Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is a national park and preserve located in the southeastern part of Alaska in the United States. It is the largest national park in the country, covering an area of over 13 million acres. The park was established in 1980 to protect the unique and diverse natural, cultural, and recreational resources of the area.
The park contains some of the highest peaks in the country, including Mount St. Elias, which stands at 18,008 feet.
The park is also home to several glaciers, including the largest non-polar ice field in the world, the Malaspina Glacier. The park also contains numerous rivers, lakes, and streams, which provide opportunities for rafting, fishing, and other recreational activities.
In addition to its natural resources, the park is also home to several historic and cultural sites, including the Wrangell Mining District, which was established in the late 1800s. The park is also home to several Native American communities, who have lived in the area for thousands of years.
VISIT Wrangell-St. Elias National Park:
Park Details
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park was established on December 1, 1978, and has a total area of 13,000,000 acres (20,313 square miles, or 52,632 square kilometers).
| Address | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve, Copper Center, AK, 99573 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 907 822-5234 |
| Hours | Open year round, roads may close in winter due to weather |
| Entrance Fee | Free |
| Learn More | Official Website |
When to Visit: Weather vs. Peak Visitation
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is the 252nd most visited park in the country.
We crunched 30 years of historical weather and/or park service data to find the best months to visit Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. We looked for the optimal temperatures, the least amount of snow and rain, and stayed away from peak visitation months if we could help it. All this data then helped us paint a picture as to what the absolute best time to visit Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is.
Our data shows the best months to visit Wrangell-St. Elias National Park are June, July, August & September.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park Visits | 25 | 95 | 230 | 520 | 4,572 | 16,445 | 23,372 | 20,779 | 7,855 | 530 | 60 | 35 |
| Precipitation | 15 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 18 | 25 | 33 | 23 | 17 | 19 |
| Avg Temp | 18 | 24 | 28 | 39 | 56 | 67 | 71 | 66 | 55 | 39 | 24 | 21 |
| Max Temp | 35 | 36 | 37 | 52 | 69 | 78 | 79 | 76 | 65 | 52 | 37 | 36 |
| Avg Temp | 3 | 6 | 10 | 25 | 38 | 46 | 49 | 46 | 38 | 27 | 11 | 7 |
| Min Temp | -26 | -19 | -16 | 3 | 29 | 35 | 40 | 35 | 27 | 10 | -12 | -17 |
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Road Trips
Many family vacations consist of stringing one or more national parks together during a week-long trip. Creating these types of trips is our specialty! Here are the road trips we've created where Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is visited.
| Trip Name | Trip Miles | Trip Days |
|---|---|---|
| Denali & Wrangell-St. Elias | 881 | 9 |
Other Nearby National Park Sites
From national monuments, to historic sites to seashores and more, here are the other parks closest to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.
| Name | Distance |
|---|---|
| Kluane National Park Reserve | 126 mi |
Nearby Campsites & RV Parks
If you are looking to pitch a tent or park an RV at a campsite near Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, here is a list of the closest campsites in the surrounding area. They all have slightly different amenitites, so its best to check them all out instead of just chosing the first on the list.
None found.
Nearest Ski Resorts
For those of you who are the diehard outdoors type, visiting a national park on a ski trip can be quite the adventure. Here are the ski resorts within 100 miles of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park:
None Found.
Nearest Airports
When visiting a National park, many people are faced with either a very long drive across country, or a much shorter flight. For those of you looking to fly into Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, we've listed the closest airports in the area.
Large Airports
A large airport has scheduled major airline service with millions of passengers per year. This type of airport always accepts international flights. Here are the closest large airports to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.
| Name | Code | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport | ANC | Anchorage, AK | 267 mi |
| Fairbanks International Airport | FAI | Fairbanks, AK | 321 mi |
Medium Airports
A medium-sized airport has scheduled regional airline service. This type of airport may or may not accept international flights. Here are the closest medium-sized airports to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.
| Name | Code | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merle K (Mudhole) Smith Airport | CDV | Cordova, AK | 122 mi |
| Yakutat Airport | YAK | Yakutat, AK | 130 mi |
| Dawson City Airport | YDA | Dawson City, YT | 229 mi |
| Whitehorse / Erik Nielsen International Airport | YXY | Whitehorse, YT | 234 mi |
| Haines Airport | HNS | Haines, AK | 253 mi |
| Gustavus Airport | GST | Gustavus, AK | 282 mi |
| Juneau International Airport | JNU | Juneau, AK | 316 mi |
Credits: Campground data provided by USCampgrounds.info. Map shapes from CartographyVectors. Weather data from NOAA. Airport data from OurAirports.com. Images from Unsplash, Flickr and Parks&Trips. All data has also been updated and augmented by Parks&Trips.