Wrangell - St. Elias National Park Service 

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and National Preserve U.S. Department of the Interior 

Alaska 

The wildness of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 

and Preserve is uncompromising, its geography 

awe-inspiring. Mount Wrangell, namesake of 

one of the park's four mountain ranges, is an 

active volcano. Hundreds of glaciers and ice 

fields form in the high peaks, then melt into rivers and streams that drain to the Gulf of Alaska 

and the Bering Sea. Ice is a bridge that connects 

the park's geographically isolated areas. 

The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation 

Act (ANILCA) of 1980 allows the subsistence 

harvest of wildlife within the park, and preserve 

and sport hunting only in the preserve. Hunters 

find Dall's sheep, the park's most numerous 

large mammal, on mountain slopes where they 

browse sedges, grasses, and forbs. Sockeye, Chinook, and Coho salmon spawn in area lakes and 

streams and are caught in the Copper River with 

fish wheels, dip nets, and rod and reel. In the 

park's southeastern corner, Tlingit people harvest harbor seals, which feed on fish and 

marine invertebrates. These species and many 

more are key foods in the subsistence diet of 

the Ahtna and Upper Tanana Athabaskans, 

Eyak, and Tlingit peoples. Local, non-Native 

people also share in the bounty. 

Long, dark winters and brief, lush summers lend 

intensity to life here. The sounds of migrant 

birds, including trumpeter swans, thrushes, and 

warblers, enliven long summer days. 

In late summer, black and brown bears, drawn 

by ripening soapberries, frequent the forests 

and gravel bars. Human history here is ancient 

and relatively sparse, and has left a light imprint 

on the immense landscape. Even where people 

continue to hunt, fish, and trap, most animal, 

fish, and plant populations are healthy and selfregulati ng. For the species who call WrangellSt. Elias home, the park's size and remoteness 

ensure a naturally functioning ecosystem. 

SHARING EARTH'S BOUNTY PROSPECTING FOR WEALTH 

- _____ _ ., 

The living cultures of south central Alaska During winter the Upper Ahtna people lift the fish from the w ater. In summer, 

include the Upper Ahtna, or 'Headwaters traditionally hunted Dall's sheep, caribou, you'll see many of these wheels along 

People' (Tatl'ahwt'aenn). Their identity is and moose, and trapped small mammals the river edges. 

embedded in the earth, water, and ice of in the uplands. In summer they moved to 

the upper Copper River region, where fish camps. They built fish traps in slow­ As newcomers began to arrive in the late 

they draw upon traditional ecological moving, flat-bottomed creeks. 1800s, new economic opportunities 

knowledge to hunt, gather, trap, and emerged. Some Ahtna people began to 

fish. Their knowledge, born of discipline In the Copper River's fast-moving waters, work for money, but they also continued 

and wisdom passed down through gen­ people used dip nets to harvest salmon to harvest natural resources to provide 

erations, contributes to an economy before they adopted fish wheels in the for their families. Although some Alaska 

based on sharing natural resources. This early 1900s. The fish wheel's arms are Natives now live in cities, they also condiffers from the market economy that like spokes on a wheel. As the current tinue to participate in the traditional 

prevails elsewhere in the United States. propels the paddles, revolving baskets sharing economy. 

ENTER ANOTHER WORLD 

Glaciers, icefields, rivers, and mountains Float the Copper River from Chitina to 

offer challenges and incomparable re­ the Gulf of Alaska. near Cordova, to see 

wards to the adventurous. some of the park's most rugged terrain. 

Sea kayakers may opt to paddle in 

In spring, climbers attempt Mounts Icy Bay and Yakutat areas. Crosscountry 

Drum, Sanford, Blackburn. and St. Elias. skis offer yet another w ay to explore in 

Hikers usually begin from points along winter and spring. Campers find August 

the Nabesna or McCarthy roads- t he and Sept ember cool, wit h fewer mosquionly two roads into the park. Others tos. For bird's ey e view s, you may fly or 

strike out across Root Glacier (right), charter a plane. 

whose sheer breadth and dist ant views 

of Mount Blackburn and the Stairway 

lcefall are otherworldly. 

