Wrangell-St. Elias is the largest national park in America — bigger than Switzerland — a remote Alaska wilderness of glaciers, volcanoes, and the Kennicott copper ghost town, budget $80-300/day, best June through August.

Wrangell-St. Elias: A Wilderness Beyond Comprehension

Statistics do not do justice to Wrangell-St. Elias, but they are a useful starting point for grasping the scale of this place. At 13.2 million acres, it is the largest national park in the United States — larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the entire country of Switzerland combined. It contains nine of the sixteen highest peaks in America, including Mount St. Elias (18,008 feet), the second tallest mountain in the country behind Denali. The Bagley Icefield, which sprawls across the park’s southern reaches, is the largest non-polar icefield in North America. The Malaspina Glacier alone, fanning out from the St. Elias range to the coast, is larger than the entire state of Rhode Island. There are volcanoes here — Mount Wrangell is one of the largest active volcanoes in the world — and rivers that run milky with glacial flour through valleys no human being has ever set foot in.

And yet, for all its immensity, Wrangell-St. Elias is remarkably accessible to anyone willing to make a modest effort. The McCarthy Road, a 60-mile gravel track that follows the old Copper River & Northwestern Railway bed from Chitina to the footbridge at the Kennicott River, delivers you to the doorstep of one of Alaska’s most extraordinary human stories: the ghost town of Kennecott. Built between 1900 and 1911 to extract copper from the richest copper deposit ever discovered, Kennecott was a fully operational company town with a hospital, school, dairy, skating rink, and a 14-story concentration mill that processed ore worth billions in today’s dollars. When the copper ran out in 1938, the mine closed virtually overnight. Workers were told to leave with whatever they could carry. The buildings remain, red-painted and weathering, perched on the mountainside above the Root Glacier like a set from a post-industrial dream.

The tiny community of McCarthy, five miles down the road from Kennecott, is the park’s de facto base camp. With a year-round population of roughly 30-40 people that swells to a few hundred in summer, McCarthy is a collection of lodges, a saloon, a few outfitters, and an assortment of cabins occupied by people who have deliberately chosen one of the most remote inhabited places in the United States. There is no cell service, no chain stores, no stoplight. The only way in is the gravel road (which ends at the footbridge — no vehicles cross into McCarthy) or by bush plane. This isolation is not a bug; it is the entire point.

Beyond McCarthy and Kennecott, Wrangell-St. Elias becomes something else entirely: a roadless wilderness of almost incomprehensible size where you can hike for weeks without encountering another human being. Backcountry travel here is serious business, requiring navigational skill, self-sufficiency, and a genuine respect for the scale of the landscape. But the park also accommodates day visitors with surprising grace. You can drive the McCarthy Road, walk across the footbridge, take a shuttle to Kennecott, tour the mill building with a ranger, hike to the Root Glacier and walk on ice, and return to your car the same day. The range of experiences — from a casual day trip to a month-long mountaineering expedition — is part of what makes Wrangell-St. Elias so remarkable.

What Makes Wrangell-St. Elias Special

No other national park in America offers this combination of scale, remoteness, and accessibility. Denali has its bus system and single road; Glacier Bay is visited mostly from cruise ships; Gates of the Arctic is almost entirely fly-in. Wrangell-St. Elias allows you to drive to the edge of genuine wilderness, cross a footbridge, and within hours be standing on a glacier or inside a century-old copper mill. The Kennecott story provides a human narrative that grounds the park’s natural grandeur in something tangible and deeply compelling. And the park’s size means that even at peak season, visitor densities remain remarkably low. You will share the Root Glacier with a handful of other hikers. On a flightseeing tour, you will look out over thousands of square miles with no evidence of human presence.

What Are the Top Things to Do in Wrangell-St. Elias?

Kennecott Mill Town Tour — The National Park Service and the Kennecott Wilderness Guides co-op offer ranger-led and commercial guided tours of the Kennecott mill building and surrounding structures. The NPS tour ($25-$30 per person) focuses on the 14-story concentration mill, which you can explore floor by floor. Commercial tours add deeper historical context and access to additional buildings. Tours run 1.5-3 hours and are available daily in summer. Highly recommended — the architecture and engineering are astonishing.

