Wrangell-St. Elias is a vast national park that rises from the ocean all the way up to 18,008 ft. At 13.2 million acres, the park is the same size as Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Switzerland combined! Within this wild la...
Located on the Nabesna Road, this free camping area is the only National Park Service campground in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. It has 10 designated campsites, each with a picnic table and a fire ring. There are two vault toilets. Each site can accommodate a small to medium RV or other vehicles. It is free and open year-round on a first-come, first-served basis, but is not plowed during the winter so campsites may not be accessible. Reservations are not taken and are not required.
Copper River overlook with interpretive panel wayside
Visitor Center Complex - A Mosaic Landscape - Overlook and Wayside Panel. 2 ½ minutes.<br />Located along the bluff trail, about 90 feet (28 m) south from the "Violent Silhouettes" wayside panel and overlook, another angled metal wayside panel on the east side of the path offers a view of the wide, tree-covered Copper River valley to the Wrangell mountains beyond.<br />A color photograph fills the panel, showing a sea of trees with yellow and orange leaves in the foreground valley, interspersed with tall, Black and White spruce. The valley stretches across a wide expanse to a range of snow-capped mountains rising high into the clouds. Text at the top of the panel reads:<br /><br />A Mosaic Landscape<br />From a bird's eye view a mosaic of plant life covers the land. Climate conditions, soils, and past disturbances by fires and insects affect the patterns of plant growth. The greatest force influencing the boreal forest is fire. Distinct borders between stands of white spruce and aspen or paper birch indicate edges of previous fires. White spruce occupy well-drained valleys, uplands, and slopes. Black spruce colonize the poorly drained lowlands. Treeless areas-sand dunes, river bluffs, and flood plains-break the forest cover where soil development is poor or disturbance is frequent. Within the park's interior, trees begin to vanish as the elevation approaches 3,000 feet, soils thin and environmental conditions become harsher, creating a land barren of plants and covered by a perpetual blanket of ice and snow.<br /><br />At the base of the mountains in the center, on the far side of the valley, text reads:<br /><br />Alpine tundra is the plant life zone normally found at elevations above the treeline.<br />Retreating glaciers created scattered lakes by stranding blocks of ice. The ice made depressions in the landscape and melted, forming lakes.<br /><br />At the middle left, over a wide valley filled with orange and yellow trees dotted with green spruce, text reads:<br /><br />Quaking aspen and paper birch grow on ridgetops and south facing slopes. River flood plains are dominated by balsam poplar.<br /><br />At the center right, text continues:<br /><br />Fire occurs in forests every 50 to 100 years. The soil-enriched conditions following a fire favor the quick establishment of aspen and birch trees. <br /><br />Text at the center right reads:<br /><br />Black spruce grow in poorly drained and shallow or permanently frozen soils known as permafrost.<br /><br />Over a patch of green in the lower right corner, text reads:<br /><br />White spruce often occupy deep and well-drained soils.<br /><br />
Restrooms at the Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center complex are located at the south end of the visitor center parking lot. Once you park and walk towards the visitor center, they are in the first building on the left. They include multiple toilets, separated for both genders as well as a single handicapped room, which also has a baby diaper changing fold-down table.
Restrooms at the Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center complex are located at the south end of the visitor center parking lot. Once you park and walk towards the visitor center, they are in the first building on the left. They include multiple toilets, separated for both genders as well as a single handicapped room, which also has a baby diaper changing fold-down table.
The Ahtna Cultural Center, C'ek'aedi Hwnax 'Legacy House', is located next to the Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center and is operated by Ahtna Inc. There are Alaska Native exhibits, a hand-built fish wheel, a food cache and museum staff available to answer questions. Hours of operation vary - call before visiting. (907) 822-5955.
The Ahtna Cultural Center is located about 30 feet (9 m) northwest of the Theater building along the asphalt-paved Visitor Center Complex walkway. A triangular wooden arch with wooden beams, about 20 feet (6 m) high by 20 feet (6 m) across, hangs over a concrete pad entranceway. Moving about 15 feet (4.5 m) across the concrete porch area, a set of double metal and glass doors swing outward across a metal grate. Note a couple wooden Adirondack chairs to the left of the doors. Be mindful of the threshold as you cross from the concrete porch onto a carpeted floor inside the building. About 20 feet (6 m) further along the path past the cultural center building, a full-size Alaska Native wooden fish wheel is displayed outside. The eight-foot (2.5 m) wide apparatus stands about 12 feet (3.5 m) high by 15 feet (4.5 m) long. Set into a flowing river on log floats, two large, opposing, curved, shovel-like baskets are pushed and rotated by the water like an oversized pinwheel, scooping up salmon as they swim upstream. As the basket turns, the captured fish are shunted into a six-foot (2 m) wide by four-foot (1.25 m) deep rectangular holding box attached to the side of the wheel. From a position facing the fish wheel, turn around 180-degrees, and move to the other side of the asphalt path. Directly in front of you, note another wooden structure that appears like a small, windowless log cabin on six-foot (2 m) tall stilts with a small, wood log door on the front. This is a model of a food cache for storing nuts, dried foods, and meat over the winter, protecting it from bears and other wildlife. A full-size food cache would be two- to three-times as tall as the model, with inward slanting legs to deter climbing animals. People would have to use a ladder to climb up to a narrow platform in front of the door to access the cache.
Rangers can present programs overlooking the bluff and view of the Wrangell Mountains (weather permitting) while the audience sits on benches arranged in a small outdoor amphitheater.
About 100 feet (30 m) south along an asphalt path from either the back door of the visitor center or the Mosaic Landscape wayside panel, a four-foot (1.25 m) wide gravel path continues another 50 feet (15 m) south to the park amphitheater. From a vantage point high on the bluff, two rows of four, angled, eight-foot (2.5 m) wide wooden benches face east, looking across the Cooper River valley below to the Wrangell mountains beyond. There’s a roughly 10-foot (2.75 m) square gravel-covered open area at the front of the benches. Note the edge of the bluff falls off abruptly another 15 feet (4.5 m) forward. Throughout the summer season, the amphitheater is used for short educational talks and programs about Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, and the Copper Center area. A calendar of scheduled events at the amphitheater can also be obtained at the visitor center.
The 1/2-mile loop Boreal Forest Trail follows even terrain, though wheelchair-users may need assistance. The trail passes along the river bluff, then cuts through the forest, connecting to a section of the historic Valdez Trail, the first all-American route into interior Alaska. View interpretive panels along the bluff overlooks and through the forest.
About 150 feet (45 m) north along the asphalt bluff path from the Violent Silhouettes wayside panel and overlook, a color photograph fills an angled, metal wayside panel. Entitled, “Walk in the Steps of Pioneers,” it shows a narrow dirt path winding through the low, mossy underbrush of a forest of spruce trees. Note that about 30 feet (9 m) south of this location, a pair of long-range binoculars, mounted atop a five-foot (1.5 m) metal pole with a concrete base, offers stunning views of the valley and mountains to the east. Note a wooden bench on the opposite side of the path across from these binoculars. Text at the bottom left of the panel provides information about some of the easy hiking trails here at the Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center Complex. It reads: The 1/2-mile loop trail follows even terrain, though wheelchair-users may need assistance. The trail passes along the river bluff, then cuts through the forest, connecting to a section of the historic Valdez Trail, the first all-American route into interior Alaska. A transition begins here, though it’s not obvious. But walk a short distance and you’ll see an abruptness that marks the shift from one forest successional stage to the next. Still farther, you’ll walk in the steps of pioneers who brought about great change to this wild land. Please use caution as you travel through bear country. Leave cultural sites, plants, and animals undisturbed, for future generations to enjoy. A green inset map at the lower right shows your current location with a black, “You Are Here” marker, the location of the Visitor Center with a green marker, and the paths of the trails available from this location. The Boreal Forest Trail is indicated with a solid red line, the Valdez Trail with a dotted black line, and the Copper River Bluff Trail with a solid green line. Descriptions of each of the trails at the top right of the map read: The Boreal Forest Trail is a 1/2-mile loop, partly paved, with no elevation change. The Valdez Trail is a short segment of a historic trail, gravel, and easy to walk. The Copper River Bluff Trail is a 1/2-mile loop, gravel, moderately difficult, with some elevation change and a few steep sections. Further north along the trail, a color illustration fills the face of a second, angled metal wayside panel. Entitled, “The Boreal Forest,” it shows a number of the plants, animals, and geologic features of this ecosystem. There’s the small brown and white Swainson’s Thrush, the grey and white speckled Spruce Grouse, the Yellow-rumped Warbler with blue feather and small yellow patches, and the grey, brown, and red Boreal Chickadee. A brown and grey Snowshoe Hare huddles in the underbrush, in front of a large brown moose among the trees at the back. There’s a small wolverine-like creature at the lower left, the Pine Marten, with light to dark brown fur with cream- to yellow-colored "bib" markings on its throat. Pink-flowered Fireweed grows beside Feather Moss, Highbush Cranberry with broad, three-lobed leaves with serrated edges, and a small shrub with clusters of small, white flowers, Labrador Tea. Text at the top left reads: The boreal forest is the northernmost and largest forest ecosystem in the world. Extreme cold and a short growing season are the main environmental factors that shape this forest. In this region, the boreal forest is composed of stands of white and black spruce, aspen, balsam poplar, birch, alder, and willow. A young forest often has more deciduous trees and shrubs. As the forest matures, spruce trees begin to dominate. Over time, the accumulation of spruce needles on the forest floor creates a thick buildup of organic matter, which decomposes slowly. This thick organic layer, in concert with canopy shade, keeps ground temperatures cool, increasing the depth of the permafrost. Permafrost causes poorly drained soils and restricts the growth of deep root systems. Dense shade, thick organic matter, and cold moist soil result in low plant diversity and an often stunted looking forest. Is the forest here young or old? Do you notice the spongy ground with organic debris and mosses? At the left, text next to a drawing of a red squirrel clinging to the side of a tree reads: The red squirrel—the sentinel of the boreal woods—sends scolding alarms throughout the forest, tipping off other animals to intruders. A mat of orange and red scales blankets the forest floor near the squirrel. Text identifies it as a: Red Squirrel Midden Spruce cones scales form middens as red squirrels discard them and eat the extracted seeds. Squirrels cache winter food deep within the middens. A cluster of rust-colored spruce branches in the center is identified as: Spruce Broom Rust Kinnikinnick host the spruce broom rust fungus. Spores released from the fungus living on kinnikinnick enter the spruce tree, causing branch clustering, which provides habitat for squirrels and birds. Text over a cluster of green spruce branches at the right reads
Bremner is a glacier, river and mining camp within Wrangell-St Elias National Park. It is named after John Bremner, who in 1884-1885 was the first non-native person to live in the area and who prospected for gold along the Bremner River. Located just to the north of the Bremner River, it was the scene of an important placer gold discovery in 1902, and played a key role in the history of the Copper River Basin.
Bremner is a glacier, river and mining camp within Wrangell-St Elias National Park. It is named after John Bremner, who in 1884-1885 was the first non-native person to live in the area and who prospected for gold along the Bremner River. Located just to the north of the Bremner River, it was the scene of an important placer gold discovery in 1902 and played a key role in the history of the Copper River Basin. Only a few miners struck it rich, but the resulting demand for materials and supplies helped establish regional transportation networks, encouraged supporting industries, and hastened the exploration and settlement of the entire region. While small-scale placer mining continued for over forty years, lode development was largely confined to the period between 1934 and 1941, the district's most significant era. The Bremner Historic Mining District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.Bremner is extremely remote and can only be reached by airplane or long range hiking. The closest road is about 70 miles away in McCarthy, Alaska. Currently, there are no residents, though there was a volunteer summer ranger in the past. There is a visitor's book to sign in the bunkhouse. Other buildings include an old power generating station, a garage with an old Model T in it and a few other buildings. There is also a damaged stamp mill and high up the mountain are additional remains at the actual mine sites. The Golconda Mining Company site, which contains a campsite, an elaborate ditch, and extensive piles of hand-stacked cobble, provides an example of an early placer mining system. The Goldconda complex includes two airstrips dating to the 1930s.The Yellow Band mining camp is one of the region's most complete, not only containing the typical housing and office facilities, but a sophisticated hydroelectric system. This camp is also significant for its association with Asa C. Baldwin, a distinguished regional explorer, surveyor, and mining engineer. While working for the U.S. Geodetic Survey, Baldwin completed the first American marine survey of Kodiak and the Aleutian Islands in 1909. From 1910-13, he served as a field officer with the U.S.-Canadian International Boundary Survey. Over the years, Baldwin worked locally as a consulting engineer, where, among other activities, he advised the Kennecott Copper Company and the Copper River and Northwestern Railway. Baldwin began prospecting in the Bremner District in the early 1930s, and from 1936 to 1940, was president of the Yellow Band Mining Company. He acquired the Bremner Gold Mining Company holdings in 1939.Lucky Girl, Grand Prize, Sheriff, and Yellow Band Mines are examples of remote underground mining operations. With each containing a variety of buildings and structures. While Lucky Girl mill is now ruinous due to repeated avalanche strikes, its operating machinery remains intact.The Bremner Historic Mining District embodies its period of twentieth-century mining, illustrating both its mining process and its evolutionary sequence. Unusually complete, it retains virtually all of its historic components, including an important placer site, a camp, four discrete lode mines, a mill, and an associated transportation network. This mining camp is extremely remote and in a very rugged Alaskan wilderness area. Access can be done through one of the air flight services in the area.
The Bus shelter is located in the parking area of the Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center in Copper Center. It has a picnic table and five interpretive wayside panels: An enduring frontier, Cant run never will - CRNW - Copper River Northwestern Railway, Intrepid travelers, Opening up the country, and Traversing the wilderness.
