This Is the Largest Nationwide Park within the U.S.

• Wrangell-St. Elias Nationwide Park and Protect is the biggest nationwide park in the US. 
• Right here, you possibly can camp on Root Glacier, go to deserted mines, and hike by way of the wilderness. 
• Summer season is the most effective time to go to, with nice climate and wildflower blooms. 

Overnighting on a glacier is just not your common tenting journey—then once more, Wrangell-St. Elias is just not your common nationwide park. That’s a truth I discovered shortly on my June 2024 go to.

I traveled to Wrangell-St. Elias Nationwide Park and Protect in Alaska for the prospect to take pleasure in summer time solstice and the park’s around-the-clock midnight solar from a scenic sheet of ice. The tour is one in all many, many adventures you possibly can have within the nation’s largest nationwide park.

Wrangell-St. Elias’ amalgam of sprawling glaciers, snowy peaks, and remoted boreal forests is roughly six occasions as huge as Yellowstone. It lies over 200 miles northeast of Anchorage, close to the Yukon territory border. Like most of the world’s grandest outside locations, it takes a tiny bush aircraft or pot-holed street journey to succeed in the park’s treks and trails.

You’ve just a few choices for visiting Wrangell-St. Elias. Within the north’s Nabesna District, there’s the less-trodden Nabesna Highway, a rugged 42-mile route that results in trails, campgrounds, and a distant wilderness lodge.

The southern and most-visited stretch that I visited, the Kennecott District, has two major areas. Kennecott affords a mixture of ghost-town dwellings, historic points of interest, and trails. The city of McCarthy, the place I bookended my Root Glacier tenting journey, seems to be straight out of the Outdated West. Keep right here for quaint resorts, creative eating places, and a normal retailer—to not point out Wrangell-St. Elias’ signature seclusion.

“Even within the coronary heart of McCarthy and the historic Kennecott, that sense of remoteness lingers,” mentioned wilderness information Tessa Hill, who led my tenting journey on the Root Glacier. “Gaze north and also you’ll be met by two big glaciers on the horizon, with the world’s second-largest icefall tumbling into view. It’s a spot the place nature’s uncooked energy and wonder cease you in your tracks. Spectacular doesn’t even start to cowl it.”

She’s proper. This panoramic marvel is one thing it’s a must to see to grasp, and on this information to visiting Wrangell-St. Elias Nationwide Park and Protect, you’ll discover all of the intel it’s good to plan the right journey.

Easy methods to Get There

The Wrangell-St. Elias Customer Heart is roughly 200 miles northeast from Anchorage or 250 miles south driving from Fairbanks. The freeway between the cities and parks is your common roadway, with gasoline stations, eating places, and the like.

After the customer heart, situated on Freeway 4, Wrangell-St. Elias adventures flip wilder. When you’re heading to the Kennecott District, you possibly can drive the 60-mile gravel McCarthy Highway from Chitina—however be prepared for low visibility, poor street situations, and loads of potholes. Alternatively, you possibly can fly into McCarthy from Chitina through backcountry bush aircraft service like Wrangell Mountain Air.

To succeed in the lesser-known Nabesna Distict, drive the 42-mile grime Nabesna Highway from the city of Slana on the park’s northern fringes. You may also discover extra of the backcountry with a flight into the Could Creek or Chisana airstrips.

When you’re aiming to go to the extraordinarily distant Yakutat District, situated alongside a bay within the park’s southeast nook, both take a ship or fly in from Seattle or Juneau on Alaska Airways.

Know Earlier than You Go

Wrangell-St. Elias Nationwide Park and Protect covers 13.2 million acres. Which means you possibly can’t see the whole lot, and even shut to the whole lot, in a single go to. I like to recommend selecting one district or one particular long-distance journey, then promising your self you’ll come again. (I’ve visited as soon as, and it’s already on my listing to return to.) When you’re going into the backcountry, it’s additionally sensible to rent a information to assist with navigation, native historical past, and wildlife security.

Talking of wildlife, Wrangell-St. Elias lies within the coronary heart of bear nation. Keep bear conscious, and ensure to learn up all on the native animal suggestions and guidelines, together with utilizing bear-resistant meals containers, protecting your distance, and reporting any encounters with the bruins. (Learn extra on what to do for those who encounter a bear on the NPS web site.)

When you’re visiting in the summertime, be prepared for mosquitoes—and a whole lot of them. I used to be surrounded by at the very least a dozen just about always, though they did ease up as soon as we bought out on the ice. Deliver bug spray, take into account a mosquito head internet, and put on lighter colours like khaki and white to dodge them. They’re at their worst from late June by way of July.

