The BEST things to do in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (The largest in the US!)

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About Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Tucked among the Wrangell and St. Elias Mountain ranges, the park’s namesakes, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park encompasses 13 million acres in Southcentral Alaska.

But not only is Wrangell-St. Elias National Park the largest national park in the US, but it also holds some other impressive titles as well! The park is home to 9 of the 16 highest peaks in the US and one of the greatest concentrations of glaciers of North America. 

It is also a US-Canadian World Heritage Site along with Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska, plus Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park and Kluane National Park in Canada. Together the four parks make up the largest international protected wilderness.

However, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is so much more than beautiful nature. It has some interesting copper mining history too!

Back in the early 1900s, copper was discovered in the Kennecott area of the park and a large mining operation started. From 1911 to 1938, nearly $200 million worth of copper was processed. And about 300 people worked in the mill town, plus 200-300 people in the mines. But between the diminishing supply of high-grade ore, declining profits, and increasing costs of railroad repairs, the operation closed.

However, over the past few decades the park and the local community have been working to preserve the mining buildings and you can experience many of them while in the park today!

Before embarking on your adventure, please review the Leave No Trace principles to ensure you leave every place better than you found it, so that others can enjoy these beautiful places for many years to come!

These seven principles include planning ahead and preparing, hiking and camping on durable surfaces, disposing of waste properly (pack out what you pack in!), understanding campfire rules and always fully extinguishing your fires, respecting wildlife, and being considerate of other visitors. 

The BEST things to do in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

What we love so much about Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is that it offers a fun and unique mix of activities. You can hike, experience history, walk on a glacier, or simply just admire the views. 

Here are 10+ things to do in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, ranging in difficulty, length of time, and type of experience.

1. Stop by the Visitor Center in Copper Center

To explore the most popular areas of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park you’ll have to conquer some long, dirt roads. But before you do, make sure to stop by the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Visitor Center in Copper Center. This is located along the paved Richardson Highway and is the easiest part of the park to visit.

Here you can talk with park rangers and get information on the park and its roads, plus check out different exhibits. The visitor center is also home to the Boreal Forest Loop and Valdez Trail, which takes you through the forest and to a viewpoint.

We will say, this is a good starting point to visit the park. But if you want to truly experience the park, you will need to tackle the Nabesna or McCarthy Road (more on those later)! While there are scenic views around the visitor center, it doesn’t do the park’s true beauty justice!

2. Drive McCarthy Road

While Wrangell-St. Elias is one of the few national parks in Alaska reachable by car, it isn’t necessarily easy to get to. The park is only reachable by two unpaved roads, Nabesna Road and McCarthy Road. 

Out of the two, McCarthy Road is the most popular, as it takes you to McCarthy and Kennecott, the most visited areas of the park.

We personally had no issues driving the road and really enjoyed it! Similar to the rest of the park, it’s a neat mix of history and nature. The McCarthy Road follows the route of the old Copper River & Northwestern Railway, which carried copper ore from the Kennecott Mines to Cordova from 1907 to 1938. When large-scale mining ended, most of the rails were salvaged for scrap iron. And in 1971, the rail bed was covered with gravel, which created today’s road. 

Along the way, you’ll get to see rivers, mountains, forests, old bridges, and if you’re lucky (we weren’t!), wildlife. It’s the perfect adventure to kick off your time in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park!

Don’t want to drive the road yourself? You have a couple other options, which we will share later on in this guide!

To learn more about McCarthy Road, including our experience with the road conditions, some stops to make, and what to bring, check out our guide to driving McCarthy Road.

3. Visit the town of McCarthy

McCarthy is the gateway to the Kennecott area of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Back during Kennecott’s copper mining prime, McCarthy was the go-to spot for miners to get their booze, brothels, and gambling fix, which was prohibited at the mines.

Once the mines closed, it became a ghost town. But due to recreation at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, it has been revived as the adventure homebase for the park. Today, this small town is home to around 123 people and is a great place to stay, eat, or just wander around when visiting Wrangell-St. Elias. How often do you get to explore an old town IN a national park? 

There are many cool old buildings, a museum to check out, tour providers, and different shops and restaurants. We highly recommend eating at The Potato! Getting to enjoy a hot meal after a couple days of camping was such a nice perk.

4. Explore the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark

Years ago, one of the first photos we saw of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park was of the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark. These striking red buildings tucked into the Alaskan wilderness instantly made us intrigued to visit the park.

