Root Glacier Trail Hike // Kennicott, Alaska

Today I am excited to share with y'all one of the most beautiful hikes that we took in Alaska in Kennicott - the Root Glacier Trail. It was one of the most unique hikes that I have ever done. (You can read more about my hiking adventures on the blog by clicking HERE.) The whole trail roundtrip (from Kennicott) was approximately 5-6 miles and it took us about 3 hours because we enjoyed the hike, spent time at the glacier, and Sue and Emily were gracious enough to be patient with me as I found parts of the hike a bit difficult. It was definitely worth it and I would recommend it to anyone who can physically do the hike as it truly was a beautiful adventure. 

Side note- if you stay at the Kennicott Glacier Lodge (which I do NOT recommend- you can read about why HERE) they will tell you that the trail is only 2 miles and very easywhich is simply not true. It is definitely a trail that is approximnately 5-6 miles (depending on some detours you might take) and is defiitely a "moderate" trail in my opinion. It wasn't as hard as the Worthington Glacier Hike that I did last time in Alaska (you can read about that ridge, steep trail HERE) but it wasn't a "walk in the park" as was implied by the lodge.

After passing the Kennecott Mine and the small town you continue your walk till you hit the trail area. About a mile down the way you will continue straight on the trail path (which is nicely maintained for those that are interested) and start your hike in the woods.

The first part of the trail (I would say the first 1/2 mile after you leave the town) is really thick and while you can sort of see a mountain in the distance you really don't see much. If you are looking for a trail that is giving you views, keep pressing on though because they will start to slowly appear and then it is just gorgeous.

Looking out among the branches I couldn't wait to see what we were going to see!

All of a sudden we were able to start seeing more and it was so stunning. The landscape of the Wrangell-St.Elias National park and mountains is truly one of the most unique places on earth I have ever seen.

As we came around a corner the views seemed to completely open up and we could see the Root Glacier in the far distance slowly coming into view. 

The unique terrain was something that was amazing to experience. 

As we reached this point in the hike we had reached a small footbridge that you crossed and there was a beautiful waterfall (see the picture above on the right) where you could get fresh water. The water was so yummy and so fresh and clean and cool to drink as we headed on in our hike. 

The next part of the hike (the last 1.3 miles) after the footbridge was out in the open. It was amazing that even though we were only about 3.5 miles from Kennicott that it looked and felt that you were in the middle of nowhere. It was truly incredible to experience.

While there were a few small tours (approximately 3-4 people with a guide) and one group that had about 10 people, we really felt like we were alone exploring the area.

It definitely is not a trail that is "over populated" if you are looking for one in the area to try.

If you have been around this blog for even a second of time then you know that I am entralled and love flowers. My favorite flower in Alaska is the fireweed flower (you can read more about it HERE) and while we didn't see any of those flowers in this area we did run into these unique and precious flowers that were all over the mountains. 

They were so delicate and pretty and were so unique looking dotting the mountain side and the area that we were hiking.

We made it to the glacier and spent some time sitting on the rocks, observing the beauty and the surrounding area and watching people walk on the glacier. While we didn't have appropriate shoes for walking on the glacier, we did each venture a bit to say we had stood on the beautiful glacier. *smiles* 

It was so beautiful and different to see the Root Glacier up close like that! 

As we were making our way back to Kennicott, I was grateful for such a beautiful experience and Sue and Emily for patience when I needed to slow down some and the opportunity to hike in such a beautiful area of Alaska!