If you want to plan a unique sort of Alaska trip, you need to put Wrangell-St Elias National Park on the travel plan. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve is the largest national park in the United States, but only a small portion is accessible by road, and what you can visit is beautiful. If you’re unfamiliar with Wrangell-St Elias, we’ll get you acquainted and help you plan your visit. I think you’ll find that it’s an unusual sort of park and the experiences available are unlike what you’ll find in the more visited National Parks of Alaska.
We’ve got lots of great information for being able to visit Wrangell-St Elias National Park (WSNP), including hikes you can do, tours that show off some of the park’s history and interesting features, and where to stay for your visit. Heads up, Wrangell-St Elias isn’t a place you can just show up to and have fun; it takes planning and more than a day to visit. Read on and if you have any questions about things to do in Wrangell-St Elias National Park or need more recommendations for exploring the Copper River Valley, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you plan an awesome Alaska trip!
Wrangell-St Elias National Park Interesting Facts
Wrangell-St Elias National Park is named for the two mountain ranges that make up a majority of the park: the Wrangell Mountains and the St Elias Range. Together they make up most of this beautiful, jagged, snow covered landscape full of beauty and natural resources. And it’s all protected. Wrangell-St Elias isn’t just a National Park though, as it’s also a National Preserve. This is an interesting classification because it means that parts of the park are not actually “park” but are privately owned/held or are open to private access, including hunting and fishing, and even mining. On November 12, 1980, President Carter designates 13.2 million acres of land as Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
The mountainous park areas and the surrounding Copper River Valley are the ancestral homelands of the Ahtna peoples of Alaska. They’ve occupied these lands and stewarded them for thousands of years, and today the Ahtna tribal organization still maintains much of the surrounding land. At the Copper Center visitors center complex, there is a whole building dedicated to the historic and living culture of the Ahtna peoples. It’s worth visiting and learning about the Alaska natives who’ve called the Wrangells and surrounding area home for so long.
And even though the park is so big and it’s got some of the tallest and most beautiful mountains in the Alaska, including Mt Blackburn, Mt Wrangell and Mt Drum, the most frequently visited site in WSNP is actually the Kennicott mill town, and within that, the Kennecott Mill structure. I know, there are two different spellings here, and that’s correct. Just go with it, as there was confusion over the years about spelling, and some things were named after the person and some were named after the presumed name of the company, so the town and the glacier and the lodge and the mill company all get spelled differently in different documents and signage.
Is Wrangell-St Elias National Park Worth Visiting
Whether you’re trying to visit every National Park in the United States or you’re just into beautiful places, yes, Wrangell-St Elias National Park is worth visiting. It’s a unique place due to the different mountain ranges and converging, and with more than 3K glaciers, it’s really an incredible sight to see. I like how there are such varied experiences in the park, with scenic drives, intense hikes, easy kayaking and good beginner white water rafting. And having the Copper River Valley running along the western edge of the park, this is a bucket list fishing destination for many people. Yes, it’s worth visiting and you’ll enjoy your time here.
How Many Days Do You Need in Wrangel-St Elias NP
Being the biggest National Park in the USA, it does take some time to explore Wrangell-St Elias NP. Many people just spend a day visiting the McCarthy/Kennicott area so they can see the old mine sites and visit a glacier, but there’s actually more to do and see around the park. This is an excellent hiking destination but also if you’re like me and want to geek out about history and mining, then you’ll enjoy that aspect as well. Both the Kennicott and Nabesna sections of the park have mines to visit, so you’ll need a few days to visit the different sections.
I think five days in Wrangell-St Elias National Park is ideal and allows you enough time to see and do everything (except backcountry exploring) and you won’t be terribly rushed. Check out our 5 Day Wrangell-St Elias NP itinerary!
What is Wrangell-St Elias NP Known For
Wrangell-St Elias National Park is known for two primary things: incredible mountains and mining history. Even as you’re driving outside of the park, the views of the Wrangell and St Elias mountain ranges are breathtaking, and then once you’re within the park and navigating the trails and gravel roads, you’ll love the rugged beauty of this part of Alaska’s backcountry. One of the most recognizable sites in Alaska, the Kennecott Mill and mining town is here in the National Park, so that piece of history is a big attraction for most visitors. There are also quite a few old mines that you can hike to.
