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in McCarthy

Very good tour. You start by walking up a hill to get to the top of the mill, and then the tour takes you from the top of the mill all the way to the bottom - passing through troughs, machines, shaker tables, crushers, and more - fascinating all the way to the end. The only negative is that it was a bit pricey, but not horribly so.

Hiking the Root Glacier was exciting and a little scary as our first glacier hike. However, hiking with a friendly, experienced, and knowledgible guide, such as Veronica, from McCarthy River Tours made our day. Veronica prepared us for the hike and provided all of the guidance needed. Veronica stayed with us every step, she shared her experience and knowledge to insure a safe hike as well as an interesting experience. We would never have ventured as far and as safely on the Root Glacier if we had hiked without a guide. Veronica made this hike a memorable and fun one.

It's amazing how the NPS was able to stabilize and restore the copper mill for tours. So much of it is original, and the added structures to keep it upright and safe blend right in. It was a fascinating tour. Our guide was friendly, but didn't seem as knowledgeable as he could be. I understand that the mill's construction was not well documented when it was active and it has taken scientists and historians a lot of time and effort to figure out how the mill operated when it was restored, but we talked to other people in town who relayed information that we didn't get on our tour. All in all though, our guide stopped on each floor of the mill and shared what he knew, and just being in there was incredible.

After a bumpy start due to miscommunication from Cool Alaska, we had a fabulous float trip with Cesar and Veronica. First off, make sure you meet at the shuttle turnaround near the Wrangell visitor center, just up the street from the Kennicott Glacier Lodge or you will miss your shuttle pickup and cell phone is spotty so it is very difficult to communicate with McCarthy River tour operator. We got picked up an hour after our start time by Cesar. Immediately, Cesar apologized for the delay and made us feel relaxed and excited about the upcoming raft trip. He was going to be our guide and with 10 years of experience we felt we were in good hands. We changed into a dry suit, life vest, helmet and borrowed some shoes so ours would stay dry back at camp. Then we walked to the raft and paddled around on the glacial lake. We stopped and walked on a rock debris covered iceberg and viewed several areas were the unprotected advancing glacier was melting away. Spectacular and awe inspiring! We stopped and waited on another piece of floating ice so we could eat a quick lunch and then we were joined by Veronica, who rode in a separate kayak to be a rescue person, just in case someone fell out. The rapids were thrilling and the water was freezing cold as it splashed on our hands and face. Throughout the entire trip Cesar made us feel safe and comfortable. He was informative, polite and very cautious. As we rode back to base camp in a truck, Veronica told us more about what brought her to guide in Alaska. We were very pleased with our adventure as the area is breathtakingly beautiful but I feel like we were so lucky to have Cesar and Veronica join us as they both made this an adventure of a lifetime. As a bonus, we saw a bald eagle take flight from the shoreline and a black bear wandered in front of the truck on the way back to camp. Double score and a bonus for sure!

We had a great experience on our water tour. We first explored the glacier lake before rafting down level III rapids. Our guide Leo was very knowledgeable about the area and water. We were also assisted by Cesar.

An amazing view of a real live glacier. A scenic hike along the historic mining town of Kennicott takes you to the bottom of the root glacier where you strap on supplied crampons to hike around a beautiful white ice glacier with the option to swim in a glacial pool. Knowledgeable guides keep you informed about your surroundings and the history of the old mining town.

The tour was customized for us. John, our guide, was very helpful in helping us get into our dry suits and explaining what to expect on the short hike to the lake we were Kayaking on. Not only was he exceptionally knowledgeable about the history of McCarthy and the mountains and glaciers we were seeing, but had lots of information of the geology of the area. He told us about local plants. John is very skilled, patient and kind. We loved every minute of our Four hour adventure!

A group of friends and I went on the Glacial Lake Inflatable Kayak Tour and wow, what an amazing day of adventure! The scenery was breath taking, our guide was friendly and professional and even the weather cooperated with us. After a lovely paddle back to an ice wall we stopped for some lunch and a chance to take in our surroundings. Then it was off to find an iceberg to jump off! Yes, an iceberg to jump off! That was definitely the highlight of the day. Each of us took our turn plunging into the glacier lake and swimming back to the iceberg edge. Exhilarating to say the least. We have lived in Alaska for 6 year years now and have done lots of adventures, but this experience is at the top of our list. Even our friend who are lifelong Alaskans agreed it was one of the best adventures they've had. And if that was not enough on the return paddle back we hit a couple awesome rapids that also thrilled us! I would highly recommend trying this or another trip offered by McCarthy River Tours & Outfitters. Safety and professionalism come first, but adventure definitely comes second!