The approximately 30-foot (9 m) wide by 40-foot (12 m) deep bus shelter sits on the far southwest corner of the Visitor Center Complex parking lot. Eight-foot (2.5 m) tall logs, painted a neutral beige, support a series of triangular wooden braces and beams overhead. To the right, outside the shelter, is a line of bear-proof garbage cans. Notice a line of vertical, two-foot (60 cm) tall circular log pillars, about 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter, running north-to-south in front of the large, open-sided pavilion. These form a traffic barrier to separate the white-line painted bus unloading area from the 10-foot (2.75 m) wide asphalt pedestrian walkway in front of the shelter. Moving south into the shelter, a three-foot (1 m) tall, angled metal wayside panel in the center shows a map of Alaska. Text at the bottom of the panel reads: An Enduring Frontier Alaska boasts 24 national park units in all, protecting more than 54 million acres of Alaska’s representative natural, cultural, and historic features. Like Wrangell-St. Elias, all Alaska national parklands are preserved for present and future generations—an enduring frontier for all the world. Several areas of the map are shaded dark or light green: around Wrangell-St. Elias at the far eastern part of the state, bordering Canada; in the central part of the state around Denali; and areas further along the Cook Inlet around Lake Clark and Katmai. A key just below the map indicates anything in dark green is a National Park or Monument, while the light green signifies a National Preserve. A question in a dark green box at the lower right asks: How many Alaska national parklands will you visit? Turn around 180-degrees from this panel, and move about 10 feet (3 m) to face two, four-foot (1.25 m) wide by three-foot (1 m) tall interpretive sign panels set on an angle at the left and right. Each is mounted between two, six-foot (2 m) tall circular, beige logs. Note a wooden bench at the far left, about four feet (1.25 m) to the left of the left-hand sign, and a matching bench at the far right, to the right of the right-hand sign. Just beyond the two signs in the center, note a picnic table that stretches another eight feet (2.5 m) south toward the back of the shelter. On the front of the left-hand sign, a large black-and-white picture shows a few men leading a line of pack animals across the snow with high, dark mountains rising up in the distance. Entitled, “Intrepid Travelers,” a quote at the top right of the panel reads: The prospector... knows to an ounce what he needs for a “trip” as he calls an expedition. “Anyone that can’t ‘pack’ ninety pounds would better not come to Alaska,” they say, “for this is the least with which he can get along out ‘in the hills.’” His motto is “Never stuck.” His is the land of hope. Dora Keen, 1912 Across the bottom of the panel, note four smaller inset black-and-white photographs. At the lower left, two men carrying packs lead two horses along a narrow trail on the side of a rocky mountain. A quote above reads: In view of the fact that so little is known of the interior of the Territory of Alaska...the department commander authorizes you to proceed to that Territory. U.S. Army General Nelson A. Mile’s orders to Lieutenant Henry T. Allen, 1885 In the center, a team of four light-colored horses are harnessed to a large U.S. Mail sled in the snow with about a dozen people aboard, all wearing heavy fur coats and hats. A second quote above this photograph reads: If there was a dry thread in our clothing when we started, it didn’t remain dry long, for the whole valley was covered with rain-soaked brush, which reached to our heads or above, and so thick that with our best efforts we were three hours making the first two miles. Charles A. Morgeson, 1899 Two smaller photographs at the bottom right show a man helping another across a glacier, and a couple more pack animals hauling sleds behind them along a glaciated path. A quote above reads: Nothing to follow—just three feet of snow. Got into our snowshoes—onto the gee pole [a sled guiding pole] and gee poled the next 22 days. Lynn Smith, 1904 Moving to the panel on the front of the right-hand sign, a large black-and-white photograph shows a team of seven dogs pulling a sled across the snow. A woman sits on the sled, with a man standing at the back. Entitled, “Traversing the Wilderness,” a quote at the top right of the panel reads: The first people of interior Alaska arrived hundreds of generations ago...They moved slowly across the low-lying land known as Beringia, or the Bering Land Bridge. Jean S. Agner, Professor of Anthropology, University of Alaska, Fairbanks Along the bottom left of the panel, the first of two smaller inset black-and-white photographs show a man with a full pack on his back carrying an eight-foot (2.5 m) metal saw blade under his arm.
Chisana (pronounced shoo-shana) is a small community inside Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Preserve, only accessible by plane or long snow machine ride in winter. It is located half-way between Nabesna and McCarthy, Alaska.
Chisana (pronounced shoo-shana), also known as Shushana, Chathanda City and Johnson City. Listed as Chisana Mining District on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 and renamed Chisana Historic Mining Landscape in 1998. Nestled in a remote valley between the Nutzotin and Wrangell Mountains, half-way between Nabesna and McCarthy, the Chisana mining district provides visitors with a unique glimpse of Alaska's gold rush era. Unlike many better known and more accessible regions, this area retains extensive evidence of its early mining use, including the deteriorating remains of two towns; numerous tent camps, various water diversion and delivery systems; a full range of hand, hydraulic, and mechanical mining operations; and a well-developed transportation network. The scene of Alaska’s last important gold rush in 1913, the Chisana district played a key role in the history of interior Alaska. While few struck it rich, the resulting demand for materials and supplies helped establish regional transportation networks, encouraged supporting industries, and hastened the exploration and settlement of both the Copper and Tanana Basins. The Chisana district was particularly significant from 1913 to 1915, the period encompassing its discovery, stampede, and boom. Chisana became known as "the largest log cabin town in the world." It remained important through 1942, when war-time exigencies virtually ended local mining. Today, Chisana enjoys a seasonal population of about twenty-five. A few persistent placer miners continue to work the district's creeks. The spiritual heirs of the stampeders, they continue their predecessor's quest, ever searching for that one rich strike. There are bed and breakfasts and guide/outfitters in this area that is accessible only by small aircraft. Some adventurous hikers retrace the steps of the early stampeders and make the trek from Chisana to McCarthy. This is a difficult route and should only be attempted by experienced backcountry travelers or with an outfitter guide.. As you hike around Chisana you will see ruins of structures and historic artifacts throughout the area. For its protection and to keep its historical integrity, it is unlawful and prohibited to remove or relocate anything. Debris and artifacts provide important clues to the story of the people who followed the lure of gold to Chisana. Many of the historic structures are located on private property. Public easements are marked, so please respect private property while at the site. The National Park Service has restored four log buildings in the original townsite, the Woman's Jail and three residential cabins. The primative Too Much Johnson Cabin is available for public use on a first-come, first-served basis.
Located at mile 33 Edgerton Hwy in Chitina, Alaska, about 1 hour southeast from the Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center complex. Call for season dates and hours of operation in Summer (907) 823-2205. Chitina Ranger Station is a must-stop for anyone visiting Chitina or venturing down the McCarthy Road to Kennecott. Hikers can obtain park information, backcountry trip-planning, and obtain bear and moose safety info. Federal subsistence fishing permits available.
Chitina Ranger Station. 2 ½ minutes.<br />Located at the end of the paved Edgerton Highway and the beginning of the gravel McCarthy Road, a six-foot (2 m) tall wooden sign with the National Park Service logo welcomes you to the one-story log cabin Chitina Ranger Station. <br />Note the station is only open during the season from Thursday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM. An eight-foot tall wooden information bulletin board and kiosk stands outside at the side of the building near the front. <br />At the far end of the cabin, a set of five, five-foot (1.5 m) wide wooden stairs with wooden handrails on either side lead up to a five-foot (1.5 m) wooden platform and the front screen door of the station. The screen door opens out and the inside wooden door opens in. To the right of the door, note a narrow wooden box with a hinged lid hanging on the side of the building with brochures and other park information.<br />Inside, the log cabin station is decorated with historic photographs featuring the town of Chitina as a transportation hub, ""where the rails meet the trails."" Trains, stagecoaches, dog sleds, and steamboats all passed through Chitina on their way to the mining and commerce centers of Alaska during Chitina's boom years, 1910-1938. You can watch the 22-minute park movie ""Crown of the Continent"", and view the many photos that depict early life in Chitina. Hikers can obtain information regarding backcountry routes, file trip plans, and obtain bear resistant food containers. Federal subsistence fishing permits and fishwheel registration is also available at this location.<br />Facing the front door, wooden platform continues about eight feet (2.5 m) to the right, then turns left down a 20-foot (6 m) long wheelchair-accessible ramp along the far side of the building. Note there is only a shallow, two-inch (5 cm) tall lip on either side of the ramp, and no handrails.<br />At the end of the ramp, note a small, two-inch (5 cm) drop down from the wood ramp onto a gently sloping gravel path, leading to the side door of the station, with a second set of wooden stairs.<br />There are a couple picnic tables on a wide grassy area across the small curved one-lane driveway in front of the station, and a couple bear-proof garbage cans at the head of the driveway.<br /><br />
Pronounced "Chit-nah," this railroad town sprang to life in 1910 and was once a bustling stopover between Cordova and Kennecott. It is still busy during fishing season. Here at this wayside are restrooms and informational panels. Gas but not diesel is available 24 hours in town.<br />
Chitina Wayside. 1 ¼ minutes.<br />Next to a small paved parking lot, the 35-foot (10 m) long by 15 foot (4.5 m) wide Chitina Wayside is a one-story, open pavilion and shelter with a concrete floor, and four thick, dark red brown support posts along each side. Several benches and picnic tables share the open space inside. Along one side of the wayside at the center, note a set of three general information panels about the Ahtna people and history of Chitina itself.<br />Note one, six-foot (2 m) tall boulder on the sidewalk at one end of the wayside, with three smaller boulders at the opposite side end the shelter, next to the van accessible area of the parking lot. Wheelchair ramps from the parking lot up onto the sidewalk are located at either end of the pavilion.<br />Note a small wooden red and white vault restroom building located at the far end of the parking lot, about 130 feet (40 m) along the sidewalk leading away from the shelter. The women's room is on the left, and the men's room is on the right. Both facilities are wheelchair accessible.<br /><br />
The Copper River is the largest river in the park. At 290 miles long, the Copper River begins at the Copper Glacier on the northeast side of Mount Wrangell, in the Wrangell Mountains. It first flows north, then west and then south where it forms the park’s western boundary. As it flows further southeast through the Chugach National Forest, it eventually empties into the ocean in the Gulf of Alaska near Cordova. The Lat/Long. is represented at Copper Center, Alaska.
The Copper River is the largest river in the park. At 290 miles long, the Copper River begins at the Copper Glacier on the northeast side of Mount Wrangell, in the Wrangell Mountains. It first flows north, then west and then south where it forms the park’s western boundary. As it flows further southeast through the Chugach National Forest, it eventually empties into the ocean in the Gulf of Alaska near Cordova. As an enormous Alaskan watershed, it is known for its extensive delta ecosystem. The Copper is the tenth largest river in the United States, as ranked by average discharge volume at its ocean mouth, USGS publication. The river's famous salmon runs arise from the use of the river watershed by over 2 million salmon each year for spawning. The river's commercial salmon season is very brief, beginning in May for chinook salmon and sockeye salmon for periods lasting days or hours at a time. Sport fishing by contrast is open all year long, but peak season on the Copper River lasts from August to September when the coho salmon runs. Subsistence fishing (cultural and traditional uses of the land and water) is predominately done with dipnet or fishwheel, with special use permits for local rural residents. Glacial rivers carry an extremely high level of silt, typically making it impossible to see the river bottom. Spring run-off, heavy rain, and hot summer temperatures can cause quick, dramatic change in water levels. Year round, The Copper River is extremely cold and hypothermia is a danger even after a brief submersion, regardless of air temperature. Always wear a drysuit and a personal floatation device (pfd) while floating or boating. https://www.nps.gov/wrst/planyourvisit/river-floating-and-boating.htm It's cultural and traditional name is Ahtna River, in Ahtna Athabascan - ‘Atna’tuu, "river of the Ahtnas", and in coastal Tlingit - Eeḵhéeni, "river of copper". The name of the river comes from the abundant copper deposits along the upper river that were used by Alaska Native communities and then later by settlers from the Russian Empire and explorers from the United States.
The Crystalline Hills north of McCarthy Road are composed mostly of gneiss and gabbro, but some of the lower slopes are made up of a light colored marble. These hills are an excellent place to see Dall Sheep up on the hills and hike up to nice scenic views.
Access: Trailhead along McCarthy Road, Mile 34.8 Distance: 2.5 mile loop Time: 2-3 hours Maps: McCarthy 1:63,360 (B-7) Difficulty: Moderate. Highlights: Road access, beautiful views. Route: The trailhead is located along the north side of the McCarthy Road at mile 34.8. Look closely for the wooden sign. After 1/2 mile, a short side trail leads to a nice view. The main trail continues to climb gradually through the dense forest and loops back along the base of the steep Crystalline Hills. Pick a place to scramble up for outstanding views of the Chitina River valley, Moose Lake, and the Chugach Mountains. Adventurous hikers can continue to climb higher into the Crystalline Hills for remote camping and exploring the many high ridges and rocky ledges. Notes: The trail passes through shady forest and bug spray is highly recommended in summer. The best views are achieved by scrambling up the steep slopes of the Crystalline Hills.
The Wrangell-St. Elias Entrance Loop Information Sign is located at the north end of the Headquarters driveway entrance loop, off the Richardson Hwy at mile 106.8 near Copper Center. There are three panels which include the park map, visitor center and ranger station locations, scenic images, map of the visitor center complex and map of the Bluff Overlook - Boreal Forest Trail.
The Wrangell-St. Elias Entrance Loop Information Sign is located at the north end of the Headquarters driveway entrance loop, off the Richardson Hwy at mile 106.8 near Copper Center. There are three panels which include the park map, visitor center and ranger station locations, scenic images, map of the visitor center complex and map of the Bluff Overlook - Boreal Forest Trail.
Here is the large, official park sign where visitors often take photos for their memory books.