Can You Drive to Wrangell-St Elias NP
You can drive to Wrangell-St Elias National Park, unlike Katmai, Kobuk Valley or Lake Clark National Parks. There are three parts of the park that are accessible by car, and each is discussed in detail below: McCarthy/Kennicott, Copper Center and Nabesna Road. Each area has different views, different activities, and is a completely different experience to visit. There is a part of the park that you cannot drive to, and that is the coastal section near Yukatat. This area is only access by float plane or private boat.
Map of Wrangell-St Elias NP
When you look at a map of Alaska, you’ll se that it really is a huge state, and within that, a map of Wrangell-St Elias National Park also shows off a huge chunk of land. If you are trying to located the park, look at the map of Alaska and then go east to the lower Canadian border, and that’s where you’ll find the park. It’s 3.5 hours from Anchorage and 4.5 hours from Fairbanks if you’re driving. See below:
Now that you can understand where Wrangell-St Elias National Park is in comparison to Anchorage and Fairbanks, within the park map below you can see which parts you can actually drive to to visit. Entering the park boundary at Chitina you can drive on the McCarthy Road to the footbridge of McCarthy. Then you’ll walk across the footbridge and catch a shuttle into the town of McCarthy or Kennicott. That’s how you access that part of the park, including the Kennicott Glacier, Kennecott Mines and Root Glacier.
From the Richardson Highway, just north of the town of Copper Center or just south of Glennallen, you’ll find the Copper Center Visitor Center. This is where you’ll find the main Wrangell-St Elias National Park entrance sign (popular photo op). Two hours north and then east of the primary visitor center is where you’ll access the Nabesna Road to explore a bit in the northern reaches of the park between the Wrangell Mountains and Alaska Range.
Size / Area of Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Preserve
Yes, Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Preserve is the largest in the National Park Service. The national park portion covers 8,323,146 acres, while the national preserve portion adds another 4,852,644 acres, totaling over 13.1 million acres. That’s craziness. This is more than 20K square miles, so you could actually fit both Vermont and New Hampshire within the park and there would still be acreage left over. It’s a huge park.
Withing the boundaries of Wrangell-St Elias National Park are also four mountain ranges covering at least a part of the park and within those there are five mountain peaks over 15K feet tall The area of the national park is overall impressive both in its expansiveness and height. Here are the mountain ranges you’ll see in Wrangell-St Elias NP:
- Wrangell Mountains – central area
- St Elias Range – south central area
- Chugach Mountains – south west area
- and the Alaska Range – northern side
With all of these mountains and the rivers flowing from within the park, it makes sense that it’s a difficult place to explore beyond the three areas you can access. Alaska is intense!
National Park Entrance Sign at WSNP
Who doesn’t love to get their picture at the National Park entrance signs when they get to cross one off their list? When it comes to Wrangell-St Elias National Park, you’ll see tons of tiny signs as you continually cross over the boundary line while driving, but the main BIG National Park entrance sign is at the Copper Center complex. It’s a beautiful, large sign with inlaid copper reminiscent of the park’s mining history. There’s no camera stand, so you’ll need to prop up your phone or camera to take a photo, or set it on the ground.
Hotels and Where to Stay at Wrangell-St Elias NP
Because the accessible parts of Wrangell-St Elias National Park are rather split up (see below) the options for where to stay are quite varied. There are two hotels within the National Park and then some different privately managed cabins or B&Bs. The hotels in Wrangell-St Elias National Park are the McCarthy Lodge Resort (the Ma Johnson Hotel, Rose House Hotel and Lancaster’s Backpacker) and then the Kennicott Glacier Lodge over in the town of Kennicott. None of these hotels are fancy, but you’ll find that they each have a rustic charm that suites the history and vibes of McCarthy and Kennicott. On the Nabesna Road, there is Avens Alaska Lodge, which is a collection of nice cabins and yurts, but it’s 28 miles down the gravel road in the northern reach of WSNP.
