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Distance from Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center and:
Fairbanks = 259 mi / 416 km
Valdez = 105 mi / 169 km
This park is incredibly large and there are two ways to access the interior by ground. The first is The Nebesna road, the turn-off located on the Glenn Highway at Slana (between
Glennallen and Tok). The route extends 46 miles from Slana to Nabesna and will take you into the parks northern portion. The Ranger Station for this route is located at
Slana, and can provide you with information on accessing the park from here.
The second and more popular route is the McCarthy Road, located 17 miles
south of Glennallen on the Richardson Highway. This road heads 95 miles into the park through the small town of Chitina and on to the community of McCarthy/Kennicott. The park Visitors Center for this route is located 8 miles south of Glennallen just off the Richardson Highway. Parks Highway can take you directly there from Anchorage, Fairbanks, or
Valdez.
Most car rental companies will NOT allow you to take their vehicles on either of these very rugged, yet scenic gravel roads. However, you may travel the 93 miles to the Kennicott River with the Backcountry Connection, The Connection departs Glennallen daily at 7:00 am for $99 Return. From here, the only access to McCarthy and adjacent Kennicott (the old copper mining district) is via a footbridge across the river. Once across the footbridge, it is just a short walk, (or van ride) to the town of McCarthy. A different option is to fly from Chitina or Glennallen with Wrangell Mt. Air. They depart McCarthy & Chitina twice daily. One way for $75 and Return $140. Call 1-800-478-1160 or E-mail for more information or brochure.
A
t 13.2 million acres this is by far the largest national park on Earth. A "Mountain Kingdom", Wrangell-St. Elias is where three huge mountain ranges come together. Nine of the continents tallest peaks are found here including 18,000 ft. Mt. Elias, the second tallest mountain in the United States. There are only two roads that penetrate into the park and virtually no established trails. All
these work together to keep all but the most motivated visitors away. Though Wrangell-St. Elias is unbelievably rugged and remote it is certainly not impossible to get to and extremely rewarding once you do.
T
he heart of this vast expanse is the National Historic Site of Kennicott located at the end of the McCarthy road. Kennicott was a copper mine during the early part of the
century, operated by Kennicott Copper Co. in New York. It was the richest copper mine in the world until it closed in 1938. The town of McCarthy, (5 miles distant) was built by the company in 1910.
T hose willing to take the time and effort to reach this vast untouched wilderness will be rewarded with an experience that rivals that of Denali. With all of the wilderness activities you'd find in Denali - backpacking, flight seeing, whitewater rafting, or glacier hiking, you will not find the crowds. Only a fraction of the number who visit Denali make it to this jewel. Once here, you may want to camp in one of the local campgrounds, or stay at the Kennicott Hostel, complete with a sauna, or start your backcountry adventure with a hike up to Kennicott Glacier. For much more information on this area, including fees, facilities, trails, conditions, even jobs, contact the National Park Service PO Box 439 Copper Center, Ak 99573 Ph: 907-882-5234. or visit Wrangell-St. Elias.
Wrangell-St. Elias Park Headquarters
(907) 822-5234 open 8am - 6pm daily in summer.
Slana Ranger Station
(907) 822-5238 open 8am - 5pm daily in summer. Lots of information about the park, topo maps, hikes, trails and much more.
Chitina Ranger Station
(907) 823-2205 open 8am - 6pm in summer.
Kennicott Hostel
(907) 554-4441 in winter (907) 479-6822.
Huck Hobbits Homestead
(907) 822-3196 in Slana rents cabin bunks for $15 and tent sites for $2.50.
McCarthy's
Lancaster Hostel and Lodge 907-554-4402