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Wrangell-St. Elias National Park adventures

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Adventures

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska is the largest national park in the United States, offering vast wilderness, towering mountains, and diverse glacial landscapes for outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers.

13,175,799
Acres Protected
150+
Miles of Trails
86,000 (approximate)
Annual Visitors
1980
Year Established

About Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
 

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park spans over 13 million acres in southeastern Alaska, making it the largest national park in the U.S. The park encompasses a rugged landscape of towering peaks, massive glaciers, deep river valleys, and expansive tundra. It contains some of the highest mountains in North America, including Mount St. Elias, Mount Wrangell, and Mount Blackburn. The park is also part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its outstanding natural values. Ecologically, the park supports a range of wildlife such as brown bears, Dall sheep, caribou, wolves, and numerous bird species. Rich in mining history, the park surrounds the historic Kennecott Mines, once a major copper mining operation, which now serves as a popular visitor attraction. Outdoor recreation covers activities like hiking, mountaineering, flightseeing, backpacking, and glacier trekking. The park’s remote location means many visitors arrive by plane, small boat, or via long, unpaved roads, emphasizing solitude and wilderness experience. The diverse terrain includes wild rivers like the Copper and Nizina, providing opportunities for fishing and rafting. Visitors are drawn by the park's vast scale and dramatic landscapes, offering a true Alaskan wilderness adventure rarely matched elsewhere.

Highlights

Highlight

Mount St. Elias – Second tallest peak in the United States at 18,008 feet

Highlight

Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark – well-preserved early 20th-century copper mining town

Highlight

Root Glacier – accessible glacier for hiking and ice climbing near McCarthy

Highlight

Wrangell Mountains – a volcanic mountain range featuring active volcano Mount Wrangell

Notable Natural Features

Mount Wrangell

An active shield volcano standing at 14,163 feet, surrounded by a caldera and one of the most prominent peaks within the park.

Kennecott Mines

Historic, abandoned copper mining buildings and town maintained as a National Historic Landmark, accessible via hiking or flightseeing.

Malaspina Glacier

One of the world's largest piedmont glaciers, flowing from the park’s mountains onto the coastal plains.