Outside of the park boundaries, you have more options including the Tonsina River Lodge (with an awesome Russian restaurant), the Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge, and several small inns up in Glennallen. There are MANY camping options at the end of the McCarthy Road, along the Edgerton Highway, and on the Richardson Highway past Copper Center. If camping and cabins are an option for you, you’ll have no trouble finding a place to stay. For vacation rentals and privately owned cabins, VRBO has the best inventory to search for a stay through. We really like the Whispering Pines Lodge (cabin) on Tonsina Creek.
Things to Do in Wrangell-St Elias National Park
Most visitors focus on three drive-accessible regions of Wrangell-St Elias NP, as backcountry travel is very complicated, requires permits and in general is not the norm for how most people explore the park. Here’s where you’ll most likely want to visit:
- Copper Center – Visitor center and park headquarters, lodging options
- McCarthy Road / McCarthy / Kennecott – Historic mining district and glacier access, unique experience *rough road*
- Nabesna Road – Scenic drive with hiking, wildlife, and fewer crowds; *rough road*
The remainder of the park is primarily wilderness accessed by aircraft or multi-day backcountry trips. If that’s something you’re interested in, Kennicott Wilderness Guides leads different backpacking trips and McCarthy River Tours does a variety of multiday rafting trips.
DISCOUNTS for guided adventures:
- Use code MyAKtrip10 for a 10% discount on adventures with McCarthy River Tours
- Use discount code 2traveldads for a 5% discount on your booking (except fly-outs) with Kennicott Wilderness Guides.
Copper Center – on the Border of Wrangell-St Elias NP
Highlights of visiting the Copper Center area of Wrangell-St Elias National Park are mostly around the main visitor center area. This is the primary visitor center for the park and it has excellent orientation exhibits. When you visit you’ll see that there are some easy walking trails, some scenic overlooks above the Copper River, and a nice gift shop/park bookstore.
Things to Do at Copper Center
At the Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center you’ll also find the park headquarters which is the best place for maps, permits, ranger advice, current road conditions, and educational exhibits. There are covered picnic areas here as well, so if you’re sorting yourselves out and need a good lunch spot, this is your opportunity to use nice facilities including nice restrooms.
I think the actual highlight of Wrangell-St Elias National Park in the Copper Center area is really the Ahtna Cultural Center. It’s located adjacent to the visitor center and is full of exhibits on the history, traditions, language, and lives of the Ahtna Athabascan people. It includes cultural displays, artifacts, and knowledgeable staff and volunteers that provide important Indigenous context for the region. They also sometimes have arts and crafts setup so that you can create your own small pieces in the style of different Ahtna traditions, including beadwork.
Also from the Copper Center area is where you can launch your Copper River salmon fishing trips. Copper River Guides does half and full day trips that are part whitewater rafting and part salmon fishing that are an amazing way to experience the wildlife and landscapes around Wrangell-St Elias National Par.
McCarthy and Kennicott Area – Central WSENP
Access to the towns of McCarthy and Kennicott is only via fly-in or on the 60-mile gravel McCarthy Road which begins near Chitina at the end of the Edgerton Highway. It’s a rough road and if you are renting a car when you arrive in Anchorage or Fairbanks, you’ll notice that both the Edgerton Highway AND McCarthy Road are listed as road that you’re not allowed to drive rental cars on. For this you actually need to go through an independent car rental agency to secure a 4WD, full-sized spare vehicle. GoNorth Alaska Rentals is our preferred rental company and we’ve enjoyed their service and vehicles.
Check out GoNorth Alaska Rentals and use discount code GON2TD for a free mileage package with your vehicle rental. Be sure to use the code to get the mileage deal! If you think you can risk it by bringing a regular rental on the McCarthy Road, think again, as some rental companies use their GPS tracking to make sure this policy is being followed.
Once you’ve made it to the end of the McCarthy Road, all vehicles must park at the Kennicott River footbridge. McCarthy and Kennecott are reached via footbridge and shuttle or walking ONLY. You may put your destination into Google Maps and it’ll tell you that you can drive into town, but that’s WRONG. There is a bridge for cars over the Kennicott River, but it is privately owned and you must have a key to access it.
