This is not a campground right next to a glacier but a privately owned glacier tour business that charges for access to Matanuska Glacier. So it’s like fill out the forms and pay at the office then park your car at designated parking and walk out to the glacier.
Crampons are extremely recommended if you go out on the ice. You will fall without them. You can slide down the ice into a cravas and die. No joke! The guided tours they provide them to you. They do not rent them or sell them at the office. So buy or rent them before you go. REI in Anchorage rents crampons for the day. This whole adventure is at your own risk.
You have 2 options in the Summer a guided tour or just glacier access where you can hike all over it. When the summer access starts depends on the seasonal conditions. Memorial Day is too early to hike and climb all over it, things are still melting out and hazardous. June it gets better. Call ahead to see if summer access unguided is “open”. In the winter, only guided tours are offered. The pricing is a little hard to find on the website for all the options they offer. They do give a big resident discount. If you are an AK resident ask for the special pricing! They are pretty responsive via email but calling them is faster.
As for the experience? You cannot put into words how awesome it is to be hiking on a glacier in Alaska. Serious bragging rights earned on best vacation excursion or response to what did you do this weekend? It’s amazingly beautiful, iconic of Alaska, challenging, great workout, scenic, and you can have a picnic at the provided picnic tables right by the ice or just on the ice! Cheers!
There are forms and rules to follow and they are really no brainers. Pick up after yourself. No littering allowed and they mean it! You are hiking out on the ice at your own risk have fun but don’t be stupid, don’t be someone that ruins it for others, and above all don’t die.
