Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, in south-central Alaska near the Canadian border, is the largest national park in the United States at over 13 million acres — roughly the size of six Yellowstones. It’s a park of superlatives: it contains four major mountain ranges, nine of the sixteen highest peaks in the U.S. (including 18,008-foot Mount St. Elias, the country’s second-tallest), and the Malaspina Glacier, one of the largest piedmont glaciers in North America.
Getting There
Unlike many national parks, Wrangell-St. Elias has no main entrance station or paved through-road. Most visitors reach the park via the 60-mile gravel McCarthy Road, which ends near the historic mining town of McCarthy and the well-preserved Kennecott copper mill, about a 5-hour drive from Anchorage. A shorter, less-visited route is the Nabesna Road in the park’s north. There is no entrance fee. Because of the remoteness, gas up, check tire spares, and expect limited cell service well before you arrive.
What to See and Do
The Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark, a cluster of red mill buildings from a defunct early-1900s copper operation, is the park’s most-visited spot and can be toured on your own or with a guided tour. From McCarthy and Kennecott, guided companies offer glacier hiking and ice climbing on the Root Glacier, as well as flightseeing over the icefields. The park also has over 150 miles of maintained trails plus extensive cross-country hiking, whitewater rafting, and backcountry camping for those equipped for true wilderness travel.
Wildlife and Landscape
Grizzly and black bears, wolves, moose, and Dall sheep are all found within the park, along with healthy salmon runs in its rivers. Indigenous Ahtna and Eyak peoples have lived in this region for thousands of years, and later Russian fur traders and gold and copper prospectors left their own mark, much of which is preserved around Kennecott.
When to Go
The park is accessible primarily from late May through mid-September; the McCarthy Road and most visitor services (shuttle, lodging, guided tours in McCarthy) operate only in this window. Winter travel is possible but is for experienced backcountry travelers only, since almost nothing is open and conditions are severe.