Things to Do in McCarthy and Kennicott
The most famous attraction in Wrangell-St Elias National Park is the Historic Kennecott Copper Mill, which you can tour on your own, or you can explore the off-limits areas on a guided tour. There is a visitor center with some exhibits and information before you start exploring the mill town, so be sure to stop in and get a map and some advice about what’s open. If you’re doing the guided tour, St Elias Apline Guides does them several times throughout the day and they last two hours, providing much of the same information you can read in the exhibits, but taking you up and through the historic copper mill, which is really cool (and a little creepy).
The other most popular thing to do in Wrangell-St Elias National Park are the Root Glacier hikes. This is a great opportunity to hike on an icy blue glacier with waterfalls and streams, glacial blue lakes and ice cliffs. Going with a guide is 100% recommended due to safety and the gear you need for walking on the glacier. Kennecott Wilderness Guides is our preferred guide service and they’ll pick you up at your accommodations in McCarthy and lead you the whole way, providing all the gear you need which you cannot rent in WSNP. Use discount code 2traveldads for a 5% discount on your booking.
If unique glacier views are something you’re looking for, the Kennicott Glacier is really strange, as it’s all ice but fully covered in rocks. It even has a few trees growing on it despite it being a moving piece of ice that calves off and turns into the Kennicott River. There are three ways to check out the Kennicott Glacier:
- hike to the toe of the glacier from the Wagon Road
- do glacial lake pack-rafting (book it here)
- do a paddle and whitewater trip with McCarthy River Tours (book it here)
I love the paddle and rafting tour because you get to learn so much about glaciation and geology, and then you also get to be on the water. The Kennicott River is just Class II and III rapids, so it’s good for any age, and they provide dry suits so you can stay warm rafting the glacial waters.
More things to do in the McCarthy and Kennicott area of Wrangell-St Elias National Park include hiking to the different mines, walking the dirt roads of McCarthy looking for wildlife, and just enjoying the quiet vibes of the town. It’s so unique that it’s located within a National Park, so spend some time relaxing and enjoying all the dogs (they run the town).
Nabesna Road – North Side
Located on the eastern stretch of the Glenn Highway aka the Tok Cutoff (at this point), the Nabesna Road enters Wrangell-St Elias National Park and gives you 42 miles of unpaved beauty to explore. This is a rough road, but it’s really cool and not many people take the time to do the adventure. If you’re going to do the Nabesna Road, be sure that you fill up your car in Glennallen because there are NO SERVICES whatsoever. This is a great spot for hiking, mountain and volcano views, wildlife spotting and forgetting that other humans exist.
Things to Do on the Nabesna Road in Wrangell-St Elias NP
As you start out on the Nabesna Road, be sure that you’ve made a good plan before you begin driving. There is no cell service and after the Slana Ranger Station, you’re not likely to meet many people or have anyone to help you if you don’t know where to hike. I would recommend packing a lunch and dinner, as well as plenty of water and snacks before getting onto the Nabesna Road. That way you can enjoy taking your time and you’ll be okay for the day.
As you drive, you’ll have lots of mountain scenery with several rivers and lakes along the way. There are numerous trailheads (see below) and frequent wildlife viewing opportunities since the area is so sparsely populated or visited. The 42 mile gravel road ends at the historic Nabesna Mine hike, so if you’re interested in visiting, great! Otherwise just plan your hikes earlier on along the road. Here are the hikes available when you’re on the Nabesna Road in Wrangell-St Elias National Park:
- Caribou Creek Trail – Moderate day hike with awesome views. 6 miles round trip
- Trail Creek Trail – Moderate day hike up the Trail Creek drainage to the high country. 10 miles one way, suggest to plan for half of the hike
- Lost Creek Trail – Moderate day hike up the Lost Creek drainage to the high country. 7 miles one way, there are creeks to ford
- Skookum Volcano Trail – Moderately strenuous day hike to great views and geology! 2.5 miles one way or 5.5 miles as a loop continuing down the pass and back to the parking area
- Rambler Mine Trail – Short but steep day hike to an old mine and a panoramic view. 1.5 miles round trip
This should give you plenty of options of varying difficulty. If you’re not up for hiking, the drive itself is beautiful and there are lots of chances to just stop and enjoy the views and wildlife.