Visitor Center Complex - Entrance Loop. 10 minutes. As you enter the park from Richardson Highway, a 100-foot (30 m) long semi-circular pullout to the left from the main park road guides you in the Entrance Loop of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. On the grass median between the main road and entrance loop, a large, eight-foot (2.5 m) wide by six-foot (2 m) tall dark gray stone sign with the words "Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve" in the center in white welcomes you to the park. The silhouette of a tall copper-colored mountain range frames the letters at the top, with a wide, swirling, backwards "S" underneath the letters representing a flowing river at the bottom. Mounted to the face of the sign at the top right, note a two-foot (60 cm) tall brown wooden plaque in the shape of a downward pointing arrowhead: the National Park Service logo. It shows a tall evergreen tree by a river, in front of a range of snow-capped mountains, with an image of a bison at the bottom. The larger park sign is framed with large, 10-inch (25 cm) diameter beige-painted logs along the top, bottom, and sides. Words on a thin horizontal wood panel hanging at the bottom of the sign lists the Visitor Center Hours: 9AM to 6PM.Facing this sign, about 30 feet (9 m) to the left, across the entrance loop road, a series of three, three-foot (1 m) wide by four-foot (1.25 m) tall information panels present some introductory information about the park. Filling the face of the left panel, a large color photograph shows a winding glacier at the foot of tall, snow-covered mountains with blue sky overhead. Entitled, "Now that you are here...," the top of the panel contains four small inset pictures of four ranger stations or visitor centers within the park, along with the addresses and services available at each one. Left-to-right, top-to-bottom, they are: Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor CenterCopper Center, AlaskaMile 106.8 Richardson Highway907-822-7250ServicesInformation desk, trip planning, backcountry information, exhibits, bookstore, ranger programs, junior ranger program, park film, nature trail, picnic tables, Ahtna Cultural Center, subsistence permits, public phone, toilets.Slana Ranger StationSlana, AlaskaMile 0.2 Nabesna Road907-822-7401ServicesInformation desk, trip planning, backcountry information, exhibits, bookstore, junior ranger program, park film, ATV permits, subsistence permits, Nabesna Road conditions, public phone, toilets.Chitina Ranger StationChitina, AlaskaMile 33 Edgerton Highway907-823-2205ServicesHistoric log cabin, information desk, trip planning, backcountry information, bookstore, junior ranger program, park film, picnic tables, subsistence permits, McCarthy Road conditions, pit toilets.The Kennecott Visitor CenterKennecott, AlaskaFive miles north of McCarthy, Alaska907-554-1105ServicesHistoric buildings, information desk, backcountry information, trip planning, exhibits, bookstore, ranger programs, junior ranger program, park film, hiking trails, pit toilets.Two maps inset at the bottom of the panel show a map of Nabesna Road at the left, and McCarthy Road at the right, along with the trails, landmarks, and facilities nearby. Text below the Nabesna Road map at the bottom left reads:Things to Know- This adventurous drive begins at Mile 60 Glenn Highway (Tok Cutoff).- Allow 1.5 hours for this scenic 42-mile drive one-way.- This is a remote area with limited services. There is no gasoline.- Gasoline is available in Chistochina (28 miles south) or Mentasta (18 miles north).- We highly recommend you carry a full-sized spare tire and an adequate jack.- Generally, this gravel road is passable by two-wheel drive vehicles.- However, following a heavy rain, stream crossings can become impassable.- A high clearance vehicle is recommended if driving beyond Mile 29 Nabesna Road.- Private land adjoins much of the road. Please respect private property.- Cell phone coverage is limited.- Drive slowly, carefully, and courteously.- Pick up a free Nabesna Road audio tour at the Visitor Center or Slana Ranger Station.Text below the McCarthy Road map at the bottom right reads:Things to Know- This spectacular drive begins at Mile 33 Edgerton Highway in Chitina, Alaska.- Allow 2 to 3 hours for this scenic 60-mile drive one-way.- This is a remote area with limited services.- There is no gasoline available in McCarthy or Kennecott.- Gasoline is available in Kenny Lake, Mile 7.1 and in Chitina, Mile 33 Edgerton Highway.- We highly recommend you carry a full-sized spare tire and an adequate jack.- Generally, this unpaved narrow and winding road is passable by two-wheel drive vehicles.- However, expect poor conditions with possible stream crossings and road damage.- Private land adjoins much of the road. Please respect private property.- Cell phone coverage is limited.- Drive slowly, carefully, and courteously.- Pick up a free McCarthy Road audio tour at the Visitor Center or Chitina Ranger Station.The center panel displays a large map of the Wrangell-St. Elias region, highlighted in several different shades of green. A key at the top right explains that the different colors are attributable to the fact that:Approximately 750,000 of the 13+ million acres of land within the boundaries of Wrangell-Wt. Elias National Park and Preserve are non-federal lands belonging to Alaska Native Corporations, other private owners, and the State of Alaska. Significant amounts of these non-federal lands are located along the McCarthy/Nabesna Roads and along the east bank of the Copper River. Please do not trespass. If you have questions, ask at visitor centers or ranger stations.A list of Alaska Native Place Names at the right compares the English place name to the Native place name, along with its language and meaning.Words at the bottom of the panel read:Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and PreserveAn area larger than New Hampshire and Vermont combined, this park is named for the two mountain ranges that form its backbone. These remnant volcanos, sculpted by glaciers, define this vast wilderness. Here you find a complex intact ecosystem with outstanding opportunities for exploration partnered with inhabited connections to the land.Only two roads enter the park-McCarthy and Nabesna. Each offers spectacular vistas and multiple recreational opportunities. Hiking trails turn into unmarked routes leading you to rewarding experiences. Come climb mountains, float rivers, explore glaciers, or fly above it all. Come, but come prepared. Stop at a park visitor center for trip planning advice.Four additional color photographs at the bottom of the panel highlight just a few of the things to experience within the park, including a backpacker cutting a new path across a field of purple wildflowers; the 14-story red concentrating mill at the Kennecott Mine; an aerial view of a glacier flowing around tall mountains; and an aerial view of a sun-speckled blue-green coastal region.An illustration at the top of the right-hand panel, entitled "Plan Your Visit," shows a birds-eye view of the Visitor Center Complex. Paved walkways wind in, around, and among a central, roughly semi-circular cluster of five buildings. Left-to-right are the restrooms, Exhibit Hall, Visitor Center, Theater, and the Ahtna Cultural Center. Towards the upper left, the paths continue back to a Viewpoint and Amphitheater overlooking the bluffs behind the buildings.Text at the top right of the panel reads:Welcome to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. Here you have anopportunity to experience a wild corner of Alaska on a grand scale. Even thoughvisitor services are limited, access is challenging, weather varies widely, and youmay encounter a variety of wildlife, the rewards are well worth the effort. Comevisit us at the park visitor center to map your adventure!At the lower left, a green inset map shows the location of several hiking trails within the Visitor Center Complex. A black "You Are Here" marker at the lower left of map indicates your current position. In the center of the map, a dashed red line traces a loop identified as the Boreal Forest trail. At the top of the map, a second, solid green line, identified as the Copper River Bluff Trail, traces a jagged, squashed loop to a scenic viewpoint by the river. The buildings of the Visitor Center Complex are shown in black at the bottom of the map, with a green marker labeled, "Visitor Center."Text at the upper right reads:The 1/2-mile Boreal Forest-Valdez Loop Trail follows even terrain, though wheelchair-users may need assistance. The trail passes along the river bluff, then cuts through the forest, connecting to a section of the Valdez Trail, the first all-American route into Interior Alaska.The Copper River Bluff Trail is a 1/2-mile loop, gravel, moderately difficult, with some elevation change and a few steep sections.Text in the bottom center of the panel reads:The Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center Complex includes a visitor center, exhibit hall, theater, restrooms, picnic tables and a picnic shelter, amphitheater, the Ahtna Cultural Center, scenic overlooks, and short hiking trails. You will also find the park administration and business offices nearby.In the visitor center enjoy exhibits, shop the bookstore, pick up park and area information, plan a backcountry trip, gather Nabesna and McCarthy road updates, and view a large 3-D interactive map. During the summer, join park rangers for a guided walk or talk, and watch the park's awarding winning film. Subsistence fishing and hunting permits are also available.Call park headquarters at 907-822-5234 for hours of operation.Underneath this text, the first of three color photographs at the bottom of the panel shows people walking along a path through the spruce forest. A caption reads:Walk through the woods for stunning views of the Wrangell volcanoes.Two more color photographs at the bottom right show a ranger leading an informative program about the park, and a coup
On this self-guided tour of the Exhibit Hall, view interpretive exhibits to learn about natural and cultural resources of the area, including gold and copper miners, bush pilots, explorers, Alaska Natives, volcanoes, glaciers and wildlife.
The one-story wood frame Exhibit Hall building is located about 30 feet (9 m) east from the flag pole outside the visitor center across a small asphalt courtyard. A triangular, 20-foot (6 m) high by 20-foot wide wooden arch with wooden beams hangs over a concrete pad entranceway. Note a couple benches at the left and right. A set of double metal and glass doors swing outward across a metal grate. Be mindful of the threshold as you cross from the concrete porch onto a stone floor inside the building. Inside, follow along a winding, simulated riverbed path. Exhibits describe the geology and formation of the landscape, and how rivers carve their way through the rocky terrain and old lake-bed sediments, reducing it to a silty dust suspended in the water. Other exhibits discuss the different wildlife in the park, some of the history of the Kennecott Mines, information about the native Ahtna peoples, and other people in the region, including explorers, prospectors, and a back-country pilot.
The GMO housed the heart of the Kennecott Copper Corporation: its management. Here are the offices of the superintendent, manager, engineers, secretary and draftsmen.<br />
"General Manager's Office. 37 ½ minutes.<br />The General Manager's Office is located up a moderately steep, switchback gravel path to the east from the main gravel road, just north of the wood plank bridge over National Creek. A flagpole sits outside the building at the left.<br />The central log portion of the red and white, two-story building is the oldest building in Kennecott. Later additions at the left and right provided more office, safe, payroll, and drafting space. <br />This 2,451 square foot (745 square meter) building was the hub of corporate activity in the 1920s and 1930s. There are numerous exhibits inside this self-guided facility, providing access to historic and interpretive documents about Kennecott Copper Corporation, biographical information on corporate leaders, reproductions of mining maps, photos, surveys, engineering reports, employment records, and drawings of buildings and machinery. <br />"<br />
The company store sold just about anything you needed. If it didn't, you could order items through the Sears and Roebuck catalog and they would be delivered to the post office. The warehouse stored grocery items but most importantly, the nuts, bolts and spare parts needed in the mill and mines.<br />
"General Store, Exhibit Center, Warehouse, Storeroom, and Post Office. 87 ½ minutes.<br />The General Store, Exhibit Center, Warehouse, Storeroom, and Post Office are all located in the three-story red and white wood building on the west side of the main gravel road, just north of the intersection of the inclined, gravel service road. <br />Facing the building, a five-foot (1.5 m) wide wood plank boardwalk spans the front of the 35-foot (10 m) wide storefront. Two sets of bay windows at the right flank a recessed wood and glass door leading into the General Store. About six feet to the left of the left-hand bay window, a single wood door leads into the Post Office, flanked by two white double-hung windows.<br />Note a wooden bench along the boardwalk under the window to the left of the bay.<br />You may enter the General Store or Warehouse from four different locations. Either: 1) through the front door of the General Store, the main entrance; 2) at the far right, through a side door on the north side of the building, from a 40-foot (12 m) long by four-foot (1.25 m) wide wheelchair accessible catwalk; 3) through the Post Office door immediately to the left; or 4) at the far left, up a short flight of four stairs to an open, 10-foot (2.75 m) square wooden platform with a couple wooden benches, then right 40 feet (12 m) down a slightly inclined ramp with wooden railings through a set of double wood doors on the south side of the building. <br /><br />To enter the Post Office, move through the single door located towards the left-hand side of the storefront. Once inside, move five feet left (1.5 m) on a 45-degree angle to a narrow, open wooden doorway. Just to the right of the door is a small, chest high open counter window. Several letters and stamps are displayed on the counter under glass. <br />To the right of the counter, rows of wooden mail boxes line the wall, some with historic brass fronts with small glass windows and combination locks. The original Kennecott post office sign hangs above the boxes, a four-foot (1.5 m) wide black sign with white block letters reading, "U.S. Post Office, Kennecott, Alaska." Note a reproduction hangs in the original location, directly above the door outside. <br />To the left of the door is a floor-standing information panel. Text at the top of the panel reads:<br /><br />Post Office<br />Built in 1917, restoration completed in 2006<br />Keeping in touch with home<br />The vast majority of Kennecott workers were far from home and family, so the Post Office was an important link to their loved ones. Workers sent letters and money orders-after all, they were here to make and save money. They also received news and mail-order goods. Mail traveled by train and, in later years, by air. Some long-term staff had brass mailboxes here, but most letters were sent to their recipients via general delivery.<br />To send news or to wire money home more quickly -and at greater expense-workers went to the Wells Fargo telegraph service in the Railway Depot.<br /><br />A black-and-white photograph, entitled "Snowbird at the post office, 1937," fills the bottom of the panel. It shows a woman standing outside in front of the snowy and ice-covered Post Office next to a modified automobile with caterpillar tracks in the rear and skis in the front. <br />Move through the door to enter the back room of the Post Office. The open backs of the letter boxes line the wall to your right. Opposite the boxes, a mail duffel bag artifact hangs on the back wall at the left.<br />Another single wooden door at the back left of the Post Office leads into the Storeroom, though it is highly recommended you move back outside through the front door of the Post Office to continue your tour, beginning in the Store.<br /><br />Note that beacons inside each of the remaining three entrances will automatically trigger the appropriate interior audio description for your location. <br />"<br />
This wooden structure was originally 890 feet long and 90 feet high, required one-half million board feet of timber, and was completed in eight days in January of 1911. There are vault toilets and a 1/2 mile trail here that leads south from the toilets.<br />
Gilahina Railroad Trestle. 4 ½ minutes.<br />About halfway between Chitina and McCarthy, a small National Park Service (NPS) gravel parking lot and pullout area sits on the Chitina side of a one-lane bridge over the small Gilahina River.<br />With concrete reinforced planks and guardrails on either side of the 35-foot (10 m) long bridge, it is safe to cross by vehicle, on foot, or using a wheelchair. <br />Be mindful of traffic as there is no separate sidewalk, and the road deck drops off immediately underneath the guardrail into the rushing river below. <br />Facing upstream from a vantage point in the middle of the bridge, an abandoned, curved timber stringer bridge stands 90 feet (28 m) high and not quite 880 feet (268 m) across, almost spanning the heavily forested valley from left to right. Tall, wooden elevation trusses lean under the fractured, crumbling, and splintered railroad bed high overhead.<br />It may be a worthy experience simply to dip your hand in the chilly water, fed from the mountains up above. <br />Back in the parking lot, note a small, one-story red and white outhouse at the right. The women's room is to the left, the men's room to the right. Both are wheelchair accessible, but note the gravel lot continues right up to the doorway of the building, with a small concrete lip threshold.<br />A set of bear-safe garbage cans are available about 15 feet (3 m) to the left of the restrooms, next to a couple picnic tables in a small grove of trees at the back of the lot, away from the road.<br />An eight-foot (2.5 m) wide by 10-foot (2.75 m) tall wooden information kiosk to the left of the picnic area displays some interpretive panels on the history of the Gilahina Trestle along with some photographs. <br />At the left, a black-and-white photograph fills the top of the first of two panels. Entitled "Railway to Riches," a steam locomotive pulls a line of freight cars along a narrow railroad bed cut into a steep mountainside. Text underneath the photograph reads:<br /><br />From 1911-1938 the Copper River & Northwestern Railway was the lifeline for the Kennecott mines. Nicknamed the "Can't Run & Never Will" by its skeptics, the CR&NW overcame incredible challenges in its construction and operation.<br /><br />A map across the center shows the route of the railway from Kennecott, across the Kuskulana Bridge into Chitina, and ultimately to Cordova on the Gulf of Alaska. Text tells how the railway blasted and carved through the wilderness, and negotiated massive cliffs, raging rivers, frozen ground, and even icebergs to haul ore to market, and supplies to the mines. <br />A line of smaller black-and-white photographs along the bottom of the panel shows dangerous rock work, a train buried in snow drifts, laying track, steam shovel work, the Kennicott Trestle washing out and men blasting through rock at Woods Canyon.<br />A black-and-white photograph of a train crossing the Gilahina Trestle fills the top of the second information panel at the right. Entitled "Wooden Wonder," this panel tells the story of the amazing and perilous construction of the 90 foot (28 m) tall and 880 foot (268 m) long wooden railroad trestle across Gilahina River. It was constructed in the dead of winter in 1911, in temperatures as low as minus 67 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 55 degrees Celsius). In spite of the terrible conditions, the Gilahina Trestle was completed in just eight days!<br />A black-and-white picture in the center shows the long, sweeping curve of the trestle above a snowy, tree-filled valley. A caption below another picture of the cross-hatched wooden trestle at the right reads in part:<br /><br />Sparks from passing trains were a serious risk to wooden trestles. Water barrels placed along the tracks were used for putting out small fires.<br /><br />A line of smaller black-and-white photographs along the bottom of this panel show makeshift wooden houses in a construction camp at Strelna, a line of pack horses hauling supplies, a railroad track cache, thousands of full ore bags in Kennecott waiting for the railroad to be finished, a view of the half-finished trestle at Gilahina and a railcar crossing the finished Gillahina Trestle. <br /><br />
Icy Bay is along the coast in Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Preserve, part of the 155 miles of coastline in the park. The bay was formed in the last 100 years by the rapid retreat of the Guyot, Yahtse, and Tyndall Glaciers.
