Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Copper Center, AK
the Wrangell Mountains, AK
A national park bigger than some countries, where four mountain ranges collide in a wilderness of ice and rock, guarded by the red ruins of a legendary copper mine.
Wrangell-St. Elias is national park on a scale that is hard to grasp. At more than 13 million acres it is by far the largest in the country, big enough to swallow Yellowstone many times over, and it sits at a great crossroads of mountains where four ranges come together. Here stand some of the highest peaks in North America, including Mount St. Elias, and glaciers so vast that a single one can be larger than a small state. It is a wilderness of ice, rock, and sky almost beyond measure.
For all its immensity, the park has a human heart at McCarthy and Kennecott. Deep in the mountains at the end of a long gravel road, the striking red buildings of the abandoned Kennecott copper mill climb a hillside above the Root Glacier, a ghost of one of the richest copper strikes in history. From the funky little town of McCarthy nearby, visitors set out to tour the mill, walk on the glacier, and take in a scale of country found almost nowhere else.
What Guests Love
- The sheer scale of the largest national park in the country
- Towering volcanic and glaciated peaks in every direction
- The historic red buildings of the Kennecott copper mine
- Walking on the Root Glacier and exploring the town of McCarthy
Worth Knowing
- Two long gravel roads, the McCarthy and Nabesna roads, are the only vehicle routes in; they are slow, so allow plenty of time
- Most of the park is trailless wilderness reached by bush plane; the McCarthy and Kennecott area is the main hub for visitors
- Services are limited and seasonal, mostly summer, so come prepared and fuel up before the drive in
- Weather and river conditions change fast in the mountains, so check ahead and dress for cold and rain
Details
the Wrangell Mountains, AK
Learn about Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Mountains and glaciers without end
The park is built of superlatives. Nine of the sixteen highest peaks in the United States rise within it, crowned by Mount St. Elias at over 18,000 feet, and enormous ice fields feed glaciers that grind down the valleys in frozen rivers miles wide. Some, like the Malaspina, spread out at the coast in ice lobes larger than entire states.
Much of this is true wilderness, without roads or trails, reached only by small plane or on foot. That remoteness is the point: Wrangell-St. Elias preserves a piece of the earth on a scale that lets mountains, glaciers, and rivers behave as they have for ages, with barely a mark of people across most of its vast expanse.
Kennecott, McCarthy, and the Root Glacier
In the early twentieth century, one of the richest copper deposits ever found drew a mill and company town deep into these mountains at Kennecott. When the copper ran out, the town was abandoned almost overnight, and its tall red mill buildings still stand against the mountainside, now preserved as a haunting National Historic Landmark visitors can tour.
Just down the road, the small town of McCarthy serves as the friendly base for it all. From here, easy trails lead out onto the Root Glacier for guided walks among its blue ice and meltwater pools, and flightseeing trips lift off to reveal the park's staggering scope. The mix of frontier history and raw mountain wilderness makes McCarthy and Kennecott the unforgettable core of a visit.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near the Wrangell Mountains
Kennecott Mill Town
At the end of the McCarthy Road
The preserved red buildings of a historic copper mill climbing a hillside above the Root Glacier, tourable as a National Historic Landmark.
McCarthy
About 5 miles from Kennecott
A tiny, characterful town deep in the park, the base for glacier walks, mine tours, and flightseeing into the mountains.
Root Glacier
A short hike from Kennecott
An accessible glacier reached by trail, where guided walks explore its blue ice, crevasses, and meltwater streams.