Matanuska Glacier Hike
Full-Day Tours of the Matanuska Glacier
Are you ready to experience the awe-inspiring beauty of Matanuska Glacier up close and personal? Join our guided hiking tours and embark on a thrilling adventure through the icy wonderland of Sutton, Alaska. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or a nature enthusiast, our tours suit all skill levels.
Detailed Description
The Matanuska Glacier Excursion will be the highlight of your time in Alaska! 27 miles long and four miles wide, covering more area than the city of Los Angeles, the Matanuska Glacier is the largest glacier in the world with road access. You’ll spend about two hours on the glacier with your professional guide.
Now, let’s dive into the cool stuff you’ll see when you walk on the Matanuska Glacier:
- Crevasses: These are deep, icy cracks in the glacier’s surface. They’re like nature’s ice sculptures and can be both beautiful and awe-inspiring.
- Seracs: Picture giant, frozen ice towers. These formations look like something out of a fantasy world, and you’ll get to see them up close.
- Moulins: These are vertical shafts in the glacier created by flowing water. They can be quite mysterious and fascinating to explore.
- Walking Rocks: Have you ever heard of rocks that move on their own? Well, here, we call them “walking rocks.” Your guide will explain this exciting phenomenon as you wander.
- Basal Ice: This is the oldest, densest ice of the glacier. It’s like a window into the glacier’s history, and it’s a crucial part of its structure.
- Glacial Erratics: These are massive boulders that the glacier has carried along its journey. They often sit perched on the ice, telling tales of where they came from.
As you can see, the Matanuska Glacier is a real-life icy wonderland, and you’re in for an adventure like no other. Imagine the thrill of exploring these natural features and learning about the unique aspects of the glacial environment from our professional guides. It’s like stepping into another world!
Matanuska Glacier Tours From Anchorage Itinerary
Your guide will pick you and your group up at your hotel by 8am the day of your Matanuska Glacier tour.
We’ll drive about two hours north of Anchorage, with a rest stop about half-way, where we’ll pick up fresh deli sandwiches for lunch. Coffee and other snacks are available for purchase at this stop as wel
We’ll arrive at the glacier and check in by about 10:30am. After a few minutes meeting our guide and getting our spikes on, we’ll depart the guide cabin at about 11am.
We’ll be on the glacier from about 11am to 1pm. Tour times vary, as glacier and trail conditions can change daily. After leaving the glacier, we’ll have sandwiches for lunch while heading back to Anchorage. We’ll make stops for pictures and a stretch along the return trip. You can expect to be back at your hotel between 4 & 5pm.
Matanuska Glacier Hiking Tour Notes:
- Especially in Spring (April and May), melting snow causes wet and somewhat muddy conditions. Reasonably waterproof footwear that you don’t mind getting dirty is recommended.
- You can check the weather for the Matanuska Glacier area HERE.
- Dress in layers. When the weather turns out a little different than forecast, the sun comes out, or wind picks up, the ability to adjust to the conditions can make your time at the glacier much more enjoyable.
- Bring a small backpack or other means of carrying the few things you may want to keep available while we’re out; a hat, gloves, and water bottle for example.
- Bring your shades. It can be surprisingly bright on the glacier, with the sun’s rays reflecting from every direction. A hat with a bill in summer months, when the sun is at its peak, can also be helpful.
- The Matanuska Glacier hike is rated as “moderate” and as such, is not recommended for guests with significant health concerns. Please talk with your guide in advance if this applies to you. We want to help you get on the glacier if at all possible.
- Feel free to give us a call if you have additional questions or concerns.
Includes & Excludes
- Round Trip Transportation from Anchorage area hotels
- Microspikes for traction and safety while on the glacier
- Bottled drinking water
- Lunch – We will make a stop along the way where you can purchase lunch
- Footwear – no clothing items, jackets, or boots are provided
- Tips - for your glacier guide -they're in the service industry, and they always provide outstanding service!
Matanuska Glacier Hiking Tour FAQs
The Matanuska Glacier Hike is available year-round, 365 days a year.
As with all Alaska Adventure Guides’ tours, The Glacier tour operates rain or shine, cold or not. The good news, though, is that it very rarely rains where we hike, seriously! On average, about one day per year, the trip is canceled due to hazardous road conditions.
Yes! We offer a fully inclusive trip to Matanuska Glacier, including transportation, & glacier entry. We provide pickup from all Anchorage area hotels, Anchorage International Airport, and the train depot.
We can accommodate people of a wide range of fitness and skill levels! While we don’t recommend the hike for people with significant health concerns, if you can walk about 3 miles within approximately 2 to 3 hours and climb a couple of flights of stairs, you’ll be just fine.
We welcome people of all ages on this trip! From young children to octogenarians and beyond, they have joined us to experience this amazing tour!
As with all of our tours, we can accommodate your private party. Please contact us directly for pricing and availability.
Due to the travel time required, we only offer full-day tours to the glacier.
While lunch is not provided in the cost of the tour, we will make a stop on the drive to the glacier, where you’ll have the opportunity to purchase anything you’d like to have to eat or drink throughout the day.
Plan on being outside for 2 to 3 hours. Temperatures at the glacier can be slightly cooler than in Anchorage. We recommend dressing appropriately for the temperature in layers that can be added or removed as conditions change. There is always room in the van for you to bring a backpack with extra clothing for this purpose.
Snowpants, extra hats, and gloves are available to supplement your gear. Boots and coats are NOT provided.
While the Alaskan wilderness in general, and glaciers more specifically, have inherent dangers and risks, as long as you’re aware of your surroundings, listen to instructions from your guides, and act responsibly, minimal risk is involved.