Icy Bay is along the coast in Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Preserve, part of the 155 miles of coastline in the park. The bay was formed in the last 100 years by the rapid retreat of the Guyot, Yahtse, and Tyndall Glaciers.
These ten campsites with picnic tables, fire rings, and toilets are on a first-come, first-serve basis. Enjoy the lakes, short hiking trails, interpretive waysides, canoeing, grayling fishing and waterfowl viewing. Parking will accommodate regular vehicles and small recreational camping vehicles (RV's). It is free and open year-round, but access is limited in winter since it is not snow plowed. There are no reservations required. Be bear aware. Pets on leash at all times.
Kendesnii Campground. 4 ½ minutes.<br />The Kendesnii Campground is located in the Boreal Forest at Mile 28.2 on the Nabesna Road, next to two small lakes. It has 10 sites around a circular dirt and gravel road, each of which will accommodate tents and up to medium-sized recreational vehicles. There are outhouses, picnic tables, fire rings, bear proof garbage containers, and a small boat launch for canoes and non-motorized watercraft only. <br />Note that at this time, there is no potable water source in the campground.<br />The campground is free and open year-round, but is not plowed during the winter. Reservations are not taken and not required.<br />At the end of the short entrance road, note a 10-foot (2.75 m) tall by 12-foot (3.5 m) wide wooden information station with a narrow, overhanging triangular roof. <br />At the left, the first of three information panels displays three black-and-white photographs across the top. The first photograph shows a man in a fur-lined hooded parka standing on the back of wooden sled in the snow. Text underneath this photograph describes the abundance of food and water in Wrangell St.-Elias National Park and Preserve:<br /><br />Salmon, lake trout, grayling, and burbot swim in the streams...Moose and caribou roam its boreal forest. And blueberries, cranberries, and mushrooms are found throughout its wilderness boundaries...Subsistence allows Alaska residents who live close to Wrangell St.-Elias to hunt, fish, and gather inside the park. For others, hunting is allowed only in the preserve.<br /><br />A second photograph shows a pair of Dall sheep grazing on a hillside, all white with spiral horns. Text underneath this photograph reads that one of the founding purposes of the park is to:<br /><br />...protect habitat for, and populations of, fish and wildlife.<br />Dall sheep are one of 48 mammal species who call this wilderness home. Found only in Alaska and northwest Canada, these stunning creatures keep to high, open areas., they are easily spotted on rock and tundra covered slopes during the summer...Wrangell St.-Elias protects more than 15,000 Dall sheep, one of the world's largest concentrations!<br /><br />A third photograph looks over the back of a man carrying a loaded pack, walking across the tundra towards a snow-covered peak. Text underneath reads:<br /><br />For many in Alaska, the wilderness provides recreation and renewal...The majority of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is designated as a wilderness area. At nine million acres, it is the largest of the...designated wilderness areas...(in the) United States...(This) Wilderness Area is open to all. No permits are needed for hiking or camping.<br /><br />The second panel shows a map of the campground, while the third panel posts a full list of the Kendesnii Campground Rules and Regulations. Pets must be on a leash, you should try to bring in your own firewood, and hunting is prohibited within the campground from May 1 to September 30. If you need questions or require additional assistance, you may:<br /><br />Contact the Slana Ranger Station at 907-822-7401 (during winter call 907-822-5234)...For emergencies call 911. Cell reception is best at mileposts 1 through 18 and at MP 23 near Long Lake.<br /><br />From a position facing the information panels, turn right and move 20 feet (6 m), then turn left and move an additional 20 feet (6 m) forward to a bear-safe trash can, and an outhouse another 20 feet (6 m) beyond that on your left. <br />Note a six-foot (2 m) tall sign to the right of the toilet showing pictures of various animals and their footprints.<br />About 30 feet (9 m) to the right of this sign, a gravel path at the left leads up a gradual, winding incline to a small clearing, the campground amphitheater, with four, eight-foot (2.5 m) wooden benches and a fire pit.<br />Moving another 80 feet (24 m) along the dirt and gravel road beyond the amphitheater path, a short, dirt and gravel trail to the right leads to a small boat launch. About 40 feet (12 m) along this trail to the left, a winding, sometimes uneven interpretive trail leads up a small incline to a couple small picnic areas at the edge of the lake, with more views of the Wrangell Mountains. <br />Note there may be areas of standing water, rocks, and roots in the trail along the way.<br /> <br /><br />
Called "Give and Receive Life Here" this cultural interpretive panel recognizes and pays tribute to Daisy Nicolai (Kendesnii is her Ahtna name) and her family’s connection to the site.
"Interpretive Trailhead.1 ¾ minutes.<br />At the Kendesnii Campground, a six-foot (2 m) tall by three-foot (1 m) wide metal wayside panel stands across the dirt-and-gravel road from the amphitheater. Entitled "Give and Receive Life Here," text at the upper left reads:<br /><br />Uts'en Kac'ilaegga Menn' (Ahtna name for Twin Lakes).<br /><br />Text at the right continues:<br /><br />This valuable, semi-sacred ground has for many generations provided resources for local Ahtna people in the spring season, and for some it was their home.<br /><br />At the left, a large, undated black-and-white photograph of a young, Alaska Native woman in a short-sleeve black-and-white dress fills the panel. A caption reads:<br /><br />Kendesnii (Daisy Nicolai).<br /><br />Text to the right of the photograph tells the story of Kendesnii, and the Upper Ahtna people who lived here. Words read:<br /><br />This land is a legacy.<br />It is a legacy of the importance of family and traditions along with a deep respect and love for a homeland. Because of this respect, the land was kept unspoiled.<br /><br />Text at the right continues:<br /><br />Sharing the hardships and facing an uncertain future of all Grandmothers, she loved her people and her way of life. She refused to lose hope by spending as much time as possible in these camps teaching her children the traditions and ancient stories. This knowledge enabled them to provide and lead the next generation.<br /><br />A color photograph at the bottom right of the panel shows an older, white-haired Alaska Native woman cutting the flesh from the hide of an animal with a sharp stone blade. A caption at the lower right reads:<br /><br />Lena Charley, daughter of Kendesnii (Daisy Nicolai).<br />"<br />
This parking area for cars and motorcycles is not where the shuttle stops. That is on the other side of the Visitor Center. Here you will find a marvelous open vista which includes the debris strewn Kennicott Glacier, Fireweed Mountain on the other side of the glacier, and the Chugach Range to the south.<br />
"Shuttle Turnaround. 14 ½ minutes.Located at the far southern end of Kennecott, at the northern end of a 30-foot (9 m) wide, half-moon shaped shuttle bus turnaround, an eight-foot (2 m) tall by twelve-foot (2.5 m) wide rusted, sculptural metal sign announces the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark. Several three- to four-foot (1.25 m) tall circular metal cogs and wheels are embedded in the ground in front of the sign, with a boulder on the ground with a plaque that commemorates the National Historic Landmark.Just to the left of the sign, a wood plank boardwalk runs past a 10-foot (2.75 m) wide by six-foot (2 m) deep covered bus shelter and information kiosk with a 10-foot (2.75 m) tall triangular roof. Note a wooden bench in the center, information panels on the interior and exterior walls, and at the front right corner post, maps of the area inside a metal brochure box with a slanted, hinged lid. Behind a three and a half -foot (1.25 m) tall wooden railing, the boardwalk continues around to the left along the top of the bluff, overlooking the Kennicott Valley and Glacier below. There are two wooden benches spaced roughly evenly along the boardwalk, and three additional three-foot (1 m) wide by two-foot (60 cm) tall information panels to the south along the railing.Note that the buses do not typically use this shuttle stop, but drop passengers near private businesses in town. It is however, used for day use parking. A wheelchair-accessible ramp and boardwalk to the north links the turnaround to the Old Blackburn School, Kennecott Visitor Center and bookstore. Note there is an ADA accessible outhouse midway along the ramp just before you reach the school building, located to the east along a 12-foot (3.5 m) wide wooden deck.Note that while many of the approaches to the buildings here at Kennecott are accessible by many new wheelchairs, the town is filled with unpaved gravel surfaces and uneven terrain.An information panel on the right exterior wall of the kiosk displays a hiking trail map of the area. Text at the top left of the panel reads:Learn MoreCome visit us in the Visitor Center to learn about recreational opportunities, backcountry etiquette, bear safety, and more. For more information on these and other trails, pick up free handouts at the Visitor Center.Continuing down the left side of the panel, text next to an illustration of a black bear reads:Be Bear Aware!You are in bear country. Bears are attracted by smells, including food and other fragrant items. Unfortunately, receiving them can lead to aggressive behavior that puts both bears and humans in jeopardy. To help bears focus on foraging for their natural foods, and to keep yourself safe:Food must be in your direct control or in an approved Bear Resistant Container at all times-even in the middle of the day, even on the glacier.Bear Resistant Food Lockers are available at popular camping locations in Kennicott Valley.Portable Bear Resistant Food Containers can be borrowed from the Park's Visitor Center, free of charge.Federal law requires proper food storage at all times. Improperly stored food can result in a fine or imprisonment. At the middle left of the panel, text next to an illustration of a hand shovel reads:Pack in, pack out, dig deepThis area is managed as wilderness. Please pack out everything you pack in. Bury your solid human waste at least 6 to 8 inches deep, and 200 feet (60 m) from water, camp, and trails. Make it look like you were never there!Further down on the left, text next to an illustration of a boot with spikes sticking down from the sole reads:Hiking on GlaciersGlaciers provide unique and rewarding hiking experiences, best enjoyed with caution. A glacier's edge, glacial melt pools, and river potholes can be extremely dangerous due to rotting ice and swift, cold water. Fine glacial silt may look dry but can be very slippery, and contrary to first impressions, there is only a thin layer of rocks covering the ice. Crampons are strongly recommended. Remember, you are still in bear country when on a glacier.At the bottom left, text next to an image of a sheet of paper and a pencil reads:Backcountry ItinerariesIf you are heading into the backcountry, we encourage you to tell a third party your trip route and expected return time. Voluntary Backcountry Itinerary forms are also available. This will not result in an automatic search, but enables us to assist if you run into trouble. A map fills the right-hand side of the panel, showing the Root Glacier, a large, pale-blue area at the top, converging with the Kennicott Glacier in the middle. An orange "You Are Here" sign in the center shows your current position, with the town of McCarthy and the airport indicated at the bottom of the map. In the narrow green forested areas to the right of the glaciers, a dotted red line shows the paths of the five hiking trails here at Kennecott Mines. Small inset black-and-white boxes point to each trail with a brief description.
