Wrangell St. Elias Nat’l Park Parks & Trails
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Parks & Trails
The Nizina River is a classic Alaskan monster — almost 1.5 miles wide. Once stepping out of the forest you may need to walk 20 minutes to reach the river channel currently being used. Walk around and you’ll find here lots of cool rocks, as well as rewarding views of the dramatic Chugach Mountains that you won’t get from McCarthy or Kennicott. You’ll also catch a glimpse of the historic steel bridge once used as part of the route to the gold… ...more
From the trailhead, the trail leads up an alluvial fan, through white spruce forest and alder for approximately 0.8 mile. The trail surface is gravel/cobble and dry.
Jumbo Mine is located 3,000 feet above Kennecott — get there via a gorgeous and strenuous hike that will leave most people very happy, and very tired. The mine building ruins pale in comparison to the dramatic mountain scenery that surrounds you. The buildings were initially built on a rock glacier, in which loose rock accumulates and is lubricated by frozen water, then moved by gravity. Needless to say, after 80 years, not many buildings are… ...more
The Dixie Pass trail gains over 5,000 feet as it leads you into the alpine. The views are world-class, and there’s always a good shot at spotting wildlife on this hike. It’s best to give yourself 3 or 4 days to fully explore this area, but an overnight is definitely better than not going at all. There are no support facilities here, so bring your own tent, sleeping bag, and supplies because there are plenty of great camping spots near water… ...more
This hike is a great opportunity to prolong the Crystalline Hills experience. It’s relatively easy traveling and gets you some nice views of the mountains looming above, as well as looking south towards the Chugach Mountains. About 15 – 20 minutes of hiking will get you to a viewpoint worth leaving your car for. This area has long been used by sheep hunters, so if you have binoculars you may want to spend some time scanning these hills. If it’s… ...more
Located in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, this 4.4‑mile trail takes hikers through a rugged landscape of ice, rock, and streams. It’s a moderately challenging hike that offers stunning views of the glacier and surrounding mountains.
Coming around the corner after milepost 28, you can’t help but notice the Gilahina Trestle. There are 85+ miles of bridges and trestles within the 196 miles of rail between Cordova and Kennicott. Building them was a big job. The Gilahina Trestle is visual confirmation of the size of job it was, standing 80 – 90 feet high and 880 feet across. The crew used a half-million board-feet of lumber and completed the job in eight days.
This spectacular backcountry route connects the Lost and Trail Creek drainages via a 6000’ pass. Explore these trails as day hikes from Nabesna Road or as one big loop in either direction over 3 to 4 days. Trail Creek and Lost Creek were used by generations of Ahtna people, who hunted moose and trapped gophers and porcupine. In the 1930s a few cabins were built at Lost Creek and the Ahtna residents made a living hunting, fishing and selling… ...more
Looking for a mellow 3- to 4‑hour walk and a nice spot to relax with a book or a journal? Check out McCarthy Creek. To get here, just walk straight through McCarthy’s Main Street, past Ma Johnson’s Hotel (on the left), down the hill, and past the Wrangell Mountain Center.
This historical trail through the woods between McCarthy and Kennicott was the walking/wagon road when the railroad was still running. It’s a nice alternative to walking or biking up the 4.5‑mile-long road between McCarthy and Kennicott, where you’ll find more vehicles and dusty conditions.
Highlights: Wildlife, open tundra, spectacular scenery. Soda Lake was created by a large landslide, most likely in response to an earthquake and past movement along the Totshunda Fault. The fascinating terrain near the outlet of Soda Lake resulted from the landslide, creating a topography which contrasts from its surroundings. The lake now seeps through this landslide rubble.Hazards: Creeks, especially Soda Creek, may be high on hot sunny… ...more
People travel from all over the world for a backpacking trip within Wrangell St. Elias National Park & Preserve. One common misconception is that the more expensive the bush-plane flight, the more impressive the scenery and terrain. It would be more accurate to say that the more expensive the bush-plane flight, the farther away from the airstrip you’re flying. Since the McCarthy airstrip and the 60-mile dirt road to the airstrip are in the… ...more
This hike takes you up the historical wagon road to the top of the mountain, where you’ll find the ruins of mine buildings. Start by hiking along the Root Glacier Trail until a NPS junction sign points you right up the mountain. You’ll ascend about 2,000 feet (1.5 – 2 hours) before rising above the tree line; even if you go no further, the view is worth the effort. However, you can also continue up another 2,000 – 3,000 feet to the top, where the… ...more
The trail begins at the Skookum Volcano trailhead (Mile 36.8 Nabesna Road) and follows until the pass (see SkookumVolcano trail descriptionfor more information). From the pass on, there is no trail, and one must pick one of two routes.