Earlier than you permit for the park, obtain the free NPS app and save the Wrangell-St. Elias park part for offline use. That manner you may have entry to maps, points of interest, and logistical info in areas with out cell service.

Greatest Time to Go to

The park is open year-round, however summer time, from round mid-Could to mid-September, sees the best visitation. Throughout this era, most companies and services are open. Hill says late July into early August is her favourite time within the park.

“The crowds start to skinny out, providing you with a extra intimate expertise with the park’s huge wilderness,” she says. “Mosquitoes—relying on the yr—begin to ease up, and the landscapes stay each bit as breathtaking. It’s the candy spot the place summer time remains to be in full swing, however you get a bit extra solitude to soak all of it in.”

Throughout summer time visits, from roughly early Could to late August, you possibly can expertise the midnight solar. The park stays mild in any respect hours, with the longest day on summer time solstice. True evening returns in late August, so a September journey to Wrangell-St. Elias might provide the likelihood to see the northern lights.

The park’s roads stay open throughout the winter; for those who go to then, be sure you have correct cold-weather gear and anticipate unhealthy street situations. These up for the journey can have the park largely to themselves, with alternatives for cross-country snowboarding, snowshoeing, and winter mountain climbing.

Greatest Issues to Do

Go backpacking.

Wrangell-St. Elias is a backpacker’s paradise with topographical treats at each flip, from colossal glaciers to thick, wildflower-dotted woodlands. Among the hottest backpacking routes off of McCarthy Highway embrace the alpine Dixie Move, which overlooks Mt. Blackburn, and the Nugget Creek Path, which ends at a public-use cabin (reservation required). For an much more intrepid backpacking journey, fly out and in of the backcountry. Choices embrace the Goat Path traverse or Solo Creek to Chisana—each are round 25 miles and require professional backcountry expertise. For newbie to intermediate backpackers, take into account a guiding service, reminiscent of St. Elias Alpine Guides, to soundly journey by way of the wilderness.

Camp on Root Glacier.

When you’re tight on time however desire a style of the Wrangell-St. Elias backcountry, strive tenting on Root Glacier like I did final June. The 2-day journey covers round 10 to fifteen miles, relying on how far you hike out to camp. You’ll begin from Kennecott on a forested grime path earlier than reaching the ice; from right here, it’s time for crampons earlier than setting off throughout the ivory expanse. Hiring a information is essential for this journey, as Hill helped me navigate across the ice’s hidden risks, like moulins.

Tour the Kennecott Mines Nationwide Historic Landmark.

A go to to the Kennecott Mine gives a glimpse into early Twentieth-century copper mining historical past. It takes round two hours to go to the Kennecott Mine, and St. Elias Alpine Guides is the unique concessionaire. On a tour, you possibly can see the 14-story mill and study what it was wish to stay and work right here.

Go mountaineering.

Ice ascents are one other good way to absorb Root Glacier’s splendor, says Hill. “You’ll hike out to the glacier, the place you possibly can scale blue ice partitions and even descend into dramatic moulins (vertical shafts carved by meltwater),” she says. This journey, run by way of outfitters like Kennicott Wilderness Guides, takes a full day.

Attempt rafting.

One other one in all Hill’s favourite backcountry adventures is rafting. “You begin on the Kennecott River and float down two completely different waterways, taking in epic views alongside the way in which,” she says, noting clothes shop St. Elias Alpine Guides affords this journey. “The guides not solely navigate the rapids with ease but in addition whip up a riverside meal. To prime all of it off? You’ll be picked up by a bush aircraft for a scenic flight over the McCarthy-Kennecott valley—the form of grand finale you received’t neglect.”

Go flightseeing.

It’s laborious to understand the size of Wrangell-St. Elias on land. That’s why a flightseeing tour above peaks, glaciers, and iceberg lakes is a must-do for any customer. Wrangell Mountain Air affords flights, reminiscent of a 50-minute Mile Excessive Cliff tour, the place the pilot explains park geology and factors out highlights like Mt. Blackburn or the cliff-perched Erie Mine. Longer flights, such because the 90-minute Bagley–College Vary Tour, take you even deeper into the park.

Greatest Hikes

Root Glacier/Erie Mine Path

There’s a cause I’ve talked about Root Glacier a number of occasions on this Wrangell-St. Elias information: It’s probably the most reachable glacier within the park, and it’s a scenic one at that. The Root Glacier and Erie Mine Path from Kennecott is a good way to take pleasure in it by day. The route is 4 miles round-trip for those who’re simply mountain climbing to the glacier, or eight miles in complete for those who’re heading to the Erie Mine’s tram cables. It’s a straightforward to average jaunt, with views throughout the ice and out towards Mt. Blackburn.

