Wrangell St.
Elias National Park
The
largest of the national parks in the United States, Wrangell St. Elias
National Park is the most remote of Alaska’s parks and offers
unique opportunities for an off-the-beaten-path experience. Highlights include
the Bagley Icefield; Hubbard, Nabesna and Malaspina Glaciers; Mt. Wrangell and
Mt. St. Elias, and the convergence of four major mountain ranges. The abandoned
Kennicott copper mine in the park interior is an increasingly popular destination
and is a National Historic Landmark. The high-grade copper ore of the Kennicott
mine was among the nation’s richest deposits ever found in the twentieth
century. The impressive structures that remain at the mill site and mines represent
an ambitious time of exploration and discovery in Alaska.
Transportation
Wrangell St. Elias National Park is accessible by aircraft, and by car
on two state-maintained roads. From Anchorage, the park is accessible via the
Glenn Highway (Alaska Highway 1). At Glennallen, the Glenn Highway meets the
Richardson Highway, which skirts the park's western boundary en route to Valdez,
a coastal city served by the state ferry system. The Tok Cutoff coming south
from the Alaska Highway borders the northwestern corner of the park. From these
highways, two unpaved roads penetrate the park. High clearance, two wheel drive
vehicles usually can make the trip in summer.
Lodging
We recommend the Copper
River Princess Wilderness Lodge located at mile 102 of the Richardson Highway.
Featuring spectacular mountain views and breathtaking scenery of the Wrangell-St.
Elias National Park, the Copper River Princess is situated on 200 acres at the
junction of the Klutina and Copper Rivers. This premier Lodge features 85 rooms
and suites with either mountain or forest views; a two-level dining area with
excellent mountain and valley views; and the focal point of the Lodge- the Wrangell
Room- with a staircase that takes you to the mezzanine level where you can relax
and enjoy the majestic scenery provided by a two story wall of windows. Located
just four miles from the Wrangell-St. Elias visitor's center, this true wilderness
retreat offers a host of outdoor activities to explore the area with an array
of excursions.
Activities
As the most remote and least developed of Alaska’s national parks, Wrangell
St. Elias National Park is perfect for wilderness-oriented, self-guided activities.
Besides sightseeing, major activities include backpacking, hiking, camping,
hunting, fishing, mountaineering, river rafting, and sea kayaking in protected
bays. Opportunities to view wildlife abound in Wrangell St. Elias. The park
contains one of the larges concentrations of Dall sheep in North America, and
other large mammals include mountain goats, caribou, moose, brown bear, black
bear and bison. Located in the heart of the Park is the historic mining town
of Kennicott. River rafting trips on the Gulkana River and spectacular flightseeing
tours are also available. These activities are easily booked at the tour desk
at the Copper Center
Princess Wilderness Lodge during your stay.
For more information on
Wrangell St. Elias National Park we suggest you visit the National
Park Service web site for Wrangell
St. Elias National Park.
More
Alaska Parks
Big Delta State Historical Park,
Caines Head State Recreation Area,
Chena River State Recreation Area,
Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve,
Chugach State Park,
Denali National Park,
Denali State Park,
Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park,
Gates Of The Arctic National Park,
Glacier Bay National Park,
Independence Mine State Historical Park,
Kachemak Bay State Park,
Katmai National Park,
Kenai Fjords National Park,
Kenai River Special Management Area,
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park,
Kobuk Valley National Park,
Lake Clark National Park,
Nancy Lake State Recreation Area,
Shuyak Island State Park,
Totem Bight State Historical Park,
Wood-Tikchik State Park,
Wrangell - St Elias National Park,
Yukon - Charley Rivers National Preserve
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