Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, United States

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve Travel Guide

Today in the United States: Confederate Memorial Day (10 May)

Trek Zone

Unesco • National park

Facts and practical information

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is a breathtaking destination located in the Alaska region of the United States. Covering an expansive area of over 13 million acres, it is the largest national park in the country, offering visitors a truly immersive wilderness experience.

Nature enthusiasts will be in awe of the park's diverse landscapes, which include towering mountains, massive glaciers, and winding rivers. The park is home to nine of the sixteen highest peaks in the United States, including the iconic Mount St. Elias, which stands at an impressive 18,008 feet. Hiking and mountaineering opportunities abound, allowing adventurous travelers to explore the rugged beauty of the park's vast wilderness.

One of the highlights of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is its numerous glaciers. These majestic ice formations, such as the Root Glacier and the Kennicott Glacier, offer visitors a chance to witness the raw power of nature up close. Guided glacier hikes and ice climbing adventures are available for those seeking a thrilling and unique experience.

The park is also rich in cultural history, with remnants of past civilizations scattered throughout its vast expanse. The historic mining town of Kennecott, nestled within the park, provides a glimpse into the region's mining heritage. Visitors can explore the well-preserved buildings and learn about the area's fascinating past.

For wildlife enthusiasts, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is a haven. The park is home to a variety of animals, including grizzly bears, moose, wolves, and Dall sheep. Birdwatchers will delight in the diverse bird species that can be spotted, including bald eagles and peregrine falcons. Capture stunning photographs of these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat.

Alternative names: Established: 1978 (46 years ago)Unesco: from 1979Area: 13005.06 mi²Visitors per year: 79.5 thous.Elevation: 2205 ft a.s.l.Coordinates: 61°8'43"N, 142°18'43"W

Location

AlaskaUnited States

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Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve Top Attractions

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve Attractions - What to See and Explore

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve offers many attractions and places to visit. Here are the most important ones: Chitina Tin Shop, Saint Elias Mountains, Joshua Green Peak, Kennecott Visitor Center. Below you will find a complete list of places worth visiting.

Museum • Art museum
Chitina Tin Shop
The Chitina Tin Shop, also known as Fred's Place and Schaupp's, is a historic retail building on Main Street in Chitina, Alaska. It is a wood-frame structure, two stories in height, with a flat-topped false front in front of a gable roof. The building is 17 feet wide and 33 feet deep.
Nature • Natural attraction • Mountain
Saint Elias Mountains
The Saint Elias Mountains are a subgroup of the Pacific Coast Ranges, located in southeastern Alaska in the United States, Southwestern Yukon and the very far northwestern part of British Columbia in Canada. The range spans Wrangell-St.
Mountain
Joshua Green Peak
Joshua Green Peak is a 7,135-foot mountain summit located at the western edge of the Saint Elias Mountains, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated in Wrangell-St.