A vestige of an early 20th-century copper mining camp, Kennecott represents the mining techniques of the era. The mines here were among the nation's largest and contained the last of the great high-grade copper ore deposits of the American West.
The Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark is in the heart of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, America’s largest national park encompassing 13.2 million acres. Even by Alaskan standards, the site is remote, accessed by small plane or the infamous McCarthy Road. The Kennecott Mill Town, the center of the Landmark, is linear in plan, an orientation dictated by the glaciated, mountainous terrain and the railway that served the site. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986, the preservation efforts underway by the NPS since 1998 have uncovered an illustrious history and logistical challenges. Following the initial “discovery” of the ore in 1900, the development of the site took considerable effort not to mention financial commitment. Accessing the remote site required the construction of a 196-mile railroad from Cordova at a cost of $25 million. It included 44 miles of bridges and trestles, many of which were wiped out each spring and had to be rebuilt. The mill town and mine camps included over seventy-six buildings ranging in size from outhouses to the 14-story timber frame mill building. The fist sized chunks of ore were mined from seventy-seven miles of underground tunnels and transported to the mill building along three aerial tramways, totaling 6 miles in length. By April 1911, the first trainload of copper ore was headed to Cordova on its way to Tacoma for smelting. At its peak, Kennecott employed 500 to 600 men on three 8-hour shifts. By the time the operation closed in 1938, the Kennecott mines extracted 591,535 short tons of copper from 4,525,909 tons of ore valued at $200,000,000 in 1938 dollars. Exploitation of natural resources has formed the basis for Alaska's economy since Russian fur traders arrived more than 200 years ago. The mining of mineral resources has left an enduring mark on Alaska's landscape.
Located in a historic building, this visitor center has ranger programs, maps, exhibits, an information desk, backcountry trip planning assistance, a bookstore, and a restroom. Get your bear cannisters for backcountry travel here.<br />
"Blackburn School Visitor Center. 3 ¾ minutes.<br />The one-story, red and white painted wood Blackburn School is the first building at the far southern end of the town at Kennecott. <br />Note a wheelchair accessible ramp to the north of a 16-foot (5 m) wide wooden deck outside the west side of the building, ringed with a three and a half-foot (1.1 m) tall wooden railing, and an ADA accessible outhouse down a short ramp to the south. Note this same ramp also continues south, linking the visitor center to the shuttle bus turnaround.<br />A three-foot (1 m) tall, cast bronze, tactile, topographical model of the town sits in the middle of the deck. Measuring about five feet (1.25 m) wide by three-feet (1 m) deep, feel the locations of all the buildings and surrounding topography of the town. <br />A visual map of the town just below the touchable exhibit show the various buildings in different shades of red, orange, yellow, white, and gray. These indicate which are National Park Service structures versus private property, and which structures are open to the public. Text at the left of the map reads:<br /><br />Explore Kennecott Mill Town<br />A remarkable lode of copper ore near this very spot was discovered by American prospectors in 1900. Workers then developed the camp, mill, mines, and railway over the next decade. Kennecott Mines went into regular production in 1911, and proved hugely profitable. The mines were tapped out and closed in 1938.<br />Today, Kennecott mill town is the best preserved example of early 20th century copper mining technology in the country. It is also a thriving community and a gateway to an immense wilderness.<br /><br />Behind and to the right of the outdoor model, a single wood door leads inside the school from the outside deck. <br />Inside at the left, a black-and-white photograph fills the bottom of a four-foot (1.25 m) tall by three-foot (1 m) wide angled metal display panel on the floor. A woman in the center, dressed in a long sleeve white, high-collar shirt and floor-length black skirt, stands behind a couple rows of boys and girls of various ages, from six years old to teenagers. Information at the top of the panel tells us that the Blackburn School was built in 1913, moved to Kennecott circa 1915, and restored between 2002 and 2005. Beside a copy of a hand-written inventory of supplies and books at the school, text continues:<br /><br />Moving with the boom and bust of mining towns<br />In 1913, the Kennecott Copper Corporation supplied materials to construct this building in the tiny community of Blackburn. Located along the railway between Kennecott and the future town of McCarthy, Blackburn had grown up as prospectors moved into the valley.<br />By 1915, however, Blackburn was mostly empty-its spring dried up and everyone moved to McCarthy, which was booming as a stop-over on the way to the Chisana gold fields. Kennecott was also booming, so the Corporation moved this building up to its present location on a flatcar. It served as a school for workers' children until the end of the 1921-1922 school year, when the student population had grown again and classes moved to the new and larger Two Room School. The Old School was converted to storage.<br /><br />Inside the School, staff and additional exhibits answer questions about the backcountry, front country trails, and the landmark, and more maps, books, and gifts are available for sale in the Alaska Geographic bookstore.<br />"<br />
One of two bridges, which provides access to McCarthy town and Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark. All visitors must park their vehicles at the end of the road and walk, bike, or take a shuttle into McCarthy and Kennecott. A seasonal private (non-NPS) shuttle to McCarthy (1/2 mile) and to Kennecott (5 miles) is available on the east side of the bridge. Summer hours of shuttle operation are posted in the weather shelter.
Kennicott River bridge. 2 ¾ minutes.<br />Fifty-nine miles (18 km) east from Chitina, the McCarthy Road dead ends at the Kennicott River. From an open, slightly inclined gravel staging area on the banks of the river, a quarter-mile (400 m) long steel and concrete footbridge, five feet (1.5 m) wide with five-foot (1.5 m) tall metal railings, spans the glacially-birthed torrent.<br />Three- by four-foot (1.25 m) metal, flatbed hand carts with rubber wheels by the side of the bridge may be used to help haul any belongings or luggage across the river.<br />The best place to experience the action at this location is from the bridge. As you move across, the river rises and falls along the banks. Listen for the rocks pushed along under the surface. High above, the mountain provides a stunning backdrop for the Kennicott Glacier and Stairway Icefall. Downstream from the bridge, note an old, hand-pulled, open platform cable tram. Travelers once had to haul themselves across the river on the tram.<br />Once you cross the bridge, a private shuttle takes passengers into the town of McCarthy, about one-half mile (800 m) away, or to the historic mining town of Kennecott, five miles (8 km) away. Note the shuttle does not operate in winter, and there are no Park Service-operated shuttles in McCarthy or Kennecott.<br />About 20 feet (6 m) to the right of the footbridge entrance stands an eight-foot (2.5 m) tall by four-foot (1.25 m) wide wooden information kiosk. An enlarged satellite map of the area in the middle of a posted Park Service information panel shows the Kennicott Glacier in the center flanked by Wrangell-St. Elias National Preserve on either side. The bridge is at the bottom of the map, alongside the town of McCarthy on the other side of the river. The road to Kennecott curves up and around to the right along the right-hand side of the glacier to the Kennecott Visitor Center at the top. Text above the map informs us that:<br /><br />The McCarthy-Kennecott Area is a mixture of National Preserve, private property and non-federal lands. We ask that you respect the privacy and rights of property owners as you explore the area.<br /><br />At the bottom right, underneath a color photograph of the 14-story red Kennecott mill, text urges you to, "Protect yourself and the resource." It lists of a number of things you can do, including making sure all food and garbage items are stored in a Bear-Resistant Food Container, never to enter any mine openings, and practice "Leave No Trace" principles.<br /><br />
An engineering achievement this cantilevered bridge was constructed in two, brutally cold months in 1910. Perched 238 feet above the Kuskulana, this one lane bridge provides spectacular views but please park on either side of the bridge to explore further.<br />
Kuskulana Bridge. 5 ¼ minutes.<br />Located on McCarthy Road, about one-third of the way from Chitina to McCarthy, the one-lane, 525 foot (160 m) long Kuskulana River Bridge hangs a vertigo-inducing 238 feet (73 m) above the bottom of the a deep, sheer-sided, rocky gorge. <br />An original steel railroad trestle, now a modernized span, is safe to cross by vehicle, on foot, or using a wheelchair, with reinforced planks and guardrails on either side. <br />National Park Service (NPS) outhouses are located in a small gravel parking lot on the McCarthy side of the bridge. It is well worth the time to park and move back onto the bridge from this location. The view of the steep-sided, rocky, black spruce canyon and the silty, rushing Kuskulana River far below is breathtaking, if not a little scary.<br />Be mindful of traffic, however, as there is no separate sidewalk. Note also that the road deck drops off immediately underneath the guardrail. <br />Imagine making the crossing riding high in a heavily loaded ore train across two icy rails with no guardrails. <br />Pulling into the NPS parking lot from McCarthy Road, the parking area is to the right, about 30 feet (9 m) across from a small, gravelly area with two picnic tables. Note a 10-foot (2.75 m) tall by 10-foot wide wooden information kiosk to the left of the tables.<br />At the back of the lot, note the small, one-story red and white outhouse building to the right about 40 feet (12 m) beyond the picnic tables. The building houses two gender-neutral restroom facilities. Both are wheelchair accessible, but note the gravel lot continues right up to the doorway of the building, with a small concrete lip threshold.<br />A set of bear-safe garbage cans are available about 15 feet (4.5 m) back to the right beyond the restrooms.<br />On the front side of the information kiosk, a black-and-white photograph fills the top of the first of two park service information panels. Entitled "Railway to Riches," a steam locomotive pulls a line of freight cars along a narrow railroad bed cut into a steep mountainside. Text underneath the photograph reads:<br /><br />From 1911-1938 the Copper River & Northwestern Railway was the lifeline for the Kennecott mines. Nicknamed the "Can't Run & Never Will" by its skeptics, the CR&NW overcame incredible challenges in its construction and operation.<br /><br />A map across the center shows the route of the railway from Kennecott, across the Kuskulana Bridge into Chitina, and ultimately to Cordova on the Gulf of Alaska. Text tells how the railway blasted and carved through the wilderness, and negotiated massive cliffs, raging rivers, frozen ground, and even icebergs to haul ore to market, and supplies to the mines. <br />A line of smaller black-and-white photographs along the bottom of the panel shows dangerous rock work, a train buried in snow drifts, laying track, steam shovel work, the Kennicott Trestle washing out and men blasting through rock at Woods Canyon.<br />A black-and-white photograph of a train crossing a different tall trestle fills the top of the second information panel at the right. Entitled "Wooden Wonder," this panel tells the story of the amazing and perilous construction of the 90-foot (28 m) tall and 880-foot (268 m) long wooden railroad trestle across Gilahina River. It was constructed in the dead of winter in 1911, in temperatures as low as minus 67 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 55 degrees Celsius). In spite of the terrible conditions, the Gilahina Trestle was completed in just eight days!<br />A black-and-white picture in the center shows the long, sweeping curve of the trestle above a snowy, tree-filled valley. A caption below another picture of the cross-hatched wooden trestle at the right reads in part:<br /><br />Sparks from passing trains were a serious risk to wooden trestles. Water barrels placed along the tracks were used for putting out small fires.<br /><br />A line of smaller black-and-white photographs along the bottom of this panel show makeshift wooden houses in a construction camp at Strelna, a line of pack horses hauling supplies, a railroad track cache, thousands of full ore bags in Kennecott waiting for the railroad to be finished, a view of the half-finished trestle at Gilahina and a railcar crossing the finished Gillahina Trestle. <br />The first of two additional panels on the back of the kiosk at the left, entitled "Gateway to Adventure," provides a map and specific site information about the spectacular scenery and vast wilderness along the 60 mile (96 km) long McCarthy Road. <br />The final panel on the right reviews the sport hunting regulations and restrictions in the McCarthy Road area. A map at the bottom shows the road crossing through a patchwork of different colored boxes, all identified by a legend key at the left showing what lands belong to whom, both public and private. A caption reads:<br /><br />Respect Private Property<br />Almost a million acres of private land lies within the boundary of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve...Always obtain permission before entering private land.<br /><br />
Malaspina Glacier, located primarily within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park on the coast, is the largest piedmont glacier in North America and one of the largest outside the ice cap regions of the world. Latitude: 59.971466064453125 Longitude: -140.52377319335938
Malaspina Glacier, located primarily within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park on the coast, is the largest piedmont glacier in North America and one of the largest outside the ice cap regions of the world. It provides classic examples of glacial mechanisms and fluctuations. This large body of ice has been noted by explorers concerned with navigation of the western coast of North America for more than two centuries. It was designated as a National Natural Landscape in 1968, and is 1,075,409 acres large.