Before you head into the backcountry, 

get familiar with techniques for safely PHOTOS, LEFT TO RIGHT: 

ICE CLI M BER, ROOT GLA­ crossing glaciers, rivers, and streams. CIER- N PS / JACOB W. Many rivers are impassable, and some FRANK; CA M PI NG AT AIRcan quickly become raging torrents. STRIP- NPS / NEAL HERBERT; SA FE HIKING W ITH 

CRAMPONS ON ROOT 

GLAC IER- BETSY BRADBURY 

PHOTOS, TOP 

LEFT TO RIGHT: 

BLUEBERRIES- NPS / 

BARBARA CELLARIUS; 

CA RIBOU- CREDIT; 

DA LL'S SHEEP- CREDIT; 

LUPINE- NPS; TRUMPETER SWAN-© TIM 

DREW ; SOAPBER RY-

© EDDIE KING; BROWN 

BEAR- CREDIT 

BACKGROUND: 

ICY BAY A ND MOUNT 

ST. ELIAS-NPS / NEAL 

HERBERT 

PHOTOS, ABOVE 

LEFT TO RIGHT: 

CHA RLEY SANFOR D 

FAM ILY, UPPER A HTNA, 

- NATIONAL ARCHIVES; 

COHO SALM ONUSFWS / TIM KNEPP; FISH 

WHEEL-M ICHAEL 

QUINTON; CLEANING 

SALMON- © KATH ERINE M cCONKEY; 

MOOSE-CREDIT; RED 

FOX- CREDIT; DOG 

SLEDDING TEA MALASKA STATE LIBRARY 

P178-097; COPPER 

ORE- NPS / M ELIN DA 

SCHMITT; TOURING KENNECOTT M ILL- NPS / 

JA M IE HART 

After the Klondike gold strike in 1896, 

thousands of prospectors poured into 

Alaska. Many headed to Chisana and 

Nabesna, but found only small amounts 

of gold. The discovery of copper deposits 

in the Chitina River valley drew investors 

who formed a syndicate to develop a 

mine. To transport the ore they built a 

railroad, completed in 1911. It linked 

Kennecott mine to Cordova and from 

there to profitable markets. 

At its peak of operation the company employed 600 people, many of them immigrants who worked seven days a w eek 

while living in crowded, rough bunkhouses. By 1938, when the mine closed, 

workers had extracted ore with a market 

value of about $200 million at that time. 

Although Kennecott mine and mill 

closed, the community continues to 

thrive. Restoration crews bring life to 

relics of a time of industrial growth, 

expanded markets, global migration, and 

innovation. At Kennecott you can walk in 

the footsteps of mill workers and their 

families, and contemplate what made 

t his rugged place home. 
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NaHve) Corporation__... 

Land\ \ 

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Capital 

• Mountain 

7731ft 

2356m I 

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Mount Drum 

(Hwdaandi K'elt'aeni) 1201 0ft \ 

36.61m 

3318ft 1011m 

0 Chisana Braye 

Lakes (? 

ub/ic lands. 

r;1:ea:;,:::~e:rth 

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Wiki Peak, I 7655ft \ I 

2333m 

ChisamJ 

Pass J '~ / Ptarmigan Laki (K' atbah Miinn') ~ o/o MoJntain 

5875ft 1791m ~ 

N T A Solo Lake ~ Rock Lake 

-i'o+,i, \ C" 

• Regal Mountain c;;, 13845ft 

V~ ina ' \ 

Kotsina R;Vt?r 4220m 

Castle Mountain 

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( e Sko!a/ _Cr~~+ \ 

I ~:~~ r 

• • S::'.. kolai Pass Mount Sulzer \ \ 10926ft Chitistone Pass• .3330m ~ u Chitistone ) Falls-f.. '::. Mount Natazhat 

13435ft 

r 4095m. r f "' 

Chitina 

ilthf.!}f.JI 581ft Mount Churchill 177m 1S638ft \ Mount Bona •4766m ... c:: 16421ft z 5005m =l 

m 

C Mount Ill 

Bear -i TONSINAGL~ )> 14831ft 

4520m. -i 

m 

J Ill 

/ • Hanagita Peak I 8504ft 2592m 

\ , ffjgK, Mountain 

2204m 

Cordova Peak 7730ft • 

2356m 

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N s 

Juniper Island 

4434ft • 1351m B AG LE Y 

I C E 

V,4 L L E y 

Visit the Park 

Start with the free park newspaper for curre nt 

information on hiking, camping, a nd services. 