As we mentioned above, copper was discovered in this area in the early 1900s and the Kennecott mines operated from 1911 to 1938. During its prime, the Kennecott mine and mill town consisted of a hospital, store, school, and even a tennis court and ice skating rink!

Although the mine shut down in 1938, it is now a National Historic Landmark and is continuously being preserved so that the public can experience its history.

While in the Mines National Historic Landmark you can check out several of the buildings, which have been recreated to show what they would’ve been like. Our favorites were the General Store and Post Office. Here you’ll find exhibits to check out and view the park movie, “Crown of the Continent” as well as a short film about the mill.

The most striking feature of the complex is the 14 story Kennecott Mill. You can view the outside for free, but to go inside, you will need to book a 2 hour tour by St. Elias Alpine Guides. Since we had our dog Kona with us, we couldn’t do the tour, but we would love to in the future!

Whether you just wander around on your own or do the tour, this is hands down one of the best things to do in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. We love checking out old mining towns and ruins and have visited many cool spots across North America. But this was easily our favorite yet!

5. Walk on the Root Glacier

There are over 5,000 square miles of glacial ice in the park and the Root Glacier is the most accessible. And one of the coolest (literally) things to do in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is walk on the Root Glacier. That’s right, you can walk ON it! But not only that, you can do it without a guide if you so choose.

To visit the Root Glacier, it does require an almost 6 mile round trip hike. This hike starts from the Kennecott mining area and is fairly easy, with a stroll through the forest, by a waterfall, and then down to the glacier. Once at the glacier you are allowed to walk on it by yourself. 

However, you MUST have microspikes or crampons. Without these, it is unsafe to walk on a glacier and you may slip and fall. You also should not get too close to the edge, as glaciers can be fragile and may crack.

We’d also suggest going with a buddy. That way, in case you get into any trouble, you have someone to help you or call for help. Make sure to brush up on glacier safety beforehand!

If you feel a bit uneasy about walking on a glacier on your own, hire a guide! We’d suggest this for anyone who hasn’t been on a glacier before. Not only will this be safer, but you’ll learn so much about the geology and area, plus get to explore parts of the glacier that you may not have found otherwise.

To learn more about the hike, check out our detailed guide to Root Glacier Trail. You can also watch our video from Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, including walking on the Root Glacier. 

6. Hike the Bonanza Mine Trail

Miles (roundtrip): 8.3
Elevation gain: 3,943 feet
Reviews & Current Conditions

Up for a challenging hike and want to see even more incredible views and mining history? Then the Bonanza Mine trail is for you!

The Bonanza Mine was one of five mines on Bonanza Peak in the early 20th century. At the time, the President of the Kennecott Copper Company claimed it was the richest known concentration of copper ore in the world. The mines produced 1.1 billion pounds of copper from 1909 to 1938, worth reportedly over $200 million in gross revenues. Wow!

Today you can see the ruins of the mine along the Bonanza Mine trail. But it’s not for everyone. This trail is a bit of a doozy! It gains almost 1,000 feet per mile and is pretty unrelenting, with very few flat spots to get a break from the elevation.

While the first half of this hike goes through the treeline and is pretty boring, once above the trees, it’s spectacular! You will have sweeping views of the Chugach Mountains, Mt. Blackburn, and glaciers. And as you get closer to the mine, you’ll see a waterfall, mine ruins, and maybe even some copper on the ground!

To learn more about the hike, check out our detailed guide to the Bonanza Mine Trail. You can also watch our video from Wrangell-St. Elias National Park to see more of our experience.

7. Camp overlooking Root Glacier

8. Go on a guided trip

Whether you want to explore more remote areas of the park or just want to have a local’s expertise, hiring a guide will offer a unique experience that many visitors don’t get. There are a handful of guided trip options and below are a few popular ones to choose from!

Rafting

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is home to multiple rivers. And what better way to see them than to raft on them? There are a handful of local companies that offer day and multi day rafting trips:

• Raft the Wrangells
• Kennicott Guides
• St. Elias Alpine Guides

Guided hiking and backcountry trips

For guided day hiking and backpacking trips, look no further than St. Elias Alpine Guides! They offer a variety of day hikes, including to Jumbo Mine and Erie Mine, fly in hikes, and multi-day backpacking trips.

9. See the park from the air on a flightseeing tour

With the majority of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park being wilderness and backcountry, one of the best ways to experience it is from the air! Wrangell Mountain Air in McCarthy offers a variety of tours, which can take you over glaciers and right by some of the tallest mountains in the United States.

