommodation: Lake Clark Lodge
Activity: Wildlife viewing
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Guided Tour of Lake Clark National Park
Day 8
On today's excursion you will explore Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. Encompassing over four million acres, Lake Clark National Park is a pristine expanse of land featuring mountains, volcanoes, and glaciers. Depending upon your interests, your day may be spent exploring the park's network of hiking trails, a flight to view Lake Clark's immense stratovolcanoes, turquoise lakes, glaciers and braided rivers, or Dick Proenneke's cabin at Twin Lakes. Made famous by his book One Man's Wilderness, Proenneke crafted this log cabin with his bare hands, devoid of power tools, and spent three decades living off the land in this beautiful yet harsh terrain.
Accommodation: Lake Clark Lodge
Activity: Flight and full-day guided tour
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Full Day Choice of Activity & Flight to Anchorage
Day 9
Today you are able to choose from a variety of activities available at the lodge including fishing, kayaking, hiking, and stand-up paddle boarding. Late this afternoon, board your return flight to Anchorage.
Accommodation: Hotel Captain Cook
Activity: Full-day activity of choice
Transportation: Shared flight to Anchorage
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Depart Anchorage
Day 10
After checking out of your accommodations, meet your driver out front for a short ride to the Anchorage Airport to board your flight homeward.
The best people to immerse you in a destination are the ones who live there, which is why we feature local Adventure Guides on our trips. Here are a few that you might meet on this adventure.
Local Tour Guide .
We work with only the most experienced and knowledgeable local guides on our trips. You will be in excellent hands with a fully licensed and accredited local guide who will share their expertise in everything from history and architecture, to culture and traditions, the best local cuisine, activities and crafts, or even shopping. Local guides live, breathe, and love their trips because as locals they are an integral part of their communities. Their connections run deep and pride in their piece of the world is contagious.
Upon arrival in Anchorage, collect your luggage and meet your driver outside of the arrivals hall for a short drive to your accommodations. The remainder of the day is on your own to rest, relax or explore.
Early this afternoon you are transferred to the airport to board your small plane for a spectacular scenic flight into Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Along the way enjoy exceptional vistas of the major peaks of both the Wrangell and St. Elias mountain ranges, Kennicott, Root and Gates Glaciers, Stairway Icefall, and Erie Mine. A flyby of Kennicott and McCarthy towns will give you a great view of the area you will be exploring. Throughout the flight enjoy learning about land marks and interesting facts about wildlife and human history of the region from your pilot. This afternoon meet your private guide for an exploration of the historic Kennecott Copper Mill. The Mill was frozen in time when it was abruptly abandoned in 1938. The workers left behind their equipment and many personal belongings creating a ghost town and an amazing view into the past. Learn about the individual stories of discovery, perseverance and ingenuity of the individuals that resided and worked in the mines from your knowledgeable guide. Explore the various buildings and equipment and learn what the mine produced and how. After your tour, return to your lodge and enjoy the remainder of the evening on your own.
Today, start your adventure with a flight over the stunning mountains of Wrangell-St Elias National Park to a remote wilderness pass. Your pilot drops you with your guide to begin your off-trail hike through the mountains and rugged and wild lands of the Alaskan backcountry. Your guide caters the day to your interests, abilities, and energy levels. The area is known for its wildlife including caribou, Dall sheep and bear. After your adventure, return to McCarthy via bush flight and enjoy the remainder of the day on your own.
Spend a full day on the Root Glacier exploring features such as crevasses, blue pools, canyons, waterfalls, and moulins. Hike to where Donoho Falls pours under the cracking edge of the glacier and/or explore the Jumbo Creek ice cave, where you will be surrounded by blue ice. Today\'s adventure encompasses 8-10 miles of hiking in approximately 8 hours. Your professional mountain guide will share in your excitement as you explore deep out onto the glacier to find exciting new features that are constantly transforming on this moving river of ice
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This morning you can choose to rest and relax or take the short shuttle into the nearby town of McCarthy. This unique town is very small and unassuming. It features a handful of buildings dating back to the early 1900s when it served as a place for workers in Kennicott to escape their hard lives milling and mining copper and indulge their vices on their rare day off. Afterwards, board your return charter flight from McCarthy to Anchorage. After checking into your accommodations, enjoy a short walk to the Anchorage Museum for a docent-led private tour of the facility. The Anchorage Museum is a small but mighty museum with extensive historical and cultural exhibits which your guide shares with you and helps you to understand in the context of Alaska and its peoples. Enjoy learning interesting information and facts as you walk through the art halls and various displays.
This afternoon you are transferred to the airport for the approximately 1-hour flight to Lake Clark. Upon arrival you are driven a short distance from the airstrip to the lodge, uniquely situated on the point of a long peninsula that overlooks beautiful Lake Clark. This stunning lake is Alaska\'s 2nd largest and is within the boundaries of Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. After settling into your room, enjoy tonight\'s appetizers and a delicious dinner.