Containing the McCarthy Road and the towns of Chitina, McCarthy and Kennecott, this area is where history comes alive. The road follows the route of the previous CRNW Railroad, starting in the town of Chitina and ending a 1/2 mile before McCarthy at the Kennicott River footbridge. Walk, bike or shuttle 5 miles from the footbridge to Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark. For more info, visit: www.nps.gov/wrst/planyourvisit/mccarthy-road-and-kennecott-area.htm
McCarthy Road Basics: -The 59 mile, narrow, one-lane road is gravel, winding, and depending on conditions can be rough at times. -It may take two to three hours to travel the road, each way or longer if you make more stops. -Please drive the 35 mph speed limit, or most likely slower for blind curves, narrow sections, and rough patches. Use caution. -This is a remote area with limited services. There is no fuel available along the McCarthy Road at this time. At the road's end, fuel may be sold seasonally with limited hours. You should fill your tank with fuel in Chitina, Glennallen, or Kenny Lake. -Carry a full-sized spare tire and an adequate jack. Seasonal tire repair services are found in McCarthy and Chitina, look for signs. -Cell phone service varies according to your phone carrier, but is generally good, with some dead zones. Some carriers don't work at all. Public phones are available for local calls at the end of the road in McCarthy. -Private land adjoins many parts of the road. Please respect private property. Track Names: 1. Chitina Rest Area to The Copper River 2. Chitina River Scenic Vista 3. Strelna, Silver, and Sculpin Lakes 4. Kuskulana Bridge 5. Open Wetlands 6. Gilahina Trestle 7. Crystalline Hills 8. Lakina River 9. Long Lake 10.End of the Road Track 1: Chitina wayside to the Copper River area (Music starts and fades out) Welcome to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve, America’s largest national park! We hope you’re excited to embark upon this once in a lifetime journey. The rough and challenging McCarthy Road winds through the park and into the heart of this rugged Alaskan terrain. Remoteness requires a little planning, so we hope you have all the essentials: extra food & water, a road guide & map, a park newspaper, binoculars, proper outdoor gear & clothing, a spare tire & adequate jack, and a strong sense of adventure! The McCarthy Road provides for breathtaking mountain vistas, the chance to see wildlife and an opportunity to explore the vast landscape. You can also learn the surprising tale of a railway built solely to serve the bustling Kennecott Copper Mines. The McCarthy Road stretches for 59 scenic miles from the famous Copper River to the historic towns of McCarthy and Kennecott. The roadway originated as a railway, completed in 1911, to transport copper ore from the remote Kennecott Copper Mines to a coastal port for shipping. When large scale operations ended in 1938, most of the rails were salvaged for scrap iron, but were subsequently lost to a tsunami following the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake. The remaining rails were pushed aside along the road. In 1971 a new bridge was constructed over the Copper River, the first large river you cross just one mile west of the town of Chitina. The rail bed was then covered with gravel, creating what we now call the McCarthy Road. Narrow and winding, the road still reflects its railway origins. In places, remnants of railroad ties may come to the surface along with the occasional spike, creating unexpected hazards. Although traffic and weather often result in ruts and bumpy surfaces, under normal summer conditions most passenger vehicles can make the trip. Please allow faster vehicles to pass, by pulling over and using turnouts. Due to the narrow road and limited visibility, we suggest extreme caution for large RV’s on the McCarthy Road. Remember the speed limit is 35 mph and most times you’ll need to go slower due to changing and hazardous conditions. Also, the McCarthy Road can have soft shoulders and may be slick in rainy conditions, so travel with care. In dry conditions, the road can be extremely dusty. If you’re passing on-coming traffic, slow down so that both vehicles are able to see the edge of the road as you’re passing. Increase your following distance to stay safe in these dusty conditions. This will make for a more enjoyable ride for all travelers on the road. Driving the entire length of the McCarthy Road can take about 2 to 3 hours oneway. Some other important facts to note about this road: At several points along the way, you’ll notice signs showing private land interspersed among the national park and national preserve lands, so please respect private property. Cell phone coverage varies by carrier, but is generally good with some dead zones. Other carriers may have no coverage at all. There are several waysides and rest areas located along the road, with vault toilets and picnic tables, but no running water. Last, but not least, there are no fuel stations along the McCarthy Road, but fuel may be seasonally available in McCarthy, at the end of the road. Tire repair service may be seasonally available in McCarthy and Chitina. There are no other services along the road, so please plan accordingly.
Mount St. Elias is the tallest mountain in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. Rising to an elevation of 18,008 feet (5,489 m) above Icy Bay, it is the second tallest peak in both the United States and Canada and fourth tallest in North America.
Mount St. Elias is the tallest mountain in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. Rising to an elevation of 18,008 feet (5,489 m) above Icy Bay, it is the second tallest peak in both the United States and Canada and fourth tallest in North America. The mountain’s official English name was likely borrowed from the name that explorer Vitus Bering gave to a point of land he sighted on, July 20, the saint’s day of St. Elias, in 1741, but the Alaska Native Tlingit name for it is Was'eitushaa, meaning “mountain at the head of Icy Bay”.
This area encompasses the Nabesna Road and nearby area. Starting at mile 60 of the Tok Cutoff Highway, the Nabesna Road starts at Slana and is nestled in a valley between two mountain ranges, the Alaska Range and the Wrangell Mountain Range. The scenic Mentasta Mountains are the foothills of the Alaska Range and there are several small lakes and rivers which offer endless opportunities for outdoor recreation. Drive, Hike, bike, picnic scenic views and wildlife viewing!
Nabesna Road Audio Tour Script Track Names: 1. Slana Ranger Station to Slana River Bridge 2. Slana River Bridge to 4-Mile Road Junction 3. 4-Mile Road Junction to the Park/Preserve Sign at Mile 5.6 4. Park/Preserve Sign at Mile 5.6 to Copper Lake Trailhead 5. Copper Lake Trailhead to Dead Dog Hill 6. Dead Dog Hill to Caribou Creek Trailhead 7. Caribou Creek Trailhead to Rock Lake Rest Area 8. Rock Lake Rest Area to the Camping Area at Twin Lakes 9. The Camping Area at Twin Lakes to Lost Creek Trailhead 10.Lost Creek Trailhead to Jack Creek Rest Area 11.Jack Creek Rest Area to Skookum Volcano Trailhead 12.Skookum Volcano Trailhead to Reeve’s Field 13.The End of the Road! 14.Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Visitor Center, in Copper Center 15.Chitina, the McCarthy Road, and Kennecott Mill Town 16. Conservation and Research Efforts in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve Track 1: Slana Ranger Station to Slana River Bridge Welcome to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve, America’s largest national park! What has brought you here? Are you just passing by? Are you curious? Are you here to explore? If you’re looking for a chance to experience Alaskan wilderness, you’ve come to the right place. You’re about to embark on a trip down the Nabesna road: built for a gold mine, yet today providing access to so much more. There is much to discover here! As you drive this road, you’ll catch a glimpse into the interior of Alaska. Today, you may see moose grazing on willow twigs, a herd of caribou trotting through a meadow, or a pair of swans gliding across a lake. As you drive, you’ll see majestic mountains, shaped by glaciers and volcanoes, set within breathtaking landscapes. There is also a fascinating history of people who have made this land their home, both in the past and in the present. The Nabesna Road stretches for 42 scenic miles, and it’s much the same today as it was when it was built back in 1934. Generally, the Nabesna Road is passable by any two-wheel drive vehicle. But sometimes, especially after it has rained, the road may become rough and you may need a four wheel drive vehicle. Please be cautious and take care, as there may be uneven surfaces, potholes, and washouts present. Driving the Nabesna Road can be an adventure! Have fun and take it slow. Soak it in. Pull over, step out of your vehicle, and take a deep breath of the Alaskan air. Drink in the beauty. And take notice of the rich interplay of the wildlife, people, and landscape around you—all held within the wilderness of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. (Music fades in and ends) This concludes Track 1. At this time, go ahead and pause or stop this recording. Proceed to Track 2 during your drive between the Slana River Bridge and 4-Mile Road Junction. Track 2: Slana River Bridge to 4-Mile Road Junction (Music starts and fades out) You’ve just crossed over the Slana River, which drains off of the Mentasta Mountains, located to your left as you drive the road. This pristine river empties into the Copper River just two miles downstream from the Slana Bridge, making the Slana River part of the Copper River watershed. This watershed shapes the dramatic landscape of Wrangell-St. Elias, and it is the lifeblood of the park's varied ecosystems. With an abundance of wide open spaces and hundreds of miles of streams draining into the Copper River watershed, Wrangell-St. Elias is home to a tremendous array of fish resources. The Copper River and most of its tributaries are migration routes for sockeye, coho, and king salmon, and pink and chum salmon can be found in the park as well. Adult salmon begin this migration cycle by swimming upstream from the Gulf of Alaska to build a nest, spawn, and deposit their eggs. These fish return to the stream where they were born, bringing a gift of life.
This building had three ways to generate electricity: diesel gas generators, steam generators, and a Pelton waterwheel. Steam for heating, electricity and compressed air moved from this plant through warm utilidoors built under the wooden, snow-free sidewalks found throughout the mill camp.<br />
"Power Plant. 4 ½ minutes.<br />Located at the northern end of town along the west side of the main gravel road, four towering smoke stacks rise from the three-story, 13,218 square foot (4,025 square meter) Power Plant. <br />As you move along the road toward the center of the plant, be mindful of rusted metal rails and other large metal debris lying in front of the nearly 120 foot (36 m) long structure.<br />Banks of three, eight-foot (2.5 m) tall by 10-foot (2.75 m) wide double hung white windows line the walls of the first section of the long red building.<br />A 10-foot (2.75 m) wide wood plank boardwalk near the end of this portion of the plant leads over a set of railroad tracks and over a small wooden threshold through a set of double red and white wooden doors onto a 10-foot (2.75 m) wide by five-foot (1.5 m) deep metal platform. A four-foot (1.25 m) tall metal railing surrounds the platform, with metal mesh screening between the rails.<br />The platform looks out over the power plant floor, to four enormous, two-story tall boilers at the right. A smokestack rises up from each, penetrating the roof and reaching for the sky beyond. To the left and right, additional large tanks and pipes line the periphery of the inside walls of the plant.<br />Straight ahead, on a catwalk on the other side of the plant, across the shop floor, a seven-foot (2.1 m) tall black-and-white floor-standing photograph shows a man in a long-sleeve shirt, tie, soft-billed cap and overalls standing before the turbines holding a pair of gloves. Mr. McGavoch was one of the electrician's here at the plant.<br />A three and a half-foot (1.1 m) wide angled information panel mounted flush with the top of the railing at the left tells the story of the Power Plant. Text next to an image of an early electric light bulb reads:<br /><br />Built and expanded 1911-1917, rebuilt after the 1924 fire, restoration completed in 2014<br />Power was essential for Kennecott operations<br />In the earliest years, a small wood-burning boiler powered the sawmill. The first of the boilers in front of you came up when the railway was completed in 1911. As the others were added, this became one of the largest power plants in Alaska.<br />The boilers burned oil to generate steam. The steam generated electricity in the Mill's steam turbines, heated the ammonia reaction in the leaching plant, and warmed buildings throughout the Mill camp. The diesel-electric generators (to your left) sent electricity to the camp, Mill, trams, and mines. The Pelton wheel generator hiding behind them was used in emergencies. Multiple ways to generate power meant that even if something went wrong, operations could continue.<br /><br />A black-and-white photograph at the right side of the panel shows an aerial view of the plant from the west. A quote at the bottom of the panel reads:<br /><br />"An oil storage tank located on the hill above the power plant held enough oil to operate Kennecott all winter...At 30 degrees below zero, the steam plant was a nice place to work."<br />-Wesley Bloom, journeyman electrician at Kennecott, 1935-1937<br /><br />From this location, note an exterior, four-foot (1.25 m) wide wood plank boardwalk, parallel to the plant that runs about 60 feet (18 m) north to a second, wooden observation platform inside the plant at the left. Inside, the boardwalk extends left from the platform, snaking around some of the pipes and tanks inside the plant, providing additional viewing vantage points closer to the boilers and smokestacks.<br />Power played a critical role in Kennecott's self-sufficiency. Industry requires power, and generating power in the wilderness, on a sizable scale, required imagination and herculean effort. The plant provided power and steam heat to the entire town. Steam traveled to outlying buildings through underground wooden conduits. These were often built under wooden sidewalks, keeping them free of snow and ice in the winter. Water for the steam boilers was diverted from Bonanza Creek, north of the town. Power was also transmitted over a high-tension line to Bonanza and then across the hill to Jumbo.<br />"<br />
Public Use Cabins by reservation: https://www.nps.gov/wrst/planyourvisit/backcountry-cabins.htm Viking Lodge Cabin, access from Nabesna Road Caribou Creek Cabin, access from Nabesna Road Nugget Creek Cabin, access from McCarthy Road Esker Stream Cabin, access from Yakutat coastal area
Public Use Cabins by reservation: Viking Lodge Cabin, access from Nabesna Road. Caribou Creek Cabin, access from Nabesna Road. Nugget Creek Cabin, access from McCarthy Road. Esker Stream Cabin, access from Yakutat coastal area.
Mile 42.5 Nabesna Road. The maintained portion of the Nabesna Road ends at the Lodge, which is private property. Please respect this property and their privacy. Be careful not to park on the airstrip. Parking: Approximately a 1/4 mile beyond the lodge, there is a gravel parking area that is located on public land. Since the road is not maintained beyond this point, continue by foot to the Rambler Mine trailhead. The strenuous trail leads uphill (south) to the mine ruins.
Mile 42.5 Nabesna Road. The maintained portion of the Nabesna Road ends at the Devil's Mountain Lodge, which is private property. Please respect this property and their privacy. Stay alert, and be careful not to park on the airstrip. Parking: Approximately a 1/4 mile beyond the lodge, there is a gravel parking area that is located on public land. Since the road is not maintained beyond this point, continue by foot to the Rambler Mine trailhead. The trail leads uphill (south) toward the remains of the abandoned Rambler Mine, a gold mining area that was active in the late 1940s. The one mile trail is strenuous and steep but has superlative views of the Nabesna River and the Nutzotin Mountains.