Download it from the park website, www.nps. 

gov/wrst, or ask at visitor cente rs or range r 

stations (a ll are open seasonally; ca ll for hours 

of operation). G U L F 0 F A LA S KA 

Begin your visit at the Headquarters and 

Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center. It offe rs views 

c=J Wrangell-St. Elias Unpaved road Approximately 750,000 of the 13+ mil lion National Park ~ wit hin park acres of land within the boundaries of 

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve 

c=J Wrangel l-St . Elias Other unpaved are non-federal lands belonging to Alaska Nat ional Preserve ~ road 

c=J Native Corporations, other private owners, 

Nat ive Corporat ion E=l Trai l and the State of Alaska. Significant amounts 

Lands of these non-federal lands are located along the McCarthy and Nabesna Roads and along 

the east bank of the Copper River. Please do North not trespass. If you have questions, ask at 

<D visitor centers or ranger stations. 

0 10 20 30 Ki lo met ers 

0 10 20 30 Miles 

Alaska Native Place Names 

English place name Native place name Language Meaning 

Boyden Hills Natsiidi Chox Ahtna Big Lowland One 

Chisana River Ttheetsaan' Niign Upper Tanana Rock River 

Chitina River Tsedi Na' Ahtna Copper River 

Grand Wash Tsaa H~eni Tlingit Seal Creek 

Hubbard Glacier 5ft' Tie in Tlingit Big Glacier 

Malaspina Glacier Sit' Tlein Tlingit Big Glacier 

Mount Allen Ch 'ahk an' Choh Upper Tanana Big Burn 

Mount Blackburn K'a'si Tl'aadi Ahtna The One at Cold Headwaters 

Mount Drum Hwdaandi K'ett'aeni Ahtna Downriver K'elt'aeni 

Mount St. Elias Was'eitushaa Tlingit Mountain Inland of Was'ei 

Mount Sanford Hw niindi K'ett'aeni 

Mount Wrangell K'elt'aeni 

Mount Wrangell Uk'eledi (when smoking) 

Nabesna River Naabiah Ni ign 

Ptarmigan Lake K' atbah Mann' 

Preserving Wilderness 

n 

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Siana 

Nonwilderness 

Glennallen 0 

Copper Center 

Chisana 0 

8. Kennecott !i:! McCarthy C 2 

d'aldez .,, J> 

0 

J> 

o Cordova 

G UL F OF A LASKA Y.akutat O 

Congress protected 9.6 million acres of 

Wrangel l-St. El ias National Park and 

Preserve as Wilderness under t he 1964 

Wild erness Act . For informat ion about the 

National Wilderness Preservation System, 

visit www.wilderness.net. 

Ahtna Upriver K'elt'aeni 

Ahtna The One that Controls Weather 

Ahtna The One with Smoke on It 

Upper Tanana Along t he Muddy River 

Upper Tanana Ptarmigan Lake 

World Heritage Site 

f'\ 250 Km J> 

;; 250 Mi 

0 Fairbanks ~ 0 

J> D<lwson City 0 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 

and Preserve World Heritage Site 

Glllci er Bay Nllt io nll l Pllrk 

and Preserve 

GULF OF ALA SKA Sit ka o 

Wrange ll-St. Elias National Pa rk and Preserve, Glacier Bay National Park a nd Preserve, Canada's Kluane Nat iona l Park and 

Reserve, a nd Tatshensh in i-Alsek Provincial 

Park are a ll pa rt of a 24-million-acre 

World Heritage Site-one of Ea rth's largest int ernationally protected ecosystems . 

KLUANE 

NATIONAL PARK 

AND RESERVE 

M cArthur Peak 14400ft 

. 4389m 

King Peak, 

169

5173m 

71ft Mount• ~ Logan 

19551ft 5959m 0 

SEWARD 

G l A CI M ount Al verstone 14565ft Mount Ken n e dy E l? 4439m 13093ft M ount Augusta 399 1m 

14070ft 4289m 

~ Q'l', "'"' ,:, / 

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NATIONA L 1, 

..::,~ PARK ;:: 

Q • Poin t Glorious M ount Cook 1,,,, ., ~ 13760ft "'It~ ct 5000ft 4194m ~{.-<--

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MAL A SPI N A 

GLAC I E R 

( 5 ft' Tl ei n ) 

of the Wrange ll Mountains, exhibits, a film, 

bookstore, picn ic she lter, short hiking tra ils, \ park information, a nd seasonal ra nger talks Safety Opportunities for rescue a nd evacua ­ co untry camping. We strongly suggest that Accessibility We strive to make our facilities, 

a nd walks. tion in the backcountry are slim; response time yo u carry bear spray. • Do not a pproach moose, services, and programs accessible to a ll. For YAKUTAT can be slow. Adequate preparation, expe ri­ which injure more people than bears. • Explo ­ information go to a visitor ce nter, ask a ranger, 

Kennecott POINT MANBY BAY Visitor Center, housed in the historic ence, and knowledge of extreme wilde rness sives, t oxic chemica ls, and residu e may be pres­ ca ll, or check o ur website. 

