Root Glacier is located inside Wrangell–St. Elias National Park, and it’s one of the few glaciers in Alaska where you can actually walk on the ice with relative ease—especially with a guide.

Getting here takes more effort. Most people drive to McCarthy, then cross the footbridge and continue toward Kennicott. From there, it’s a hike to reach the glacier.

Once you’re on it, the experience changes completely. You’re walking on solid ice, navigating around crevasses, streams, and formations that shift depending on the season.

Guided glacier hikes are common here, and they give you the equipment and knowledge needed to safely explore further onto the ice.

The glacier sits in a wide valley surrounded by mountains, and the scale becomes more obvious once you’re standing on it instead of just looking at it.

Root Glacier isn’t just something you view—it’s something you actually experience.