This morning you meet your pilot/guide for a day in Katmai National Park and Preserve in hopes of viewing some of the over 2,000 brown bears for which the park is known. Katmai is one of the most iconic bear-viewing locations in the world and a hot spot to observe bears during the salmon run. Stops today will vary depending upon where the most bears have been seen in the area and the day\'s weather. One stop will likely be Brooks Falls to walk the famous bear viewing platforms. These raised walkways provide a secure and unobtrusive vantage point, allowing observers to witness bears fishing in their natural habitat.
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On today\'s excursion you will explore Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. Encompassing over four million acres, Lake Clark National Park is a pristine expanse of land featuring mountains, volcanoes, and glaciers. Depending upon your interests, your day may be spent exploring the park\'s network of hiking trails, a flight to view Lake Clark\'s immense stratovolcanoes, turquoise lakes, glaciers and braided rivers, or Dick Proenneke\'s cabin at Twin Lakes. Made famous by his book One Man\'s Wilderness, Proenneke crafted this log cabin with his bare hands, devoid of power tools, and spent three decades living off the land in this beautiful yet harsh terrain.
Today you are able to choose from a variety of activities available at the lodge including fishing, kayaking, hiking, and stand-up paddle boarding. Late this afternoon, board your return flight to Anchorage.
After checking out of your accommodations, meet your driver out front for a short ride to the Anchorage Airport to board your flight homeward.
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[ActivityHighlight] => Most activities involve moderate physical effort, with hikes ranging from a few miles to full-day treks of up to 8-10 miles over uneven and sometimes icy terrain. Travelers should be comfortable walking for several hours, navigating off-trail paths, and participating in outdoor adventures like glacier walks and wildlife viewing in remote settings.
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Activity Level
This trip is rated activity level 2. Most activities involve moderate physical effort, with hikes ranging from a few miles to full-day treks of up to 8-10 miles over uneven and sometimes icy terrain. Travelers should be comfortable walking for several hours, navigating off-trail paths, and participating in outdoor adventures like glacier walks and wildlife viewing in remote settings. Learn more about activity levels here.
Activity Snapshot
Day 2
Private tour of Kennicott Copper Mill
Day 3
Private flight and full day hiking tour
Day 4
Private guided full day hike
Day 5
Private tour of Anchorage Museum
Day 7
Wildlife viewing
Day 8
Flight and full-day guided tour
Day 9
Full-day activity of choice
*Mileage and elevation change information is approximate and may vary slightly depending on trail conditions, weather, and route adjustments, and the guide’s discretion.
Accommodations
Comfortable lodges with a variety of amenities, including local delicacies and breathtaking views.
Kennicott Glacier Lodge-Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska
Located within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, this family-owned lodge is a highlight of any trip to Alaska. The landscape-inspired architecture blends seamlessly with the surroundings.
The Main Lodge is the original building that includes 24 guest rooms, the lobby, and the restaurant. There are two comfortable common rooms where you can relax after a day of exploration and a 180ft panoramic front porch where you can enjoy the spectacular view of the Kennicott Glacier, Mount Blackbur, and the Chugach Mountains. The Main Lodge is decorated throughout with interesting photos and artifacts from the historic Kennicott Copper Mine. All rooms in the Main Lodge have shared bathrooms down the hall.The South Wing is located 200ft. south of the Main Lodge and features 20 spacious guest rooms, a large common room, and a front porch with a panoramic view. All South Wing rooms have a bathroom and shower in the room.
Located in the heart of downtown Anchorage, Alaska's Hotel Captain Cook is a perfect basecamp for adventure. The hotel features finely appointed rooms and suites each with complimentary WiFi, air conditioning, blackout drapes and gorgeous views of downtown Anchorage, Cook Inlet or the Chugach Mountains. The hotel also offers a steam room, sauna, swimming pool, Jacuzzi, exercise facilities and four on-property restaurants including the Crow's Nest, a fine dining restaurant featuring French and New American cuisine.
Lake Clark Lodge is located in a secluded location on the point of a long peninsula that overlooks beautiful Lake Clark, Alaska's 2nd largest lake. This classic North American Lodge features a hallmark “great room”, one of the largest fireplaces in Alaska and large windows to take in the stunning views. The lodge is surrounded by a large deck for guests to look out on the lake and mountain setting surrounding Keyes Point. Formerly the private residence of Alaska's first billionaire, there are 8 double occupancy guest rooms with its own bathroom as well as many common areas and cozy nooks to enjoy including a game room, pool room, library, 2 full bars, and the great room.
Weather
Generally mild summers, but always be prepared for sun, rain, or wind.
Jun
Jul
Aug
Katmai National Park
High
Low
High
Low
High
Low
Katmai National Park
61
43
64
48
63
48
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
High
Low
High
Low
High
Low
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
56
42
58
46
55
45
FAQs
Does it really rain every day in Alaska?
It rains often in Alaska, but mostly when you are closest to the ocean and not so much when you are high up in the mountains. So be sure to bring a sturdy raincoat and waterproof hiking shoes or boots. The rain is what makes Alaska legendary!
What wildlife do you typically see?
There are possibilities to see bears, moose, humpback whales, sea otters, sea lions, bald eagles, and more. Each new season brings a wide variety of mammals and bird species on any given day.