Wrangell St. Elias National Park Map

by Aakash singh August 16, 2023

August 16, 2023

The following content on Wrangell—St. Elias National Park is licenced from National Geographic's Guide to National Parks of the United States (9th Edition).

BY FAR THE LARGEST NATIONAL PARK—nearly six times the size of Yellowstone—Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve could be the closest thing we’ll ever have to Shangri-La. It’s a landscape protected by mountains, where glaciers flow through streaks of earth, and where nature’s work—the click of a mountain goat’s hoof, the sniff of a bear checking the wind—goes on with almost no one to hear or see it.

Alaska

Established December 2, 1980

13,188,000 Acres

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One of the park’s glaciers, the Malaspina, is larger than Rhode Island. The gigantic park contains four mountain ranges, with nine of the highest peaks in North America, including Mount St. Elias, at 18,009 feet. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Glacier Bay National Park, Canada’s Kluane National Park, and the trans-border Tatshenshini– Alsek parks, make up a 24,300,000- acre UNESCO World Heritage site.

How to Visit

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The best way to see the park depends on time, experience, and budget. The easy way in is on the McCarthy Road or the Nabesna Road. Both go a little ways into the park. To see the deeper country, you’ll need a horse, a guide, or a pilot. Flight-seeing here is one of the great Alaska experiences.

Information

How to get there

Wrangell–St. Elias has two road access points: the main one, the McCarthy Road, is outside Copper Center. The road is rough but passable. Rougher still, though passable in a passenger vehicle, is Nabesna Road, the other road access point. It can be picked up at the Slana Ranger Station, 75 miles northeast of Copper Center.

When to go

The park is open year-round; outside summer months, though, it’s a destination only experienced winter campers should try. Be prepared for abrupt temperature changes any time of year.

Visitor Centers

The main visitor center and park headquarters is in Copper Center, about 200 scenic miles from Anchorage and 250 less scenic miles from Fairbanks. The visitor center (907-822-7250) is open April through Oct. The Kennecott Visitor Center (907-554-1105), in McCarthy, is open Memorial Day to Labor Day

Headquarters

P.O. Box 439 Mile 106.8 Richardson Highway Copper Center, AK 99573 nps.gov/wrst 907-822-7250

Camping

You can camp almost anywhere in the park except on private property in and around McCarthy. No permit needed, but it is wise to register your itinerary with park officials. The park’s 14 very basic cabins, scattered around the park, are hike- or fly-in.

Lodging

The park’s full-service lodgings, including several concessioner-run B&Bs, are mainly in McCarthy; Kennicott has the Kennicott Glacier Lodge (kennicottlodge.com; 800-582- 5128). Around the edges of the park, the towns of Glennallen and Copper Center offer motels. For more information, visit coppervalleychamber.com.

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About the Guide

National Geographic Guide to National Parks of the United States 9th Edition

Bask in the spectacular beauty, thrilling terrain, and quiet peacefulness of the country’s finest state parks, hand- picked by park directors and National Geographic editors. This fully updated fifth edition includes 750 additional off- the-beaten track destinations. Beautifully written descriptions tell the stories of the parks, from their wildlife, natural features, and history to their most popular current activities such as hiking, biking, horseback riding, water sports, and rock climbing. Vivid images inspire your next getaway, while detailed information–including 32 detailed maps highlighting sites, trails, campgrounds, and more– helps you plan your next excursion. From free to low-cost, from Florida to Alaska, from the six-acre lao Valley to the 204,000-acre Baxter, use this essential guide to plan a day visit or a weekend escape.