This 1916 building was the place for community recreation, entertainment and social gatherings. Here they had silent movies, holiday pageants, basketball and shuffleboard, fraternity meetings. It is still used today. There are two vault toilets behind it.<br />It can be rented out for events
"Recreation Hall. 12 minutes.Located 50 feet (15 m) to the north from the Kennicott Glacier Lodge, a set of wooden stairs and a wheelchair accessible ramp around the building from below, leads to a one-story red and white wooden building.Using the stairs, from the main gravel road, proceed 13 steps down a set of four-foot (1.25 m) wide wooden stairs, with four-foot (1.25 m) tall railings on either side, to a small wooden landing. Proceed down nine more steps to an eight-foot (2.5 m) wide by 19 foot (5.8 m) long wooden platform in front of the Recreation Hall. The single red and white wood door entrance is located in the middle of the building.Note the wheelchair accessible ramp is located on the west side of the building, but is reachable only from the lower service road. Note also there are two, red and white, gender neutral accessible outhouses near the base of the ramp, located immediately to the south along a 10-foot (2.75 m) gravel driveway leading west back to the service road.Facing the front door, exercise caution moving over the slightly raised wooden threshold onto the hardwood floor of a small, 10-square foot (three-square meter) anteroom. At the right, two pot belly stoves sit on a single-brick raised platform. At the left, a two and a half-foot (0.75 m) tall flip book display, mounted on an angle, stands in front of a three and a half-foot (1.1 m) wide by seven-foot (2.1 m) tall wall panel at the back. The panel presents information about the activities that took place here, while the flipbook offers more vignettes about the community's social and political history up to the present day.Beyond this entrance area, the hall opens up into a 30-foot (9 m) wide by 50-foot (15 m) long open, rectangular room with 15 foot (4.5 m) ceilings. Rows of six-foot (2 m) square windows line the center of both walls, looking up to the mountains on the east and out over the Kennicott Glacier on the west. Rows of wooden benches at the base of the walls sit on opposite sides of the dark, hardwood floor. A large movie screen hangs at the back of the hall, and there's a modern, black and silver wood stove in the far back left corner.Back inside the anteroom, facing the two pot belly stoves, the stove at the left is identified as a Great Western wood burning stove. It stands six feet (2 m) tall with a nearly three-foot (1 m) wide square black base. It has a generally cylindrical body with metal castings and hardware that rises to another dark cylinder at the top, connecting to a stovepipe into the ceiling above. Feel free to explore this original artifact.Opposite the stove, a black-and-white photograph at the top of the wall panel shows the frontier buildings and town of Kennecott in the early 20th century. A hand-written musical score appears across the bottom of the panel. Next to an image in the center of a pair of brown leather boxing gloves with green lacing, text reads:Recreation HallBuilt in 1916, restoration complete in 2003A place to socialize and celebrateThe twinkle of lights and sound of music enticed managers, their families, and workers to fill the Recreation Hall for dances, symphonies, school plays, Christmas pageants, movies, the occasional church service, and indoor sports like basketball, shuffleboard, roller skating, wrestling, and boxing matches. Organizing and enjoying these activities together helped create a sense of community among employees.The Kennecott Copper Corporation provided the Recreation Hall and other comforts to attract and keep workers. In exchange, the Corporation expected them to work hard and stay out of trouble.Below this text, between the wall panel and the flip book, note a music stand on the vignette with some sheet music from the era. There is also a lady's dance card from the 1920s for use at Kennecott dances, with numbered lines and a white string loop and small tassel.Turning to the first page of the flip book, a quote at the top of the dark purple page reads:"Such an abundance of dancing partners."Text continues:Dances were held in the Recreation Hall two to four times a month in the 1920s, although this dwindled to once a month by the late 1930s. In those decades, dancing required a partner of the opposite sex, but women-nurses, teachers, secretaries, and wives-were in short supply at Kennecott. To keep things orderly and to be sure that everyone had a turn, men reserved a dance by writing their name on a lady's dance card. Dance cards could fill up very quickly.A quote at the bottom reads:"There is a recreation hall where a few of the dances-the big ones like New Years and Fourth of July, etc., are held and everybody attends... the men outnumber [us] ... and no matter how much your feet hurt or your knees weaken, you have to keep on dancing."- Ethel LeCount in a letter to a friend, 1938.To the right on page two, a black-and-white photograph shows a line of men in suits and women in long elegant dresses standing underneath hundreds of strands of twisted streamers.
This 4.2 mile trail leads to the views of the Nabesna River. Though Reeve's Field airstrip is not longer here, this area is historically significant. During 1941, trucks hauled equipment from Valdez to a rustic airstrip along the river. Pilot Bob Reeve cut the equipment into pieces, loaded it into his Boeing Trimotor, flew them to Northway about 40 miles north and had them re-welded. This effort was to build the Northway Airport to defend Alaska during WWII.
Mile 40.2 Nabesna Road. The first two miles is suitable for hiking, but beyond that, it becomes a muddy trail not recommended for hikers. Along the trail, please respect private property and take care not to trespass. Though Reeve's Field airstrip is no longer here, this area is historically significant. During 1941, trucks hauled equipment from Valdez to a rustic airstrip along the river. Pilot Bob Reeve cut the equipment into pieces, loaded it into his Boeing Trimotor, flew them to Northway about 40 miles north and had them re-welded. This effort was to build the Northway Airport, a critical stopover in ferrying led-lease aircraft to the Soviet Union during WWII. By November, he had transported all the materials needed for a full-scale airport. One month later the the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor gave relevance to his work and the airport which was a critical element in the defense of Alaska.
Of the 5,000 square miles of glacial ice in Wrangell-St. Elias, the Root Glacier is the most accessible. A moderate 1 ½ mile walk from the historic mining town of Kennecott along the Root Glacier Trail leads you onto the glacier. Be aware that glaciers can be dangerous. It is recommended to wear crampons or ice spikes on your shoes and go with an experienced guide.
Hike on a glacier. Caution use crampons and go with an experienced guide. 4 miles, 2-4 hours round-trip. Trailhead at Kennecott mill town, 5 miles north of McCarthy.
Rufus Creek primitive campsite for one group has a restroom, picnic table, Information board, and fishing in the nearby creek (Dolly Varden, Rainbow Trout). Gravel parking area has space for two regular sized vehicles or one small recreational camper vehicle (RV).
Rufus Creek primitive campsite for one group has a restroom, picnic table, Information board, and fishing in the nearby creek (Dolly Varden, Rainbow Trout). Gravel parking area has space for two regular sized vehicles or one small recreational camper vehicle (RV).
Mile 36.2 Nabesna Road. Skookum Volcano Trail is 2.5 miles one-way to a beautiful high pass. The trail leads through an extinct, deeply eroded volcanic system with fascinating geology two to four million years old. The elevation at the trailhead is 3,000' and rises to an elevation of 4,800' at the pass. Volcanic Ash and hot gasses formed a fiery cloud which flowed down the flanks of the volcano to produce the tan and light gray rocks. Lava formed the pink and rust colored roc
Mile 36.2 Nabesna Road. Skookum Volcano Trail is 2.5 miles one-way to a beautiful high pass.The trail leads through an extinct, deeply eroded volcanic system with fascinating geology. The elevation at the trailhead is 3,000' and rises to an elevation of 4,800' at the pass. Hikers can explore other routes or expand this hike into a multiple-day trip. At this area along Nabesna Road, the jagged peaks south of the road are dominated by volcanic rocks ejected from the Skookum Creek Volcano. Volcanic Ash and hot gasses formed a fiery cloud which flowed down the flanks of the volcano to produce the tan and light gray rocks. Lava which issued from several volcanic vents flowed downslope and solidified to produce the more massive pinkish-tan and rust colored rocks. Radioactive dating of these rocks by USGS investigators shows that Skookum Creek Volcano was active between two and four million years ago. Deep canyons and steep slopes show that erosion has been very effective in wearing down the land during the last two million years.
Located in the northern portion of the park, about two hours north of the Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center Complex. Slana is east of the Tok-Cutoff Hwy at mile 0.5 Nabesna Road. Call for season dates and hours of operation in Summer (907) 822-7401. The Slana Ranger Station provides information about the northern side of the park and the Nabesna Road as well as trip-planning, things to do, road conditions and subsistence ORV, fishing and hunting permits.
Slana Ranger Station and Visitor Center. 3 ¼ minutes.<br />Located a short distance down a small state road just south of and running parallel to Nabesna Road, a dark wooden sign at the right with the words "Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve" in white in the center welcomes you to the Slana Ranger Station and Visitor Center. <br />Note a gravel parking lot in front of the one-story, dark red-brown wood structure with a vaulted triangular roof, and a four-foot (1.25 m) tall vertical log railing lines a six-foot (2 m) wide porch in front. To the left, the covered porch extends around and back to the right, along the left-hand side of the building. <br />At the center of the building, a 10-foot (2.75 m) wide, slightly inclined wood plank walkway leads up from the parking lot onto the porch across a rubberized carpet in front of a set of double wood and glass doors. A two-foot tall National Park Service logo hangs above the walkway in front. A tall flag pole in front stands about 10 feet (3 m) to the left of the side porch.<br />A wooden sign hanging on the wall to the left of the front entrance indicates the women's restroom is located straight ahead, inside the building, while the door to the men's restroom is located to the left around the corner on the side of the building, about 30 feet (9 m) back from the front porch.<br />Hanging underneath this sign, note a twenty-four inch (60 cm) wide by 12-inch (30 cm) high wooden box with a number of park brochures, information sheets, and maps.<br />Note a telephone located around the corner, hanging along the left side of the building, about 15 feet (4.5 m) back from the front porch, just past an information display case on the right. In an emergency, please call 9-1-1. Know that you are at the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Slana Ranger Station on the Nabesna Road in Slana, AK. Otherwise, to contact the Nabesna Ranger, please call NPS Dispatch at (907) 683-9555.<br />A side door to the ranger station is located just beyond the telephone on the right, past a window in the side of the building, and the door to the men's restroom is about six feet (2 m) further on past the side door on the right.<br />Opposite the men's room door, on the other side of the porch, a 10-foot (2.75 m) wide set of three wooden stairs with a wooden railing at the left and right lead down from the porch to a staff gravel parking area.<br />Inside the ranger station, there's an information desk at the immediate left where visitors can get federal subsistence permits, hunting and fishing permits, ATV/UTV permits, road condition information, and participate in the Junior Ranger program. There's a bookstore straight ahead, and a study area with WiFi and a table and chairs at the right. <br />Note the women's restroom is located about 15 feet (4.5 m) straight back from the front door, through a single wooden doorway, about four feet (1.25 m) to the left.<br />
The park film is show here daily upon the hour or upon request on the half hour.
Visitor Center Complex - Theater. 2 minutes.<br />The one-story wood frame Theater Hall building is located about 40 feet (12 m) west from the flag pole outside the visitor center across a small asphalt courtyard. <br />Note some bike racks at the left, and a wooden bench further along in the courtyard, beyond the bike racks. <br />A triangular wooden arch with wooden beams, about 20 feet (6 m) high by 20 feet (6 m) across, hangs over a concrete pad entranceway.<br />Note a bench at the left, a picnic table at the right, and a second bench beyond the picnic table at the right. <br />Moving about 15 feet (4.5 m) across the concrete porch area, a set of double metal and glass doors swing outward across a metal grate. Be mindful of the threshold as you cross from the concrete porch onto a carpeted floor hallway inside the building. <br />You may turn either to the left or right down this hallway, and circle around to the sloped floor of the theater itself. A single seating section in the center of the room has eight rows of wooden benches with backs, stretching 20 feet (6 m) across the room, with a four-foot (1.25 m) aisle on either side. A white movie screen hangs on the wall at the front of the theater, which shows an introductory 22-minute film about Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. The film is shown daily, every hour on the hour, from 10:00am to 5:00 pm.<br />The film is open-captioned and audio-described. If you would listen to the film with audio description, please ask a Ranger for a headset next door at the Visitor Center information desk.<br /><br />
The historic Valdez Trail was used by stampeders from Valdez to the gold rush in the Yukon. A small section of the Valdez Trail is on the Boreal Forest Trail around the Copper Center Visitor Center.
A portion of the Boreal Forest trail leads west from the bus shelter through the boreal forest along the side of the road. Note the trail goes across gravel and dirt, and the ground is slightly uneven with a number of roots sticking up throughout. About 200 feet (60 m) along from the bus shelter, the path comes to a “T.” The Boreal Forest trail continues right to the north, while a section of the Valdez trail leads north and south to the right and left. At this intersection, a black-and-white photograph on a three-foot tall (1 m) angled metal wayside panel shows a wintry scene with line of men wearing fur coats and black hats trudging through hip-deep snow with several horses laboring to pull heavily-laden wagons through the drifts. Text on the panel reads: The Valdez Trail “Long on prospects and short on gold,” stampeders — anxious gold miners — hurried along this trail blazed by the U.S. Army at the turn of the 20th century. Gold strikes in Canada’s Klondike River Valley lured miners north through the Yukon Territory. Americans objected to foreign-controlled trails, so the Army cut this trail — the Valdez Trail — opening the Alaskan interior. The Valdez Trail led from Prince William Sound at Valdez to the Yukon River settlement of Eagle City. But a new gold discovery shifted attention west to Alaska’s Tanana Valley. By 1904 a different route was established, Valdez to Fairbanks, which remains a dominant Alaskan interior passageway today. A caption below the lead horse in the center reads: The Valdez Trail officially opened as a miner’s trail in 1901. By 1904 horse-drawn wagons and dog sleds carried freight and passengers along the trail; and in 1913 the first automobile traveled the trail’s length. Inset at the top right, a narrow black line on a blue map of Alaska shows the path of the trail. It leads from Valdez along the southern central coast north to Glennallen at the western edge of present-day Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. From there, the trail splits in two, one leg continuing north to Fairbanks, while the other leg veers northeast to Eagle City near the Canadian border. At the lower right, a green inset map shows the location of the Valdez trail within the visitor center complex, indicated by a thin green line running north and south along the left edge of the map. A black “You Are Here” marker at the lower left of map indicates your current position. A green marker to the east indicates the location of the visitor center. A dotted red line traces a circle on the map, identified as the Boreal Forest trail. The two trails run together at the left. A caption under the map reads: Walk in the tracks of early Alaskan pioneers. This 1⁄2-mile loop trail follows one of the few remaining sections of the Valdez Trail, replaced today by the Richardson Highway.
