Real Alaska Mountain Adventure

Compared to the Chugach Mountains near Anchorage or the Alaska Range mountains within Denali National Park, the eastern Alaska Range mountains along the Richardson Highway corridor are almost empty. While you might bump into a few people hiking along the most well-known routes in the area including Castner Glacier, Gulkana Glacier, or sometimes Bear Creek, you can easily avoid people in most other locations. On most of the routes detailed below, you’re much more likely to spot Dall sheep, caribou, moose, bald eagles, and other wildlife on your hike than people. Starting from an elevation between 2000 and 2500 feet along the Richardson Highway, a short climb of 1000 feet is all it takes to reach tree line in the Alaska Range, where the spruce forests give way to low shrubs and amazing views. Ascend another 1000 feet and the shrubs disappear as well, leaving only tiny alpine plants, moss and lichen. Above tree line, you are likely to spot wildlife including Dall sheep, caribou, arctic ground squirrels, marmots, eagles, porcupines, collared pikas, and (much more infrequently) coyotes, wolves, and bears.

None of the “trails” mentioned in the route descriptions below are officially maintained trails. Instead, they are informal trails created and used by local hikers, hunters, skiers, and others recreating in the mountains. None of them are signed and some are quite primitive. Their purpose is to provide a route above tree line that (mostly) eliminates the difficulty of routefinding through dense thickets of alders, willows, spruce boughs, cow parsnip, prickly wild rose shrubs, and plenty more ankle-catching & face-slapping vegetation. Once above tree line, the trails end and the fun of exploring the alpine begins.

If you’re used to hiking on maintained trails, you’ll find hiking on these rugged unmaintained trails or off-trail in the alpine more difficult and slower-paced than usual. Each step requires more care to traverse the uneven ground and pass obstacles including rocks, tree roots, fallen trees, water, snow, etc. With overgrown or poorly marked trails, or with no trail, a hiker must spend more time evaluating which direction to go. However, the extra effort is more than worth the reward of exploring a seemingly untouched wilderness landscape devoid of the people you might otherwise encounter at a popular state or national park trail or some social media selfie destination.

Compare the different routes below and see which one sounds like the best fit for your group. Or, tell me about your fitness, experience, and goals for your hike and I can recommend a suitable option. Most of these routes require a moderate degree of fitness and mobility, so if you or someone in your group is a complete couch potato, you may want to consider a shorter, easier hike to Castner Glacier. If you’re an experienced hiker, but perhaps past injuries, surgeries, or simply the effects of old age have slowed you down or made you less agile than you used to be, I’m happy to hike slow and steady and lend a hand where needed. In general, you should have recent experience hiking routes with similar length or elevation gain to the ones you are considering. If you’re a beginning or intermediate hiker looking to take an incremental step in difficulty, there’s no better way to do so than with an experienced guide by your side. Occasionally, I guide customers to other scenic locations not listed here (perhaps adjacent to, but not necessarily in the mountains) where the hiking is relatively easy with low elevation gain, so contact me if you’d like more options. If you’re looking for a longer hike or would like to spend more time in the mountains on your tour, check out the Expert Mountain Hike.

All tours are PRIVATE and involve no technical rock or ice climbing. The maximum group size is 6, but larger groups may inquire before booking. However, groups larger than 10 can not be accommodated. Children are welcome on tours but there is no youth discount; see age recommendations in difficulty ratings below.

Check out the video below for an illustration of an easier 1000-foot elevation gain Standard Mountain Hike

Rates

Alaska Resident & Military Discount: Parties with at least one Alaska resident or active duty military personnel receive a 10% discount. Enter code “AK_AND_MILITARY_DISCOUNT” at checkout.
Add $50 per person for professional adventure portraits. (High-resolution digital files delivered via web download after your hike.)
Receive a discount when you also book an Aurora Borealis Photography Tour. (Please inquire.)
Rates above do not include transportation from Fairbanks! Optional transportation is available for an extra fee.

Customers who want to press farther into the wilderness or spend more time exploring, photographing, or otherwise enjoying their time outdoors should consider the Expert Mountain Hike tour option, though the Standard Mountain Hike is designed to offer impressive sights and a fun experience appropriate for most customers. If you require optional transportation from Fairbanks, please note the tour durations above do not include travel time, and that travel time from Fairbanks is approximately 2.5 hours each way.

Cancellation Policy

Full payment is required to reserve a tour. A 5% cancellation fee is charged when reservations are canceled at least 10 days in advance, a 50% cancellation fee is charged when reservations are canceled less than 10 days but at least three days in advance, and NO refund is given for cancellations made less than three days in advance. Tours may be canceled due to extreme weather (e.g. lightning), highway closures, etc., in which case your tour will be rescheduled or fully refunded. However, rain, wind, and temperatures near freezing are quite common in the mountains, especially at higher elevations, so customers should dress appropriately and be prepared to face the elements. Note that light rain showers are much more common than heavy downpours. While I can sometimes shift the date of a tour to align with better weather (subject to availability), I cannot guarantee perfect weather on the day of your hike and do not provide refunds if you experience rainy or cloudy weather. If you are afraid of catching a single raindrop or clouds hampering your landscape photo opportunities, please do not bother booking! For complete tour policies and more tour information, see the Black Rapids Tours FAQ.

Difficulty Ratings are assigned to each route as follows:
Easy: Minimal elevation gain, suitable for people of average fitness and kids about 7 and up
Moderate: Significant elevation gain (1000-2500+ feet) and/or rugged terrain requiring good fitness & agility, suitable for kids about 10 and up
Difficult: High elevation gain (2500-5000 feet) and/or steep & rugged terrain, suitable for tough kids about 12 and up

Please contact me if you have questions about the difficulty of a particular route. Keep in mind that hiking on unimproved trails & off-trail in Alaska is more difficult than hiking on a maintained trail. In rugged terrain our average hiking speed may be 1 mph or less. A 1000-foot elevation gain can be challenging for those who don’t hike or climb much, even for people in decent shape. Also, inclement weather can make hiking more challenging, especially at higher elevations. Many routes don’t feature a specific endpoint, and how far we travel always depends on your preference and stamina. Most of these hiking routes require good fitness and experienced hikers will find plenty of interesting and challenging options. You may change your selected route anytime before your tour starts, and I may suggest exchanging routes based on weather and other factors.