Blackburn School, is your information hub for trave l and surviva l skills are esse ntial. Always e nt in mining areas. • For firearms reg ulations 

Kennecott Mines National Historic La ndmark. carry extra rations and gear fo r emergencies or check t he park website. Wra ngell-St. Elias Nationa l Park and Preserve 

It offers mountain and g lacier views, exh ibits, weathe r-related delays. • Before you head into is one of ove r 400 parks in the National Park 

a film, seasonal ranger t a lks and wa lks, and t he backcountry, fill out a backcountry itinerary Eme rgencies call 24-hour NPS Dispatch System. To learn more, visit www.nps.gov. 

information on historic structures and hiking at a visitor ce nte r o r ranger station. Tell a 907-683-9555 or 911 

trails. Siana and Chitina Ranger Stations a re friend or fa mily membe r about your route a nd More Information 

gateways to t he two park roads. They provide expect ed ret urn date and time. • This is bea r Private Land Private property a nd Native Cor­ Wrange ll-St. Elias National Pa rk and Prese rve 

backcountry trip planning, road updates, and country! Get a bea r safet y brochure at a visitor poration Lands li e w ithin the park and preserve PO Box 439 a National 

Park Foundation. a rea information. Yakutat Ranger Station is cente r or range r station. Make no ise. Stay with boundaries. Do not trespass. Respect a ll land ­ Mile 106.8 Richa rdson Hwy. Join t he park co m munity. an access point for Mount St. Elias, Hubbard a group. Bear-resistant food containe rs, avail­ owne rs' rights. Coppe r Center, AK 99573 www.nationalparks.org 

Glacier, and over o ne hundred miles of remote able at visitor ce nters, are required for a ll back- 907-822-5234 'UGP0:20XX- XXX-XXXIXXX)()( New In 20XX 

Printed on rec11tled paper. coastline . www.nps.gov/wrst 

/ To Tok Getting Around the Wrangell Mountains 

M ouN I 2 miles one TA Iii s -- ~wayJ 80Yden Hil t. 

Siana~~---=---~ Road (unpaved - 4

mr-~_!11!'1!!11! !II! •~d]"il:i!'l"!llf!.tiil!ll, 11LIU ~ _ • ~ ,,,,e( •tl•J:l&G Co per rm Kendesnii---~ ~ ~!!:!!_Cho:; r,.1 abesna p., / To Delta and 

Fairbanks 2154ft mr.1nn '1-' .. l Lafe OD~ OD ---"' 3100ft N ur z o r Mt Allen • I N '1-i'e<_ ~ 

, ti''<) l'l 

657m DlmUl:I <.,oPPer 8 ;:!besna (Ch 'ahk an' Choh) cnis•"" Mount Sanford Tanag;,:t • Private properfl 9480ft eetsaa

(Hwniindi K'elt'aeni) . 2ss 2m inierspersed w,th 2890m ~'Ith 

16237ft public lands. 3318ft 

•I 4949m 1011m 

Mt Euchre Mtn Gordon . o Chisana 6862ft. Mount Drum 1 9040ft 2092m Private property 2755m (Hwdaandi K'elt'aeni) interspersed wrth 

12010ft Mount Wrangell public lands. 

. 3661m (K'elt'aeni) Mt Zanetti. 14163ft 

13009ft • 4317m 3965m 

Glennallen 

CHESHNINA ~411111 . m,,oott ll&lll 335m 

Donoho Pk \ 6696ft 

2D41m. "' Iron Mtn . 

Kots,'r,q 2

6653ft 

028m \ -1> / Kennecott Visitor Center (summer only) 

4 

• Sourdough Pk 6201ft 

1890m 

Nizina 

Campground m Picnic area 

Telephone 

Parking 

North 

Scale varies on t his map. Foreground 

areas a ppear larger than comparable (!) areas in the background. 

58 1ft 177m Gilahina Butte· 2783ft 

84&n 

Nelson Mtn. 

54571t 

1663m 

River 

/ 

Cnitina 

River a Restrooms 

Private property_ interspersed with public lands. 

• 

•