Planning for Wrangell-St Elias National Park
Now that you’re ready to plan your trip to Wrangell-St Elias National Park, we have some tips to help you along and reminders to keep you safe and happy as you explore. Before we get too far though, you’ll want to be sure that you have DOWNLOADED OFFLINE MAPS for driving the McCarthy Road and Nabesna Road. There’s no cell service in the national park area whatsoever.
Like with much of Alaska, this is an expensive place to visit, so try to plan as far ahead as you can so you can find deals for rental cars, your hotels and even activities. Because this park is a bit of an undertaking to visit, try to start your plan the summer or fall before you intend on visiting Wrangell-St Elias NP.
Things to Remember for your Wrangell-St Elias NP Trip
Now, don’t forget these important notes. You’ll be glad that you’re well prepared as you enter and have an adventure in the USA’s biggest national Park.
- Fill your gas tank in Chitina before driving the McCarthy Road or in Glennallen before driving the Nabesa Road.
- Have plenty of snacks and water for driving and hiking days in Wrangell-St Elias NP
- McCarthy Road is a slow gravel road; allow about 2-3 hours each way.
- Nabesna Road is also gravel, with stream crossings farther along the route, so check current road conditions before traveling.
- Visitor centers and ranger stations are generally staffed only during the summer season (roughly late May through mid-September), with the Chitina Ranger Station operating limited hours depending on staffing.
- Mosquitoes peak in July and they can be intense; they aren’t bothered by bug spray, so fully cover your arms; a mosquito hood is recommended to keep in your backpack just in case
- Bring a first aid kit if you are hiking; there are very few rangers or other people to offer assistance in an emergency
Keep these things in mind and you should have a fun, safe trip into the park!
Wildlife in Wrangell-St Elias National Park
Lastly, we haven’t talked a lot about wildlife in Wrangell-St Elias National Park. In the more populated areas, such as the town of McCarthy, you’re not likely to come across wildlife directly in town. Once you’re away from civilization or on a trail, however, you should expect and be ready for all kinds of Alaska wildlife. And yes, that includes both grizzly and black bears. If you don’t know anything about bear safety or properly using bear spray, please get familiar so that you can confidently enjoy the wildlife of the park.
The wildlife you may encounter within Wrangell-St Elias National Park and the surrounding area is awesome! Bears are everywhere, especially during salmon runs. Moose are also very common, typically seen on the gravel roads and along rivers and lakes. Caribou may be seen in the northern section of the park and along the Glenn Highway. Lynx, wolves, foxes, wolverines and more are also present all through the park in many different habitats.
Another animal to watch for in WSNP is the porcupine. While they are most active at night, remember that Alaska in the summer gets very little darkness, so porcupines might be encountered at all hours of the day. When you’re hiking or even when you’re in the Kennecott mines area, keep your eyes peeled both for porcupine quills and the animals themselves!
Visitor Centers & Ranger Stations in WSNP
Just in case you need to visit all the park facilities to get National Parks Passport cancellation stamps everywhere, here are the places you can visit. They don’t all have a stamp, but they all should be staffed with park rangers who are there to provide safety and access information.
| Facility | Area | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center | Copper Center | Main orientation, exhibits, maps, permits |
| Ahtna Cultural Center | Copper Center | Indigenous culture and history |
| Chitina Ranger Station | McCarthy Road | Road information and trip planning |
| McCarthy Road Information Station | End of McCarthy Road | Unstaffed information kiosk |
| Kennecott Mines Visitor Center | Kennicott | Historic district information and ranger programs |
| Slana Ranger Station | Nabesna Road | Road conditions, hiking advice, wildlife information |
I hope this answers all of your questions about visiting Wrangell-St Elias National Park. It’s a beautiful place and is very unique to visit. If you have any questions or need additional recommendations, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you plan a fun, interesting trip through Alaska!
