Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Guide — The Biggest and Most Remote
The Scale Is Hard to Comprehend
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve covers 13.2 million acres. That is larger than Switzerland. Larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon combined. It contains nine of the sixteen highest peaks in the United States, more than 150 glaciers, and a wild coastline on the Gulf of Alaska that has never had a road built along it. And yet it receives only about 80,000 visitors per year — a fraction of what smaller, more accessible parks see. The reason is access: most of the park requires a small plane, a river crossing, or serious backcountry competence to reach.
Kennecott and McCarthy: The Accessible Core
The one practical road access point into the park is the McCarthy Road — a 60-mile gravel route that starts at Chitina on the Edgerton Highway and ends at the Kennecott River. From there, a footbridge crosses to the small town of McCarthy, and a further 5-mile road (only accessible by shuttle or foot — no private vehicle traffic) leads to Kennecott, a National Historic Landmark copper mining complex abandoned in 1938. The McCarthy Road is rough gravel with some narrow sections and is passable in most passenger vehicles but not recommended for low-clearance cars with narrow tires. Allow 2 to 2.5 hours from Chitina.
- McCarthy Road condition updates: wrangellstmccarthy.org — check before departure, especially in spring
- No services on McCarthy Road — carry a full-size spare, food, and fuel (nearest gas is Chitina)
- McCarthy to Kennecott shuttle: Runs regularly in summer, $8-10 each way
Root Glacier: Walk-On Glacier Access
Root Glacier is one of the most accessible glaciers in Alaska. From the Kennecott footbridge, a 2-mile trail through spruce forest leads to the glacier's edge. There is no fee, no permit, and no guided tour required to walk onto the lower glacier's ablation zone — the flat, relatively stable ice surface near the terminus. Most visitors explore the first mile of ice independently, poking into meltwater channels and climbing pressure ridges. For crevassed upper glacier travel, St. Elias Alpine Guides in Kennecott offers half-day and full-day guided glacier hikes for $85 to $175 per person.
The Kennecott Mines
The Kennecott Mines are the best-preserved example of early 20th century industrial infrastructure in Alaska. The 14-story mill building dominates the landscape and is visible from the glacier trail. Guided tours of the National Historic Landmark run through Kennecott Glacier Lodge ($25 per adult) and include access to several building interiors not open to unguided visitors. The mine operated from 1903 to 1938, produced nearly $200 million in copper at the time, and was abandoned almost overnight when the ore veins ran out — tools still in place, buildings intact.
Nabesna Road: The North Side
The Nabesna Road enters the park from the north, starting near Slana on the Tok Cutoff highway. It runs 42 miles to the privately owned Nabesna gold mine and offers a completely different experience from the McCarthy side — open boreal forest, volcanic peaks, and almost no other visitors. The first 27 miles are maintained gravel suitable for most vehicles. Beyond mile 27, high clearance is required and the road is regularly closed by wet conditions. Several primitive camping spots are available along the road with no reservations needed.
Flightseeing: The Only Way to See Most of It
The vast majority of Wrangell-St. Elias is only visible by air. Wrangell Mountain Air based in McCarthy offers fixed-wing flights over the Bagley Icefield, Hubbard Glacier (the largest tidewater glacier in North America), and the main volcanic peaks. Flights range from 30-minute local loops ($120/person) to 3-hour grand circle tours of the entire park ($450/person). The Stairway Icefall and the Bagley Icefield alone — covering 1,200 square miles of continuous glacial ice — justify the cost. On clear days, these flights are transformative.
Backcountry Camping
Backcountry camping in Wrangell-St. Elias requires no permit and no registration, though the park strongly encourages visitors to leave a detailed trip plan with someone outside. Bear canisters or electric fence setups are required for camping in most areas. The park's Backcountry Information Center in Copper Center (on the Richardson Highway near Glennallen) and the ranger station in Chitina can provide current river crossing information and conditions. The Skolai Pass route and the Chitina River drainage are among the most traveled backcountry corridors, but "most traveled" here still means encountering other parties once or twice over several days.
The Scale Problem
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