The notebook of Wrangell-St. Elias
Watch the world from the next ridge.
Large ice-clippers, isolated mountains and mining remains at the end of a runway.
At your own pace
Identity summary
4 to 9 days
Spring · Summer · Autumn · Winter
Recommended car
Mountain · Nature · Heritage
Variable accessibility
Modular rhythm
General presentation
Wrangell-St. Elias
Large ice-clippers, isolated mountains and mining remains at the end of a runway.
Kennecott Mines, Root Glacier and McCarthy give the most telling landmarks of Wrangell-St. Elias. Together, they form a destination where mountain reliefs, natural spaces and heritage meet, with atmospheres that change over the stages rather than a single uniform decor.
See all
For a stay of 4 to 9 days, it is better to balance visits and travel times. Also to be anticipated: conditions to be checked according to the season. A car is usually the easiest way to connect the different sectors. Accessibility varies from site to site and deserves to be verified step by step.
Strengths and constraints
Strengths
- Kennecott Mines
- Root Glacier
- McCarthy
Before you choose
- Car often useful
- Conditions to be checked by season
Places worth visiting
A selection to start dreaming and organizing the stay — not an exhaustive list of everything there is to see.
Nature park
Parc national de Wrangell–Saint-Élie
Wrangell-Saint-Élie deploys Alaska in its largest and most crude version: glaciers, volcanoes, isolated valleys and trails that sink away from services. The journeys require serious preparation, because the weather, the condition of the roads and the distances weigh as much on the experience as the landscapes themselves.
Place indismissible
Kennecott Mines
Kennecott Mines line its red buildings at the foot of the mountains of Wrangell-St. Elias, very visible remains of a copper mining camp. Bridges, workshops, dormitories and concentration structures tell of an isolated industry in an immense landscape; the guided tour helps to understand the complexity of the site.
Nature and panorama
Root Glacier
Root Glacier descends near Kennecott with a surface of blue, gravel and crevices, accessible by a trail from the former mining camp. With the appropriate equipment or a guide, walking on ice reveals mills, transparent gutters and deaf cracks, in a decor dominated by the peaks of Wrangell-St. Elias.
Place indismissible
McCarthy
McCarthy Keeps an isolated village look at the end of a long gravel road, with footbridges, simple facades, light aircraft and shuttles to Kennecott. Its interest comes as much from the atmosphere as from the services: it is the human point of contact before the glaciers, mines and huge valleys of the park.
Practical tips
This information helps know if the destination matches the planned trip before starting a fuller search.
To go further
More activities
Restaurants, walks, culture, leisure and outings to search without leaving the destination card.
The nearest destinations
The closest ideas on the map, to extend your trip.
Escaped to discover
Valdez and Prince William Sound
Alaska, 🇺🇸 United States of America
Discover this idea
Similar destinations
Same landscapes and the same pace of travel, elsewhere in the world.