We had already spent quite a bit on excursions by the time we got to Wrangell-St. Elias, so we unfortunately had to skip this. However, we met a couple subscribers in the park who RAVED about it! So if it’s within your budget, definitely add it to your Wrangell-St. Elias National Park to do list!

10. Drive Nabesna Road

As we mentioned, there are only two roads that lead into Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, McCarthy Road and Nabesna Road. 

Nabesna Road was originally built to access the Nabesna Gold Mine, which operated between 1925 and 1945. It is a 42 mile (one way) unpaved road that takes you to the northern area of Wrangell-St. Elias.

The road begins at mile 60 of the Tok Cutoff in Slana, AK and takes about 1.5 hours each way. This area is less visited than the Kennecott area of the park and has less services. If you’re seeking a more wild, remote national park experience, it’ll be the perfect addition to your trip!

Along the road, which winds between two mountain ranges, there are several lakes, rivers, mountains, and campgrounds to explore. You’ll have endless outdoor recreation along this drive! Compared to McCarthy Road, Nabesna Road is more about the journey, while McCarthy Road is more about the destination. 

Full disclosure: we did not drive this road. We would’ve loved to, as we especially love seeking out less busy national park experiences. But we unfortunately ran out of time. However, we originally had planned to drive the road and had researched it, so we’re sharing some insights below!

How to get to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is located in Southcentral Alaska. McCarthy and Kennecott are located 6.5 hours east of Anchorage, 5.5 hours south of Tok, and 7.5 hours south of Fairbanks. While the start of Nabesna Road is located 4.5 hours east of Anchorage, 1 hour south of Tok, and 4.5 hours south of Fairbanks.

Since Nabesna Road is more straightforward to get to, here is how you get to the McCarthy and Kennecott area!

Driving to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Step #1: Drive McCarthy Road

The first step when getting to Wrangell-St. Elias is to drive the 60 mile (one way) unpaved McCarthy Road. This drive takes about 2 hours each way and while once known for giving many flat tires, the road conditions have improved a lot. 

While you could take a large RV on this road (and people have!), we think it’s better suited for vans, Class B or C RVs, and regular vehicles. We had no issue driving our Sprinter van down this road!

To learn more about McCarthy Road, including our experience with the road conditions, some stops to make, and what to bring, check out our guide to driving McCarthy Road.

Step #2: Get to Kennecott

The McCarthy Road ends right at a pedestrian footbridge just outside of McCarthy and about 5 miles from Kennecott. You cannot take a private vehicle past this point and will need to either take a shuttle, bike, or walk, which is what we did!

If taking a shuttle, you’ll find signage at the footbridge with different companies that can take you to Kennecott. We have included some photos of their signs above! There is also a phone you can use to call them and get a ride. Some of these companies do allow dogs on the shuttle.

For walking, you can either walk the road or take the Wagon Road trail. We took the Wagon Road trail both ways, which follows the road at some points, but also ducks more into the forest. This is where we saw our one and only grizzly bear in Alaska, so be bear aware!

As for where to leave your vehicle while you explore the park, Base Camp Kennicott has a large lot where you can park your car for a day (or multiple days) to explore the park. It costs $10 per day to park ($5 for only 4 hours). You can also camp overnight here, right on the river, for $35 per night. We camped for one night and then moved to a parking spot for two nights while we tent camped in the park!

Other options to get to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

If you’d rather not drive McCarthy Road or don’t have a vehicle you do have a couple other options. 

Kennicott Shuttle can take you from Glennallen and other nearby destinations down the McCarthy Road. If flying is your preferred mode, you can take a flight from Chitina on Wrangell Mountain Air.

When to visit Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Wrangell-St. Elias is best to visit from June to mid-September, which is when the trails are fully or mostly snow free, visitor facilities are open, and tours are running. We visited in mid August and it was perfect! The crowds were very light and we (mostly) had good weather!

One thing to keep in mind is that summer in Alaska is not like summer in the lower 48. While you may get a sunnier and slightly warmer day, for the most part, the temperatures tend to only reach the 50s-60s and if you’re like us, you’ll probably have some clouds.

Also, fall starts in Alaska at the end of August. So if you visit in September, there is a chance you could encounter a snow storm.

Things to know before visiting Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Entrance is free

Unlike most national parks, which have a fee to enter, Wrangell-St. Elias is totally FREE to visit, minus any paid tours.