An easy trail, about 0.6 miles long, that will take about 1 hour to hike and leads you to excellent views of Child’s Glacier. Important note: While the Forest Service still maintains it, you can’t get here by car, as the Copper River highway is washed out at Mile 36. You can only access the trail by hiring a boat or a plane from town.
Camp right at the toe of the Root Glacier, in a National Park Service camping area. This is a great way to experience the glacier without the traffic of hikers and tourists that pass through during the day. The area has a few camping spots carved out of the hillside, as well as bear boxes (and there’s another just past Jumbo Creek). Jumbo Creek is the boundary for camping – with no permission to camp before you cross it. Be wary of bears: In… ...more
At mile 14.5 McCarthy Road, turn left on the access road and follow it 2.5 miles to Nugget Creek and Dixie Pass trailheads. These remote trails offer visitors the chance to explore the wilderness and embark on an adventure they will never forget!Ask a park ranger for more information and trail descriptions.
This route begins at the Park Service and Information Station. Follow the flags, and they will lead you to an unmaintained footpath. This trail requires a lot of bushwacking and the footholds are not strong, especially after the first four miles.
Copper brought people to Kennicott/McCarthy, and gold kept them coming, usually via Dan Creek Road. The Cordova Chamber of Commerce built this road back in 1914 to promote access into the gold-rich interior of Alaska. Today you can use this road to get to the old airstrip, a miner’s cabin at the top of the bluff above McCarthy Creek (a 25-minute walk from McCarthy), and the Nizina River, some 9 miles away. Watch for the bridge over McCarthy… ...more
If you’ve spent the day in Kennicott, on the glacier trail, or in the mountains and still can’t get enough of the outdoors, skip the shuttle ride down the hill to McCarthy and take this nice 1.5‑hour walk. The Wagon Trail cuts off the main road just to the right of the St. Elias Guides office.
By the time you reach this trailhead you’ve already had the pleasure of gazing upon the Chrystalline Hills . The Wrangell Mountains contain a wide variety of mountain compositions. They were formed millions of years ago by classic plate-tectonic thrusting. If you look closely, you should be able to see folds in the rock. While being formed, these young mountains were shaken up by serious volcanic activity. Things heated up when the terrain… ...more
Getting out to the Kennicott Glacier is the first challenge. You need to hike onto the Root Glacier, cross over the monster rock moraine to your left, cross another tongue of ice on the Root Glacier, then cross yet another monster rock moraine between the Root and the Kennicott glaciers. It’s tricky terrain and not to be taken lightly. When facing down the second moraine, you’ll want to hit the low point that’s close to where the black mud… ...more
Access: Trailhead is located at the end of the maintained portion of the Nabesna Road, Mile 42. As you near the end of the maintained portion of the Nabesna Road, you will reach private property owned by the Ellis family, who operate Devil’s Mountain Lodge, established here in the 1950s. Please respect their privacy and take care not to park on their property or private air strip. Continue driving on the road through the Ellis property.… ...more
The discovery of gold at Jacksina Creek in 1899 was an exciting find for prospector K.J. Fjeld, but it proved too remote to develop successfully. Other prospectors were persistent though, and in 1925 Carl Whitham found a rich lode on White Mountain. That find, and his subsequent development of the mine, led to the construction of Nabesna Road. At its height, between 40 and 70 men were employed at the mine. It also provided trading… ...more
The trail proceeds in a northeast direction towards the hills. The trail is an ATV route, and as such there are some muddy areas where you may be required to walk off the trail. The beginning of the trail goes through the valley bottom with low tundra vegetation. Views are great. As the trail continues, the forest surrounds the trail with spruce, alder, willow and wildflowers.
Liberty creek is accessible via Liberty Creek Campground. The campground surrounds a clearwater creek at the bottom of a beautiful waterfall. Campgrounds are on either side of the creek in a surreal setting.
This is a trail with access to Copper Lake. Copper Lake has opportunities for Lake Trout, Grayling, and Burbot fishing. The first 2.5 miles are suitable for hiking, then the trail crossses Tanada Creek, which can be high and fast, and trail conditions deteriorate.
To get a little further away from civilization, you can also camp at the end of the Root Glacier trail, about 4 miles from Kennecott. This is hardly a traditional campground; there are a few creative spots to pitch a tent, one of which is on the trail itself. There’s also a bearproof food storage box, since this is definitely bear country. But few people and amazing views make the hike out here worth it. You’ll know you’re at the end of the… ...more
Follow Root Glacier Trail to its termination at Root Glacier, then continue on past the rockslide to a camping area with a bear-proof food storage box. From here, descend over the top of the moraine, carefully making your way down the rocky slope. At the bottom, you’ll head north off-trail until steep cliffs are towering on your right. Curve around the point and continue on to Erie Lake and the Stairway Icefall, which is a 7,000 ft vertical… ...more