Here’s what you should know before visiting Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in Alaska.
Thats a fact I learned quickly on my June 2024 visit.
It lies over 200 miles northeast of Anchorage, near theYukon territoryborder.
View of Mount Sanford in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.Credit:Alan Majchrowicz/Getty Images
You have a few options for visiting Wrangell-St. Elias.
The southern and most-visited stretch that I visited, the Kennecott District, has two main areas.
Kennecott offers a mix of ghost-town dwellings, historic attractions, and trails.
Road leading towards the Wrangell-St. Elias mountain range.Nathaniel Gonzales/Getty Images
Stay here for quaint hotels, inventive restaurants, and a general storenot to mention Wrangell-St. Elias signature seclusion.
Its a place where natures raw power and beauty stop you in your tracks.
Spectacular doesnt even begin to cover it.
Mountain landscape in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.Jose Gomez Photography/Getty Images
After the visitor center, located on Highway 4, Wrangell-St. Elias adventures turn wilder.
That means you cant see everything, or evencloseto everything, in one visit.
I recommend choosing one district or one specific long-distance adventure, then promising yourself youll come back.
Snow-capped mountains in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.Claus Cramer/500px/Getty Images
(Ive visited once, and its already on my list to return to.)
Speaking of wildlife, Wrangell-St. Elias lies in the heart of bear country.
(Read more onwhat to do if you hit a bearon the NPS website.)
A plane in the glacier ice fields of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.Joseph Sohm/Getty Images
If youre visiting in the summer, be ready for mosquitoesand a lot of them.
Theyre at their worst from late June through July.
That way you have access to maps, attractions, and logistical information in areas without cell service.
A couple hiking in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.cweimer4/Getty Images
During this period, most services and facilities are open.
Hill says late July into early August is her favorite time in the park.
Mosquitoesdepending on the yearstart to ease up, and the landscapes remain every bit as breathtaking.
Exterior of Ultima Thule Lodge.Arturo Polo Ena/Ultimate Thule Lodge
The park stays light at all hours, with the longest day on summer solstice.
Best Things to Do
Joseph Sohm/Getty Images
Go backpacking.
Some of the most popular backpacking routes off of McCarthy Road include the alpineDixie Pass, which overlooks Mt.
Blackburn, and theNugget Creek Trail, which ends at a public-use cabin (reservation required).
For an even more intrepid backpacking trip, fly in and out of the backcountry.
Options include theGoat Trailtraverse orSolo Creek to Chisanaboth are around 25 miles and require expert backcountry skills.
For beginner to intermediate backpackers, consider a guiding service, such asSt.
Elias Alpine Guides, to safely adventure through the wilderness.
Camp on Root Glacier.
The two-day trip covers around 10 to 15 miles, depending on how far you hike out to camp.
Tour the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark.
A visit to the Kennecott Mine provides a glimpse into early 20th-century copper mining history.
It takes around two hours to visit the Kennecott Mine, andSt.
Elias Alpine Guidesis the exclusive concessionaire.
Go ice climbing.
Ice ascents are another great way to soak up Root Glaciers splendor, says Hill.
This adventure, run through outfitters likeKennicott Wilderness Guides, takes a full day.
Try rafting.
Another one of Hills favorite backcountry adventures is rafting.
Elias Alpine Guidesoffers this trip.
The guides not only navigate the rapids with ease but also whip up a riverside meal.
To top it all off?
Go flightseeing.
Its hard to grasp the scale of Wrangell-St. Elias on land.
Blackburn or the cliff-perched Erie Mine.
Longer flights, such as the 90-minute BagleyUniversity Range Tour, take you even deeper into the park.
The Root Glacier and Erie Mine Trail from Kennecott is a great way to enjoy it by day.
Its an easy to moderate jaunt, with views across the ice and out toward Mt.
Bonanza Mine Trail
The Bonanza Mine Trail is another Kennecott-area adventure.
It totals nine miles round-trip, starting from Kennecott Mill Town.
Blackburn are well worth the lactic acidas is reaching your mountaintop turnaround point, the abandoned Bonanza Mine.
This is another one of Hill’s favorite Wrangell-St. Elias adventures.
Its a hands-on hike through history, geology, and breathtaking scenery all in one.
Its located at mile 19.5 on the Nabesna Road in the parks northern stretch.
Keep your eyes on the trail for wolf, bear, or moose tracks while you trek.
The alpine route, which typically takes around eight to 10 hours out-and-back, begins at mile 29.8.
Iceberg Lake
Hill also recommends a fly-in hike to Iceberg Lake from McCarthy, available throughSt.
Its a restored boarding house from the 1920s with 20 rooms decked in artifacts from McCarthy and Kennecott.
Guest bathrooms here are shared.
The lodge, reachable via tiny flight from McCarthy, lies on a glacier river.
The property is located at mile 28 on the Nabesna Road.
It has nine cabins and yurts flanked by tranquil forests.
The property also prioritizes sustainability, with solar panels, a windmill, and an on-site greenhouse.
The chefs work with local ingredients, such as Copper River red salmon, as much as possible.
The Potato
For tasty post-trail comfort food in McCarthy, head to local favoriteThe Potato.