Dogs ARE allowed

Another very unique thing about Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is that dogs ARE allowed on trails!  However, they must be kept on leash. Please follow this rule! Not all dogs or humans want strange dogs running up to them. We had a less than fun encounter with an off leash dog in the park that sprinted up to us. There are also bears and other wildlife in the area. 

Our pup Kona LOVED getting to explore this park with us! 

Restrooms

There are restrooms in the Kennecott area, as well as part of the way down the Root Glacier trail.

Bear Safety

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Alaska are home to a variety of wildlife, including bears. Specifically, both black bears and grizzly bears, with grizzlies being the more aggressive of the two. 

With thick vegetation in some areas, you’ll definitely want to be alert and make lots of noise to avoid encountering a bear by surprise. During our time in Alaska we didn’t see a ton of bears, but we got lucky and saw one in Wrangell! 

As we were walking back to McCarthy at the end of our trip, we stopped to readjust our packs. And as Kathryn was messing with Adam’s pack, he saw what he thought was a grizzly walk across the trail! After a short moment of panic and making a lot of noise, we never saw the bear again. But it’s safe to say we were a tad on edge the rest of the hike!

If you’re unfamiliar with bears and what to do if you encounter them, we encourage you to read the National Park website to get a better understanding. 

How many days do you need in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park?

We spent a total of 4 days in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, including the drive to and from the park on McCarthy Road. And it was the perfect amount of time for us to achieve everything we wanted to do! Within that time we got to experience some of the Kennecott mines, walk on the Root Glacier, hike the Bonanza Mine trail, camp for two nights, and explore McCarthy.

If you plan to drive McCarthy Road, we’d highly suggest having two full days, but one day is doable if you fly into the park. There are a lot of different ways you could structure your trip, but here are some Wrangell-St. Elias National Park itinerary options to get you started!

Places to eat in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

As you might imagine there aren’t a ton of food options in such a remote park, but surprisingly the options you do have are really solid! And that’s not just because they are the only options…they are really good!

McCarthy

The Potato
The Potato first started in 1995 here in McCarthy, Alaska and in 2014 opened up a second location in Valdez. As the name implies their menu is built around their hand cut curly fries, but that’s not all they have. They offer burritos, sandwiches, chowder, salads, and more! 

We ate at the McCarthy location after backpacking in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and loved it. We got a burger, burrito, and of course the famous fries and it was all delicious. And we aren’t just saying that because we ate backpacking meals for two days straight before it.

If you only have time or a desire to eat at one place in the park, make it The Potato!

Salmon & Bear Restaurant
For fancier fare, visit the Salmon & Bear Restaurant located in Ma Johnson’s. Guests at Ma Johnson’s have a guaranteed table, but if you’re not staying, you’ll likely need a reservation.

The New Golden Saloon
This pub offers soups, sandwiches, a few entrees, and desserts.

McCarthy Center Store
Pop into McCarthy Center Store if you need any last minute snacks or camping needs. It’s the only store in town, but is surprisingly well stocked. 

Kennecott

Meatza Wagon
The Meatza Wagon is located in Kennecott, so it’s a great lunch spot while in the park. They offer a variety of sandwich, tacos, and salad options. We didn’t try the Meatza Wagon, but heard good things from our friends!

Kennicott Glacier Lodge
The Kennicott Glacier Lodge offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast and lunch do not require reservations, but dinner does. They prioritize lodge guests for dinner, as they have limited seating, so make sure to make your reservation in advance!

Where to stay when visiting Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Similar to the dining at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, there are actually quite a few lodging options, despite the park’s remoteness. Below are a handful of options to choose from!

Hotels and lodges

Kennecott

Kennicott Glacier Lodge
Kennecott Guesthouse

McCarthy

Ma Johnson’s Historical Hotel
McCarthy Guesthouse
Lancaster’s Backpacker Hotel
Blackburn Cabins

Vacation Rentals

Kennecott

Historic Kennicott Copper Cottage (2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom): This cottage was built in 1917 as one of the original manager’s homes. How cool! If you have a larger group and want a convenient, historic place to stay…this is it!

McCarthy

Cozy Trapper Cabin (Studio, outdoor bathroom): This is a small cabin with a bed, kitchenette, and screened in porch. It is worth noting that the bathroom and shower area requires walking outside.

Meadow Cabin (1 bedroom, outdoor bathroom): This cabin is a bit more spacious than the one above, but also has a separate bathroom and shower area that is outside.

