Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve
Mile 106.8 Richardson Highway, Copper Center, Alaska 99573About
Location :
Added by Jopie, at 16 December 2018
Description
Wrangell St. Elias, at 13.2 million acres, was specifically designated to encompass an area large enough to include a diverse range of scenery, high latitude biomes, and landscape level processes where man is considered an integral part of the ecosystem.
The Visitor Center Complex in Copper Center provides information about the entire park. View the park movie in the theater, enjoy the exhibits, speak with a park ranger, and gaze at the Wrangell Mountains from the bluff overlook. While you’re there, visit the Ahtna Cultural Center where you can learn about Ahtna culture through exhibits, artifacts, and personal stories. Winter hours: Monday-Friday 9am-4pm, closed federal holidays.
McCarthy/Kennecott:
Driving the McCarthy Road is an Alaskan adventure! Although maintained by the State of Alaska, the gravel surface makes for slow travel, and this 60-mile road usually takes two hours one way. Other hazards can make it even longer: heavy rain can make the road muddy and slippery, sharp rocks can cause flat tires, and narrow bridges make maneuvering large vehicles difficult. Under normal summer conditions, most two-wheel drive vehicles can make the trip, but be sure to carry at least one spare tire and an adequate jack. There is private land that adjoins many parts of the McCarthy Road, so please respect private property
At the end of the McCarthy road, all visitors must park their vehicles and use a foot bridge to cross the Kennicott River. Once across the bridge, you may continue on foot or choose to take a shuttle into the town of McCarthy or up to the Kennecott Mill Town, which is 5 miles away. During the winter, the Kennecott Shuttle is not in operation.
Once you reach Kennecott, be sure to visit the Kennecott Visitor Center. While you’re there, you can talk to a park ranger, pick up maps and brochures, or plan your backcountry wilderness excursion. There are several trails that originate from Kennecott, and rangers are available to recommend day hikes and answer questions. The visitor center is typically open late May through early September.
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12 Reviews
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02 April 2019
The towering mountains of the Wrangell Range have a secret they aren't normal mountains- they're volcanoes! This is Snider peak, the tiny (only 8,250 ft) volcanic dome on the much larger Mount Drum, just one of the many volcanoes in the Wrangell Volcanic Field, and typically visible from the Copper Center Visitor Center.
NPS KJP: Snider Peak through the telescope at the Copper Center Visitor center.
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21 March 2019
Are you ready for a historical experience? Join us this summer (Memorial Day through Labor day) to see our new exhibits on the walking tour around the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark!
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16 March 2019
WOMEN IN HISTORY Katie John is a woman that exemplifies the qualities of grit, determination, and perseverance. Katie's family grew up living in a subsistence lifestyle, fishing for salmon in the upper Copper River, near Batzulnetas on the Tanada Creek. In 1964 the newly designated state of Alaska closed this traditional fishing site. Through years of litigation, Katie John petitioned the state and the federal government to allow for traditional fishing at Batzulnetas.
As a result of her determination and vision, her name is synonymous in Alaska with rural subsistence rights. Katie is gone now, but her legacy lives on. She was an exceptional steward of her tribal traditions and was inducted into the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame in 2014 for her advocacy and leadership. jlh
Photo: Dr. Katie John with a fishwheel in Batzulnetas. Erik Hill / Anchorage Daily News.
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13 March 2019
Have you ever gone cross country skiing? What's your favorite place to ski? This time of year the weather is perfect for cross country skiing in the park! Get it while you can! In this video you can view the Root Glacier trail, the Kennicott Valley & Glacier, and the Chugach Mountain range to the south. jlh
Video by J. Hart: Cross country skier travels down a snow covered trail and spans out to view the Kennicott Valley below.
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26 February 2019
Are you ready for an Alaskan adventure? Join us this summer (mid-May through September) to see our new wayside exhibits along the bluff trail and through the Boreal forest around the Visitor Center at Copper Center!
NPS photos/illustrations - Harper's Ferry Center waysides. Boreal forest illustration: John Dawson. Winter home illustration: Eric Carlson.
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23 February 2019
What was it like being a Stampeder on the Old Valdez Trail? This trail spanned over 300 miles from the coastal port of Valdez to interior gold mines near Fairbanks. ⛏💰⛏ Even though the trail was very dangerous, it provided gold miners with an all-American route and avoided the tolls imposed at the Canadian border.
Stampeders often walked during the Alaskan winters (with temps regularly dropping to -50 F) in order to get to the mines in time for spring melt.
#wrangellstelias #findyourpark #mining #geology #stampeder #gold 💰⛏💰
NPS Photo: 1) Black and white photo of a man dragging a huge pack on a sled through the snow. 2) Map depicting the current route from Valdez- Fairbanks, a distance of over 300 miles 3) Three men in an old-style car that says “Fairbanks, Chitina, Valdez or BUST”.
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15 February 2019
One of the 13.2 million reasons that this park is so special It doesn’t just have fantastic geology. It doesn’t just have an active and unique indigenous community. It doesn’t just have endless opportunities for recreation and exploration, it has all of those things and more! Sea life, volcanic activity, mining history, fearless women leading daring lives into the last frontier #foundmypark
NPS Photo: The towering 14- story Kennecott Mill building from below.
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14 February 2019
Tag someone that you LOVE to explore Parks with or comment why you LOVE your Parks! We think Parks rock! #cornygeologyjokes 💕💚 NPS Photo KP: Two heart- shaped rocks with a greenery-covered bluff in the background.
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12 February 2019
Alaska is the perfect place to be inspired. Art in many forms, poetry, and lots of music 🎶 are born from this wilderness. Do you have a piece inspired by Wrangell-St. Elias that you’d like to share? Send it our way and we may post it to Facebook! wrst_info@nps.gov
NPS Photo: Mount Blackburn, shrouded in ice and clouds, with the Kennicott Glacier and moraines in front of it.
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02 February 2019
It is a bluebird day at 15 below zero! Winter days are getting longer and we are getting prepared for the summer season. Hope you have a nice day! NPS photo of snow covered mountains and a clear blue sky
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29 January 2019
We are back on social media!
Following the enactment of the continuing resolution, the National Park Service is preparing to resume regular operations. Even though the visitor centers remain closed throughout the winter, Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Preserve public lands are available, but access may be limited due to weather conditions.
NPS Photo: aerial view of the St Elias Mountains and Icy Bay
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23 December 2018
During the federal government shutdown, we will not monitor or update social media. Some areas in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve are accessible; however, access may change without notice, and there are no NPS-provided services. For more information, please see www.doi.gov/shutdown.
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