The historic Valdez Trail was used by stampeders from Valdez to the gold rush in the Yukon. A small section of the Valdez Trail is on the Boreal Forest Trail around the Copper Center Visitor Center.
On the southwest side of the ½-mile Boreal Forest loop trail, a black-and-white photograph on a three-foot tall (1 m) angled metal wayside panel entitled, “Valdez to Fairbanks,” shows a wintry scene of men in parkas and fur hats in front of a number of one-story, snow-covered wooden buildings with a couple horses lashed to wooden sleds with human passengers. Text at the top of the panel reads: In 1899 the U.S. Army started building this trail that became the first all-American route from the coast to the Alaskan interior. Extending from Valdez to Eagle City, then later rerouted to Fairbanks, the trail opened the interior to modern civilization. At first it was a foot trail, then a wagon trail, and finally, in 1919, a motorized roadway. The Valdez Trail was the main stem for Alaska pioneer travel. Gold miners, followed by entrepreneurs, postal carriers, freight and passenger transporters, and adventurers, all used the trail. Roadhouses —rustic inns —sprang up along the route. Roadhouses begot communities. Communities begot amenities. And the trail helped bring electric lights, running water, and a telephone system to frontier Fairbanks. A caption at the bottom left reads: Roadhouses, like the Wortman’s shown here, competed for the weary traveler’s dollar, offering such comforts as sheltered beds, hot baths, and hearty meals. Inset at the top right, a narrow black line on a blue map of Alaska shows the path of the trail. It leads from Valdez along the southern central coast north to Glennallen at the western edge of present-day Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. From there, the trail splits in two, one leg continuing north to Fairbanks, while the other leg veers northeast to Eagle City near the Canadian border. A caption to the right of the map reads: In 1901 the trail reached Eagle City. By 1904 it was diverted to Fairbanks.
Violent Silhouettes wayside overlook at the visitor center bluff.
About 200 feet (60 m) east along an asphalt path from the “Planning Your Visit” wayside panel, past the restroom and exhibit hall buildings in the Visitor Center Complex, the path widens out to the left and right along a bluff overlooking a wide, tree-covered valley. On the far side of the path at the left, a pair of long-range binoculars, mounted atop a four-foot (1.25 m) metal pole with a wide circular metal foot stand at the base, offers stunning views of the valley and mountains beyond. The Copper River is visible through the trees at the lower left. To the right of the binoculars, a color photograph taken from this view point fills an angled metal wayside panel. Two snow-covered mountains rising above the trees on the far side of the valley are identified: at the left, Mount Drum is 12,010 feet (3,661 m) tall. At the right, Mount Wrangell is 14,163 feet (4,317 m) tall. Text on the panel, entitled “Violent Silhouettes,” reads: Visible from here are two prominent mountains: Mount Drum and Mount Wrangell. Both are volcanoes, but their silhouettes suggest a difference in their eruptive histories. The younger Mount Wrangell is a shield volcano, a broad-dome mountain built mainly of oozing lava flows. Mount Wrangell is still an active volcano and on calm days you can see steam rising from its summit. The older Mount Drum is a stratovolcano—potentially a very explosive volcano. Stratovolcanoes are steeper and more conical than shield volcanoes. Blobs of molten rock exploded skyward in successive eruptions to form Mount Drum. From this angle Mount Drum appears taller than Mount Wrangell, though it is actually 2,000 feet shorter. But as recently as 250,000 years ago Mount Drum was 2,000 feet taller—that is, before its top blew off! A caption beneath a smaller black-and-white photograph of Mount Wrangell inset at the lower right reads: Dark volcanic ash blankets Mount Wrangell, while a steam plume rises from an active crater, around 1902. Thousands of volcanic lava flows, covering more than 4,000 square miles, compose the Wrangell Mountains. South of this location, the asphalt path continues to another wayside panel and overlook, and the park amphitheater. To the north, the path leads to the start of the Boreal Forest-Valdez loop trail.
Walk in the Steps of Pioneers wayside overlook at the visitor center bluff and start of the 1/2 mile easy Boreal Forest Trail, with a small section of the historic Valdez Trail.
About 150 feet (45 m) north along the asphalt bluff path from the Violent Silhouettes wayside panel and overlook, a color photograph fills an angled, metal wayside panel. Entitled, “Walk in the Steps of Pioneers,” it shows a narrow dirt path winding through the low, mossy underbrush of a forest of spruce trees. Note that about 30 feet (9 m) south of this location, a pair of long-range binoculars, mounted atop a five-foot (1.5 m) metal pole with a concrete base, offers stunning views of the valley and mountains to the east. Note a wooden bench on the opposite side of the path across from these binoculars. Text at the bottom left of the panel provides information about some of the easy hiking trails here at the Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center Complex. It reads: The 1/2-mile loop trail follows even terrain, though wheelchair-users may need assistance. The trail passes along the river bluff, then cuts through the forest, connecting to a section of the historic Valdez Trail, the first all-American route into interior Alaska. A transition begins here, though it’s not obvious. But walk a short distance and you’ll see an abruptness that marks the shift from one forest successional stage to the next. Still farther, you’ll walk in the steps of pioneers who brought about great change to this wild land. Please use caution as you travel through bear country. Leave cultural sites, plants, and animals undisturbed, for future generations to enjoy.
The two depressions on the west side of the trail may once have been part of an Ahtna homesite 300-500 years ago. Ahtna settlements consisted of semi-permanent winter villages and seasonal hunting and fishing camps. Several families lived together in villages, while single families or individuals dwelled in seasonal camps.
The two depressions on the west side of the trail may once have been part of an Ahtna homesite 300-500 years ago. Ahtna settlements consisted of semi-permanent winter villages and seasonal hunting and fishing camps. Several families lived together in villages, while single families or individuals dwelled in seasonal camps. Winter houses, built with the materials at hand, provided a warm refuge from the deep cold. Telling stories and riddles were popular activities during the long dark hours. Through these stories elders taught about the nature of the universe and moral obligations to other beings. Winter food supplies were kept in caches above and below ground. Foods such as salmon, berries and roots were stored in bark-lined underground pit caches. The stored berries and roots were packed in birch bark baskets. Although food storage methods have changed, the Ahtna of today continue to harvest and store salmon and berries for winter use.
Located at mile 106.8 Richardson Highway, 10 miles south of Glennallen, Alaska. The campus-like setting includes: a visitor center, a park store, an exhibit hall, a theater, restrooms, picnic tables and a picnic shelter, an amphitheater, the Ahtna Cultural Center, scenic overlooks and short nature trails. Watch the park film, hike along the Copper River bluff, get park information and backcountry trip planning. Subsistence fishing and hunting permits are also available.
Located at mile 106.8 Richardson Hwy, 10 miles south of Glennallen, Alaska. The Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center complex in Copper Center is the place to start your visit to the park. The campus-like setting includes: a visitor center, a park store, an exhibit hall, a theater, restrooms, picnic tables and a picnic shelter, an amphitheater, the Ahtna Cultural Center, scenic overlooks and short hiking trails. Enjoy the exhibits, view the park film, hike nature trails, shop in the park store, gather park & area information, conduct backcountry trip planning, and view the large 3-D interactive map display. Subsistence fishing and hunting permits are also available for eligible local rural residents. In addition, the park administration and business office is located nearby. Feel free to call us at (907) 822-7250 for exact dates since they can fluctuate each summer season. The visitor center parking lot gate is locked at 5 pm in summer (Closed in winter). The main park entrance gate is locked year-round at 5 pm. No overnight public parking is available at the Headquarters complex.
Accessible only by plane or boat, this area encompasses the park's coastal region, with 155 miles of little-known coastline. Here, huge mountains, enormous glaciers, and temperate rainforest meet the ocean. Visitor services are only found in the town of Yakutat, which is a plane or boat ride away from the park. https://www.nps.gov/wrst/planyourvisit/yakutat-and-coast.htm
Accessible only by plane or boat, the Yakutat area encompasses the park's coastal region, with 155 miles of coastline, where huge mountains, enormous glaciers, and temperate rainforest meet the ocean. Visitor services are only found in the town of Yakutat, which is a plane or boat ride away from the park boundary.
Located in downtown Chitina at mile 33 on the Edgerton Highway. Upon entering Chitina town southbound, turn left at the Chitina Hotel, drive down the gravel road 0.2 mile (300 meters), station on left. The light brown historical log cabin with mint green trim is the Chitina Ranger Station.
Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center in Copper Center
Enjoy the exhibits, view the park film, hike nature trails, shop in the bookstore, gather park & area information, conduct backcountry trip planning, and view the large 3-D interactive map display. Park rangers provide guided talks and walks daily during the summer months. Subsistence fishing and hunting permits are also available for eligible local rural residents.
Yakutat is located in the southern portion of the park along the coastline in Yakutat Bay at the base of the St. Elias Mountains. Accessible only by plane or boat, this area encompasses the park's coastal region, with 155 miles of little-known coastline, where giant mountains, enormous glaciers, and temperate rainforest meet the ocean. For information, please call Park Headquarters in Copper Center at (907) 822-5234.
Sport fishing in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park offers many opportunities. Arctic grayling, dolly varden, lake trout, steelhead/rainbow trout, whitefish, sockeye salmon, coho salmon, and chinook salmon are widespread. Nothern Pike, cutthroat trout, chum salmon and pink salmon are also available in select areas. Local residents catch burbot, lake trout, rainbow trout, and whitefish through the ice in the winter.
Ghost Towns
Ghost towns were once thriving communities that have dwindled over the decades, often created by the search for gold, copper and other valuable minerals. Some vanished entirely after the boom or were absorbed into newer settlements, but many of these towns still stand today, allowing us a nostalgic glimpse into the past. These places are where people ventured into remote areas to find their mineral fortune and endured the hardships of wilderness, wildlife and weather.
Front country Hiking Trails
Hiking in Wrangell-St. Elias can be spectacular and we encourage you to go, but be prepared! Most of the front country hiking trails are maintained for the first few miles and then become routes into the backcountry, where route finding and navigational skills are highly recommended. There are hiking trails in the Copper Center area, on Nabesna Road and on McCarthy Road.
Backpacking in Wrangell-St Elias
A backpacking trip in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve can be an exciting and rewarding experience if you are prepared for the difficulties of traveling through rugged, undeveloped land.
Webcams
Webcam views from the Visitor Center at Park Headquarters in Copper Center, Kennecott Mill and Mt. Blackburn and Kennicott Glacier and the Chugach Range.
Virtual Tours
Explore with geologists and their helicopter pilot around Kennicott Glacier on an interactive website virtual tour to learn how National Park Service staff monitor changes in the size of the glacier! Check out the Terrestrial LiDAR Scanning Project with 3-D data collected which provides precise measurements needed for the Stabilization Project of the mill structures.
Soar above mountains that make their own weather and glacier-carved valleys still emerging from the Ice Age, as you return with producer John Grabowska to a place of his boyhood dreams: Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. With calving glaciers in hidden fjords, wildlife wandering a vast land and countless unnamed peaks, Wrangell-St. Elias fulfills the romantic, mythic image of Alaska.
Flight Seeing
One of the best ways to experience the beauty and tremendous size of this park is from above! Fly past massive peaks, over jagged glaciers, and endless expanses of wild Alaska! There is a variety of air services available to visitors, including flightseeing excursions and air taxies for backcountry dropoffs for wilderness campers and backpackers. A wide variety of tours, trips, and itineraries are available. https://www.nps.gov/wrst/planyourvisit/air-taxis-flight-seeing.htm
Tours
Count: 5
Drive McCarthy Road
Once the gateway to tremendous fortunes from mining copper and gold, McCarthy Road is now the gateway to spectacular scenery, vast wilderness, and adventure. For those willing to leave the pavement behind, this unpaved 60 mile road provides access to many natural and historic wonders of our largest park. The road ends at the Kennicott River footbridge, where you can walk, bike or take a shuttle 5 miles further to the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark.
Drive Nabesna Road
The unpaved Nabesna Road stretches for 42 scenic miles, and it is much the same today as it was when it was built back in 1934 to transport gold from the mines. Generally, the Nabesna Road is passable by any two-wheel drive vehicle. But especially after it has rained, stream crossings may become impassable. At times, the road is rough and you may need a four wheel drive vehicle. Please be cautious and take care, as there may be uneven surfaces, potholes, and washouts present.
Hike the Boreal Forest Trail around the visitor center in Copper Center
Short walking trails with interpretive wayside signs around the Visitor Center complex in Copper Center, including the Exhibit Hall. Boreal Forest Trail: 1/2 mile loop, easy, partly paved, partly gravel, no elevation change. Copper River Bluff Trail: 1/2 mile loop, moderately difficult, gravel, some elevation change with a few steep sections. Valdez Trail: short segment of a historic trail, easy, gravel, no elevation change. Turn around at private property gate to return.
Visit Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark
Located in the center of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Kennecott is a park within a park. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1986, Kennecott is considered the best remaining example of early 20th Century copper mining. In June 1998, the National Park Service acquired many of the significant buildings and lands of the historic copper mining town of Kennecott and is still in the process of stabilizing many structures.
Yakutat - fly or sail to the coastal area of the park.
Accessible only by plane or boat, this area encompasses the park's coastal region, with 155 miles of little-known coastline. Here, huge mountains, enormous glaciers, and temperate rainforest meet the ocean. Visitor services are only found in town of Yakutat, which is a plane or boat ride away from Anchorage. A wide variety of outdoor enthusiasts come here to hike the beaches, float or fish the rivers, surf ocean waves, explore the bays, view glaciers, climb mountains and enjoy the wilderness.
