Wrangell - St Elias National Park & Preserve guides
11 in-depth guides to Wrangell - St Elias National Park & Preserve, in reading order: what to see, how to get around, and what to know before you go. Back to the Wrangell - St Elias National Park & Preserve overview.
Driving the McCarthy Road to the Footbridge
The McCarthy Road runs about 60 miles of gravel from Chitina into the heart of the park. In the first few miles, pull-outs look over the meeting of the Chitina and Copper rivers, an easy first stop.
Timing Your Trip Around Rain and Early Snow
The best window for a visit to Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve runs from late May through mid-September, when daylight lasts long and the air runs from cool to warm.
Where Four Mountain Ranges Meet
Four distinct mountain ranges come together in this park: the Wrangell Mountains, the Saint Elias Mountains, the Chugach Mountains and the Alaska Range.
Mount Wrangell and the Park's Active Volcanoes
Mount Wrangell rises to 18,008 feet and ranks as the biggest volcano in the nation apart from those in Hawaii.
Hiking onto the Root Glacier
The Root Glacier is the most accessible glacier in Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve, which makes it a practical first step for anyone who wants to walk on ice.
Flightseeing the Bagley Icefield and Mount St. Elias
Parts of the Saint Elias and Chugach ranges are blanketed by the Bagley Icefield, the biggest nonpolar icefield on the continent.
Fishing Three Regions: Salmon to Arctic Grayling
Fishing in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve spans three sport fish regions of Alaska: the Southcentral Region, the Interior Region, and the Southeast Region.
Kennecott Mill Town and Its Copper Mines
High in the mountains of the park, the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark protects the land and buildings of an early 1900s copper mining operation.
Living Off the Land: Subsistence Traditions
Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve is a place where people have long lived off the land, and many still do.
Dall Sheep, Mountain Goats and Migrating Caribou
Dall sheep are one of the park's signature animals, with roughly 13,000 living here. Wrangell-Saint Elias supports one of the largest gatherings of them in North America.
Copper Center Visitor Center and Bluff Trails
The Copper Center visitor center sits along the Richardson Highway at mile 106.8, about 10 miles south of Glennallen.