Root Glacier Hike — From Kennecott, a 4-mile trail leads to the Root Glacier, where you can walk onto the ice and explore a world of blue crevasses, moulins, and ice formations. Going with a guide and crampons ($75-$125 per person for a half-day ice hike with Kennecott Wilderness Guides or St. Elias Alpine Guides) allows you to venture deeper into the glacier and learn about glaciology. Unguided hiking to the glacier edge is free but stay off the ice without proper equipment.

Flightseeing — Bush plane tours from McCarthy offer staggering aerial views of the Wrangell Mountains, Mount Blackburn (16,390 feet), the Bagley Icefield, and remote valleys filled with glaciers. A one-hour flight costs $200-$300 per person; longer tours visiting the coast or Mount St. Elias area run $350-$500. Wrangell Mountain Air and McCarthy Air are respected local operators. Weather dependent — be flexible with your schedule.

McCarthy Exploration — Walk the dirt streets of McCarthy, visit the McCarthy-Kennicott Historical Museum (free/donation), and enjoy a drink at the McCarthy Lodge Golden Saloon, one of the most atmospheric bars in Alaska. The town’s small-scale, off-grid character is an experience in itself. The Ma Johnson’s Hotel, a restored 1916 roadhouse, is worth visiting even if you are not staying there.

Nabesna Road — On the park’s northern side, the 42-mile Nabesna Road provides a completely different experience from the McCarthy corridor. This remote gravel road passes through boreal forest and sub-alpine terrain with views of the Wrangell volcanoes. Trailheads along the road access backcountry routes. The road is rougher and less traveled than the McCarthy Road, with limited services. Free.

Backcountry Backpacking — For experienced wilderness travelers, Wrangell-St. Elias offers some of the finest and most challenging backcountry hiking on the continent. There are very few maintained trails beyond the Kennecott area — most travel is cross-country, requiring route-finding skills, stream-crossing ability, and bear-country competence. Popular routes include the Goat Trail from McCarthy to the Chitistone Canyon and the Skolai Pass area. No permits required, but registration at the ranger station is recommended.

Where Should I Stay in Wrangell-St. Elias?

Budget — The Kennecott base camp offers glacier-view tent sites for $22-$28 per night. Dispersed camping along the McCarthy Road is free. The Lancaster’s Backpacker Hotel in McCarthy provides dorm-style bunk rooms for $38-$55 per night. The Glacier View Campground has basic sites for $20.

Mid-Range — The Kennecott Glacier Lodge, situated right in the historic mill town with glacier views, offers rooms for $220-$350 per night including breakfast and dinner — an exceptional value given the location. The McCarthy Lodge has comfortable rooms in a historic building for $200-$300 per night. The Currant Ridge Cabins outside McCarthy offer well-appointed cabins for $200-$275 per night.

Luxury — The Ultima Thule Lodge in the remote Chitina Valley is one of Alaska’s premier wilderness lodges, accessible only by bush plane. All-inclusive packages with guided glacier treks, river rafting, flightseeing, and gourmet meals start at $1,900 per person per day. This is a once-in-a-lifetime level of experience, and guests regularly describe it as the most extraordinary stay of their lives.

What Should I Eat in Wrangell-St. Elias?

McCarthy Lodge Restaurant — The finest dining in the McCarthy-Kennecott area, featuring a creative menu with locally sourced ingredients, including garden vegetables and fresh Alaska seafood flown in by bush plane. The pizza nights are legendary. Entrees $18-$38. Reservations are wise given limited seating.

Kennecott Glacier Lodge Dining Room — Available to non-guests with advance notice, the lodge serves family-style meals featuring salmon, halibut, and other Alaska fare. Dinner is $35-$50 per person, prix fixe style.

The Potato — A beloved McCarthy institution serving massive loaded baked potatoes with creative toppings from a small cart. Filling, affordable, and delicious. Meals $10-$16. Cash preferred.

Meatza Wagon — A food truck in McCarthy specializing in calzones, pizza, and baked goods. Perfect trailhead fuel. Items $12-$20.

Pack Your Own — Seriously. McCarthy has a small general store with limited and expensive provisions. If you are staying more than a day or two, bring food from Anchorage, Glennallen, or Chitina. The nearest full-service grocery store is in Glennallen, 200+ miles from McCarthy.