61°29'6"N • 142°53'17"W
Kennecott Visitor Center
Park
Nature • Natural attraction • Volcano
Mount Jarvis
Mount Jarvis is an eroded shield volcano in the Wrangell Mountains of eastern Alaska. It is located in Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park about 10 miles east of the summit of Mount Wrangell.
Mountain
Ultima Thule Peak
Ultima Thule Peak is a 10,900+ ft glaciated mountain summit located in the Saint Elias Mountains of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, in the U.S. state of Alaska.
Nature • Natural attraction • Natural feature
Nabesna Glacier
Nabesna Glacier is a glacier in the U.S. state of Alaska. Fed by deep snowfall in the Wrangell Mountains, the 53 mile long Nabesna is the longest valley glacier in North America and the world's longest interior valley glacier.
Island
Haenke Island
Haenke Island is an island located in Disenchantment Bay in Alaska. It was named in 1791 by Alessandro Malaspina for Thaddäus Haenke, who was serving as botanist and naturalist with Malaspina's expedition. The island is part of Yakutat City and Borough.
Nature • Natural attraction • Fjord
Icy Bay
Icy Bay is a body of water in Southeast Alaska, formed in the last 100 years by the rapid retreat of the Guyot, Yahtse, and Tyndall Glaciers. It is part of the Wrangell-Saint Elias Wilderness.
Nature • Natural attraction • Mountain
Mount Cook
Mount Cook is a high peak on the Yukon Territory-Alaska border, in the Saint Elias Mountains of North America. It is approximately 15 miles southwest of Mount Vancouver and 35 miles east-southeast of Mount Saint Elias.
Nature • Natural attraction • Mountain
University Peak
University Peak is a high peak in the Saint Elias Mountains of Alaska. It is one of the twenty highest peaks in Alaska, and one of the fifty highest peaks in the United States. It can be considered a southern outlier of the large massif of Mount Bona.
61°30'55"N • 144°26'10"W
Copper River and Northwestern Railway Bunkhouse and Messhouse
The Copper River and Northwestern Railway Bunkhouse and Messhouse are historic railroad worker facilities on Third Street in Chitina, Alaska. The messhouse is a single-story wood-frame structure with a hip roof, measuring 26 by 30 feet.
Nature • Natural attraction • Natural feature
Barnard Glacier
Barnard Glacier is a 53-km-long glacier in the U.S. state of Alaska. It trends southwest to the Chitina River east of Hawkins Glacier, 64 km southeast of McCarthy in the Saint Elias Mountains.
Nature • Natural attraction • Mountain
Mount Miller
Mount Miller is an isolated peak of the Saint Elias Mountains in Alaska, United States. It is notable for its position among spectacular icefields, its distance from any inhabited place, and its large rise above local terrain.
Nature • Natural attraction • Natural feature
Hawkins Glacier
Hawkins Glacier is a 22-mile-long glacier in the U.S. state of Alaska. It trends southwest from Mount Bona to its terminus at the Chitina River west of Barnard Glacier, 37 miles southeast of McCarthy.
Nature • Natural attraction • Natural feature
Kuskulana Glacier
The Kuskulana Glacier is a glacier in the Wrangell Mountains of Alaska. The Kuskulana Glacier trends southwest 24 km from Mount Blackburn to its terminus at the head of Kuskulana River, 46 km northwest of McCarthy in the Wrangell Mountains.
62°23'52"N • 142°59'46"W
Kansky's
Kansky's, also known as Kanski's, Big Skookum, and Devil's Mountain Lodge, is a former boarding house, now used as a hunting lodge, located at mile 42 of the Nabesna Road in Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve of eastern Alaska.
Neighbourhood
Chisana
Chisana is a census-designated place in the Copper River Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2010 Census, the population of the CDP was 0.
Neighbourhood
Kennecott
Kennecott, also known as Kennicott and Kennecott Mines, is an abandoned mining camp in the Copper River Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska that was the center of activity for several copper mines.

Day trips

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve – popular in the area (distance from the center)

In the vicinity of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, it's worth seeing attractions such as: Donoho Peak (Wrangell–Saint Elias Wilderness), Fireweed Mountain, Porphyry Mountain (McCarthy).

36 milesNW
Nature, Natural attraction, Mountain
Donoho Peak, Wrangell–Saint Elias Wilderness
Donoho Peak is a 6,696-foot-elevation mountain summit located in the Wrangell Mountains, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated in Wrangell-St.
35 milesNW
Mountain
Fireweed Mountain
Fireweed Mountain is a prominent 6,956-foot mountain summit located in the Wrangell Mountains, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated in Wrangell-St.
28 milesNW
Mountain
Porphyry Mountain, McCarthy
Porphyry Mountain is a prominent 6,375-foot mountain summit located in the Wrangell Mountains, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated in Wrangell-St.
45 milesNW
Nature, Natural attraction, Volcano
Regal Mountain, Wrangell–Saint Elias Wilderness
Regal Mountain is an eroded stratovolcano or shield volcano in the Wrangell Mountains of eastern Alaska. It is located in Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park about 19 mi east of Mount Blackburn, the second highest volcano in the United States, and southeast of the massive Nabesna Glacier.
25 milesNE
Nature, Natural attraction, Volcano
Mount Bona, Wrangell–Saint Elias Wilderness
Mount Bona is one of the major mountains of the Saint Elias Mountains in eastern Alaska, and is the fifth-highest independent peak in the United States. It is either the tenth- or eleventh-highest peak in North America. Mount Bona and its adjacent neighbor Mount Churchill are both large ice-covered stratovolcanoes.