Quick Details
Backpackers
Non-private rate per person
$ 899
Private Tour
Reserve up to 12 People (Select 1 to enter party size)
Discover Pristine Glacial Lakes within the Anchorage Area!
Tour Time: 3-Days and 2-Nights
Travel Time (From Anchorage): 1 Hour (.5 Hours one-way)
Distance & Elevation Gain: ~20 miles and 4,300 feet (or 430 flights of stairs)
Difficulty: ★★★★★ “Difficult for most” – Recommended for ages 16 – 65
• Experience backpacking one of the Chugach State Park’s finest landscapes! 🌄
• Perfect for adventurous solo travelers and couples. 👩👨
• All guides are Wilderness First Aid certified, trained, and backpacking experts. 😲
• Learn about Alaska’s unique geology, ecology, and biology. All the ‘ologies! 🌲
• Opportunity for stunning photos, wildlife viewing, and boundless exploration. 🐇
• Rations and many items provided. Keep reading for more detail! 🍽
Our Williwaw Lakes and Long Lake backpacking tour is a perfect, abbreviated multi-day experience for both locals and travelers seeking adventure in the Anchorage Area. This monumental Chugach State Park route features a variety of terrain, features, and solitude that you will absolutely adore. Rugged peaks, huge valleys, and pristine alpine lakes mark the route with breathtaking moments. We’ll have plenty of opportunity for wildlife viewing, including moose, bear, dall sheep, mountain goat and many different types of songbirds. We’ll share great backcountry food and camaraderie together while enjoying the great Alaskan wilderness. Does this sound like your cup of soup? Join us this summer, and make your Alaskan vacation truly memorable!
To view the general route, please click on the below link to the map.
Williwaw Lakes & Long Lake Map
Itinerary
Day 1: We’ll start our tour by ascending forested hills with towering spruce, birch, and cottonwoods. It’s an area where you can really bask in the boreal environment which covers much of our state. Making our way through subalpine, we’ll hike up-valley through lush hemlock forests humming with birds and brimming with wildflowers. Upon reaching the crux of the valley, you’ll encounter a series of crystal-clear, bluish-green water flowing from the nearby mountains. This is where our pristine, alpine campsite and warm food awaits after hiking 8 miles. There are plenty of opportunity to explore the area for more adventure, or, you can just soak in the remoteness of the area and enjoy the wild.
Day 2: The next morning, we’ll continue our majestic trek through cavernous slopes while seeing dazzling waterfalls and intriguing rock formations along the way. As we round the corner of Middle Fork Campbell Creek Valley, we’ll see even more divine tributaries and pools of glistening water. Vivid lichen and moss cover the bedrock, and tundra life can be felt through and through. After 5 fantastic miles, we’ll camp at another stunning alpine location at the west end of Long Lake, setting us up perfectly for the final day.
Day 3: On the last day, we’ll travel down North Fork Campbell Creek valley before trekking to the summit of Near Point, which is positioned 3,000 feet above Anchorage. From the top, you’ll see all of Anchorage, Cook Inlet, and the massive valley from where we just descended. It’s a surreal way in which to cap off our 3-day trip. We’ll grab our last aerial phots before returning to forested land, which marks the way back to the trailhead. This day consists of roughly 7 total miles of hiking.
As part of your experience, you receive:
• Permitted, insured and renowned tour operation in South-Central Alaska
• National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) Outdoor Education Trained Guide
• Wilderness First Response, CPR, and EPI-pen Certified Guide
• Education on how to prepare for and execute a multi-day backpacking trip
• Education on how to handle large animal encounters
• Rations supplied! Here is a Sample Rations Menu. If you have any allergies or dietary restrictions, please indicate them on the checkout questionnaire
• How to cook in the backcountry the “traditional” way (i.e., no freeze-dried food!)
• Shuttling to and from the trailheads
• Assistance with outfitting your gear for the tour
NOTE: Items such as backpacks, sleeping bags, and sleeping pads are available to rent. Clothing such as base layers are available to purchase. Shelters and group gear will be provided. Other items will be your responsibility. Click on the below “Gear Lists” link to review the mandatory and optional individual gear, as well as the group gear. There is also a list, which shows available items for rent and purchase. If you are renting or purchasing gear, please download the spreadsheet, fill it out, and email it back to us. Let us know any questions you have regarding gear.
Conditioning Requirements:
This can be a difficult hike, given the elevation gain and total distance traveled. However, this tour can be completed by someone who has never backpacked! You will need to train, and condition before setting out on the trail with us. Here is what you should know in advance.
• We will be traveling ~20 miles additional mileage for any other side-hikes we decide to pursue.
• There is considerable elevation gain during the hike, estimated between 4,500 to 5,000 total feet.
• Poor trail conditions, (i.e., muddy, slick, and wet)
• Harsh weather
• In general, you should be able to balance well and travel about 1.5 mph with a 30 lb. pack. for an extended period. On average we will travel anywhere between 5-8 hours per day
• The checkout questionnaire will help you, and us, identify whether this is a good trip for you to attempt. Please complete the survey when you are ready. All members of your party must complete a survey (please and thank you)!
Williwaw & Long Lake Backpacking Tour Questionnaire
After reviewing the item lists, completing the survey, and discussing any questions you have with us regarding gear, route, planning, or anything else, you are ready to book.
As always, we welcome your questions and can help you plan your trip.
Rates
Per Person: $899
Solo travelers are welcome! Solo traveler policy presented at checkout
Private Party: *Rates provided during checkout, starting at $1599 for a solo. Price per person decreases the larger the group.
Reserve the whole tour to yourself or your group!
What are you waiting for? Book now and start preparing for your Alaskan adventure of a lifetime!