Wrangell - St Elias National Park & Preserve guide · 1 min read
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.
It serves as the headquarters complex for the park and is the best place to begin a visit. Spread across the grounds are picnic tables, restrooms, an amphitheater and a theater, along with a park store, an exhibit hall and the Ahtna Cultural Center.
Indoors, the park film and a 3D map give a quick overview of the park, and ranger-led talks are offered as well. Rangers can also speak with you about park conditions and the roads, which is useful if you plan to continue toward McCarthy and Kennecott. Since the visitor center sits just outside the park boundary, getting in from here takes either a flight or a drive of at least an hour one way to Chitina, where McCarthy Road continues into the park.
Two short loops begin near the visitor center. The Boreal Forest Trail is an easy half-mile loop that threads through the woods around the grounds and offers views of the Wrangell Mountains. The Copper River Bluff Trail is a half-mile loop of moderate difficulty that takes you to a viewpoint over the Copper River, with the Wrangell Mountains rising beyond it.
Both trails are short, so they fit easily before or after a stop inside. Together they give a first look at the Wrangell Mountains and the Copper River Valley landscape around the park's headquarters. Visitors heading deeper into the park can use the rangers' advice on road conditions before setting out.
