Route Description: In the summer, Canwell Glacier is reachable by a rough gravel road that winds through a beautiful canyon full of colorful rock. An ATV trail parallels the glacier for a couple miles after the road ends, doubling as a nice hiking trail with amazing views of the glacier valley. Those looking for an easy hike with beautiful scenery can simply stay on the ATV trail and explore the hillside above the glacier. Relatively agile hikers can navigate about 1.25 miles over the very rocky, hilly lateral moraine and debris-covered surface of the lower glacier to reach an area containing multiple ice caves, though the number of ice caves that are accessible varies based on the conditions year-to-year and throughout the summer. Many customers are content with seeing just one ice cave since the terrain is quite rugged, but very fit hikers may see more. If you’re not comfortable with steep slopes or hiking on long sections of loose rock, try Gulkana Glacier instead. I’ve taken customers in their 70s to the ice caves on Canwell Glacier but they were all highly experienced hikers who knew their limits. In fact, some of them handled the hike better than my younger, less experienced customers. Active kids around 10 and older have also completed the hike. I provide ice cleats, helmets, headlamps, and any other special outdoor equipment needed for exploring the glacier, but customers need to bring their own clothing. Waterproof hiking boots and a waterproof jacket are essential! There is always water dripping from the ceiling in an ice cave in the summer and the weather in the Alaska Range can be cool and windy often. In early summer and possibly September, snow cover may restrict how far you can hike up the glacier. Snow generally melts off the lower glacier by the end of May, but may remain on the upper section of the glacier into mid-June. I spot wildlife on this hike occasionally, including moose, caribou, and Dall sheep, and once I spooked a bear while driving through the canyon, but these animals are usually seen from considerable distance since the hike takes place above tree line and the animals don’t spend much time on the barren glacier.
Route Length: up to 2.5 miles (one-way), elevation gain 800 feet
Difficulty: Moderate with very loose, rocky terrain
Check out the video below for an illustration of the Standard tour. The distance is short but the terrain is rugged!
Rates
Standard Tour (4-6 hours)
1 Person $300
2 People $350 ($175pp)
3 People $450 ($150pp)
4 People $525 ($131pp)
5 People $600 ($120pp)
6 People $675 ($112.50pp)
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. (Full-size 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.
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.
All tours are PRIVATE and involve no technical rock or ice climbing. Maximum group size 6; special arrangements must be made for larger groups up to 10. Children are welcome on tours but there is no youth discount; see age recommendations in difficulty ratings below. 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. No refunds are given for cancellations made less than three days in advance. Tours may be canceled due to extreme weather (e.g. thunderstorms), 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.