Blackburn Cabins (Studio, outdoor bathroom): This small cabin has a kitchenette, shared grill, and fire rings. Just like the others, the bathroom is outside of the cabin.

Camping near Kennecott

Besides the two hike-in options we mentioned earlier in this guide, there is another camping option near the park. 

Right at the end of McCarthy Road is Base Camp Kennicott, a large parking area where you can park to visit the Kennecott area ($10/day), plus has a variety of spaces to camp ($30/night). There are no designated campsites here and no amenities, minus an outhouse, but it’s very convenient if planning to visit this area of the park!

We stayed here for one night before hiking into the park, as well as parked our van here while we were camping by Root Glacier, and it worked well!

What to bring to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

To see everything we take hiking, check out our hiking gear as well as our guide about how to make a 10 essentials kit. But for this park, we have a few items we really want to stress bringing with you.

Spare tire and a jack

If driving McCarthy Road, it is highly recommended to bring a spare tire and jack. At one point it was notorious for flat tires, it has been cleaned up and is actively managed throughout the year. Flat tires and other similar incidents are much less frequent, but they can and do still occur. They are more likely to happen after the road has been recently graded and old debris is kicked up.

Be sure to bring a fully inflated spare tire (not a doughnut tire) and a jack. We also carried a tire patch kit while in Alaska! 

Hiking shoes

Kathryn rocks Lowa Women’s Renegade GTX on the trails and she LOVES them! Adam wears the ALTRA Lone Peak 6 Trail Running Shoe, which is a trail running shoe, so they are less bulky than boots, but still great for the trail. 

Layers

Weather in Alaska can be extremely unpredictable. One minute it feels like a cold, windy winter day and the next the clouds part, the sun is beaming, and it feels like summer. Carrying some layers with you helps you be prepared for a day in Alaska. 

Rain jacket 

Similar to above, it can rain or snow any day of the year so having rain gear is recommended. Kathryn wears the Patagonia Torrentshell jacket and Adam wears a Columbia rain jacket. 

Garmin InReach

We always carry our Garmin inReach Mini when we hike or backpack, just in case of an emergency. This is a satellite device that allows us to contact family, see a GPS, and has an SOS button in case we get hurt. It has come in handy several times on our adventures, mostly to text family (not for SOS reasons thankfully)!

Trekking poles

If you plan to hike the Bonanza Mine Trail, you may want trekking poles, as it is very steep the entire way. We have the Black Diamond Equipment Distance Z poles and highly recommend them!

Microspikes or crampons 

If you plan on walking on Root Glacier, you WILL need microspikes or crampons. It is unsafe to hike on the glacier without them. We’ve had these Kahtoola Microspikes for years and love them! They are easy to put on and take off and light enough to carry around. We feel really secure walking on ice with these–so much so we feel like we could run on the ice! Although, we don’t recommend doing that. 😃

Camping Gear

If you plan to camp within the park or even at Basecamp Kennicott, you’ll need to bring camping gear. To see everything we take backpacking, check out our backpacking gear and packing list!

Food

Although there are some food options in the park, you may want to bring extra snacks or meals just in case something isn’t open. We also suggest carrying extra food when driving McCarthy Road, just in case you run into any car troubles. To see what food items we like to bring, check out this post.

Water filter and storage

We like to carry our 3L Camelbak bladders while on any hike, which makes it easy to store a lot of water and drink while on the go. There is a water source along the Root Glacier trail, just make sure to filter it. We use the Sawyer water filtration kit!

Bear spray

Carrying bear spray is highly recommended! And not only is it important to have bear spray on you, but you need to have it readily available and know how to use it. We’d recommend watching this video that explains how to use bear spray, if you aren’t familiar. 

Bug Repellent 

If you haven’t heard, the common joke is that the state bird of Alaska is the mosquito. Although we didn’t have an issue with mosquitos during our visit, in order to not have a miserable time swatting mosquitoes all day make sure to bring bug spray with DEET!

Sun Protection

Most trails in the park are very exposed, plus glaciers reflect the sun. So even on cloudy days you’ll want to have sun protection. Sunscreen and a hat will be very helpful! 

Binoculars

With such a vast landscape constantly surrounding you, binoculars will be very handy to have. Seeing the glaciers and mountains with the naked eye is fantastic on its own, but you’ll be able to see even more epic views (and maybe even some wildlife!) with binoculars. We have the Bushnell H20 Roof Prism binoculars and we love them!

Ready to explore the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park?

Pin this guide with things to do in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park to help plan your trip!