Bonanza Mine Path

The Bonanza Mine Path is one other Kennecott-area journey. It totals 9 miles round-trip, ranging from Kennecott Mill City. The journey is tough, with 3,800 toes of elevation acquire, however the views of the Chugach Mountains and Mt. Blackburn are properly well worth the lactic acid—as is reaching your mountaintop turnaround level, the deserted Bonanza Mine. That is one other one in all Hill’s favourite Wrangell-St. Elias adventures. Her recommendation? “Alongside the way in which, preserve your eyes peeled; you’ll probably spot chunks of copper-rich rock among the many scree,” she says. “It’s a hands-on hike by way of historical past, geology, and breathtaking surroundings multi functional.”

Caribou Creek Path

The six-mile Caribou Creek Path is a straightforward to average amble, with scenic vistas and colourful wildflowers including cheer to your journey. It’s situated at mile 19.5 on the Nabesna Highway within the park’s northern stretch. Preserve your eyes on the path for wolf, bear, or moose tracks whilst you trek.

Path Creek Path

One other Nabesna Highway go-to is the Path Creek Path, a six-mile one-way route that features creek mountain climbing, tundra ascents, and potential sheep sightings. The alpine route, which usually takes round eight to 10 hours out-and-back, begins at mile 29.8.

Iceberg Lake

Hill additionally recommends a fly-in hike to Iceberg Lake from McCarthy, obtainable by way of St. Elias Alpine Guides. “After a brief 2.5-mile trek by way of pristine wilderness, you arrive at an enormous glacially-fed lake the place the glacier itself often calves with a thunderous crash,” she says. “For these craving extra, we are able to proceed previous the lake to hidden sand dunes, cascading waterfalls, and much more glaciers tucked into the folds of the mountains.”

Locations to Keep

Ma Johnson’s Lodge

Ma Johnson’s Lodge takes you again in time by way of McCarthy historical past. It’s a restored boarding home from the Nineteen Twenties with 20 rooms decked in artifacts from McCarthy and Kennecott. Visitor loos listed below are shared.

Ultima Thule Lodge

When you’re in search of remoteness with a capital R, e book Ultima Thule Lodge, an lodging deep within the wilderness of Wrangell-St. Elias. The lodge, reachable through tiny flight from McCarthy, lies on a glacier river. Its 5 spacious cabins overlook snowy peaks and flower-freckled hillsides, and its house owners, the Claus household, supply adventures like mountain climbing, sandbar picnics, and fly-out excursions.

Wrangell Mountains Wilderness Lodge & Cabins

Go off-grid in Wrangell-St. Elias’ less-visited Nabesna District at Wrangell Mountains Wilderness Lodge & Cabins. The property is situated at mile 28 on the Nabesna Highway. It has 9 cabins and yurts flanked by tranquil forests. The property additionally prioritizes sustainability, with photo voltaic panels, a windmill, and an on-site greenhouse.

Kendesnii Campground

When you can take pleasure in primitive tenting on a backpacking journey, the park additionally affords a developed campground at mile 27.8 of Nabesna Highway. Kendesnii Campground, the one NPS campground within the park, has 10 tree-shaded campsites, plus lakefront picnic tables, hearth rings, loos, and trails.

The place to Eat

Salmon & Bear Restaurant

Chances are you’ll not look forward to finding fantastic eating in Alaska’s far-flung wilderness, however the Salmon & Bear Restaurant—winner of two Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence—places upscale foods and drinks inside simple attain. The McCarthy hang-out has 10 tables, with a rotating and delectable menu that features kimchi fried rice, wagyu sirloin steaks, and sockeye salmon. The cooks work with native substances, reminiscent of Copper River crimson salmon, as a lot as potential. Reservations are advisable.

The Potato

For tasty post-trail consolation meals in McCarthy, head to native favourite The Potato. The restaurant is lauded for its crispy fries—don’t miss the hand-cut rosemary garlic curly fries—and serves up a wide range of fresh-made fare like a hen fajita pita, cheesesteak, salmon roll, and lentil falafel.

Tok Thai

Pair your cease on the Wrangell-St. Elias Nationwide Park and Protect Customer Heart with a fast chunk at Tok Thai. This cash-only roadside restaurant serves the whole lot from spring rolls to noodles, together with pad Thai, with picnic benches to dine alfresco earlier than heading into the Alaskan wilderness.