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National Park & Preserve

Wrangell - St Elias National Park & Preserve

Glaciers loom over the ocean with large snowy mountains rising into blue skies

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park contains a diversity of natural features. Landscapes unique to the North American continent are common here.

Photo: NPS Photo/ Neal Herbert

About

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 landscape, people continue to live off the land as they have done for centuries. This rugged, beautiful land is filled with opportunities for adventure.

Activities

Arts and CultureAuto and ATVATV Off-RoadingAuto Off-RoadingScenic DrivingBikingMountain BikingBoatingCampingBackcountry CampingCanoe or Kayak CampingCar or Front Country CampingGroup Camping
RV Camping
Canyoneering
Climbing
Mountain Climbing
Fishing
Freshwater Fishing
Fly Fishing
Saltwater Fishing
Flying
Fixed Wing Flying
Guided Tours
Self-Guided Tours - Walking
Self-Guided Tours - Auto
Hiking
Backcountry Hiking
Front-Country Hiking
Hunting and Gathering
Gathering and Foraging
Hunting
Paddling
Junior Ranger Program
Snowmobiling
Snowshoeing
Wildlife Watching
Birdwatching
Park Film
Museum Exhibits
Shopping
Bookstore and Park Store

Directions

The administrative building and main park visitor center are located along the Richardson Highway (Hwy 4), which is a paved state highway that runs through Copper Center, AK. The buildings are 8 miles south of the Glenn Highway and Richardson Highway intersection near Glennallen, Alaska. This is approximately 200 miles east of Anchorage, AK and 250 miles south of Fairbanks, AK.

Get directions →

Weather

Varies widely depending on location in park and time of year. Visit https://www.nps.gov/wrst/planyourvisit/weather.htm for detailed information.

News

Feb 2, 2026

Wrangell-St. Elias Subsistence Resource Commission Announces February 27-28 Meeting in Copper Center

The Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Subsistence Resource Commission is scheduled to meet on Friday, February 27 and Saturday, February 28 in Copper Center at the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve Visitor Center. Commissioners will consider a range of issues related to subsistence, including proposals related to federal subsistence fishing regulations.

Jan 22, 2026

Wrangell-St. Elias Subsistence Resource Commission hosts special meeting seeking public comments on February 3, 2026

The Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Subsistence Resource Commission will hold a special meeting regarding the Secretarial Review of the Federal Subsistence Management Program. The online meeting is scheduled Tuesday, February 3, from 5 p.m. until business is completed. Please note that the meeting time reflects an update and is different from that listed in the Federal Register. The meeting is open to the public, and the public can provide testimony.

Dec 29, 2025

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve Seeks Candidates for Subsistence Resource Commission in 2026

Until March 9th, 2026, we are accepting resumes and references for new commission members to serve on the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Subsistence Resource Commission (SRC). The SRC recommends to the Governor of Alaska and the Secretary of the Interior a program for subsistence hunting within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Since the establishment of the federal subsistence management program in 1990, the SRC also makes recommendations on proposals for regulations affecting Wrangell-St. Elias National Park directly to the federal subsistence Regional Advisory Councils and the Federal Subsistence Board.