Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve: A True Natural Wonder in Alaska
Tucked away in the vast wilderness of southeastern Alaska is Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve, a true masterpiece of nature that is a must-visit destination for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. This breathtaking park and preserve stretches over 13.2 million acres, making it the largest national park in the United States and one of the least visited.
A land of contrasts
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve offers a diverse landscape of towering mountains, snow-capped glaciers, lush forests, pristine lakes, and rugged rivers. Towering peaks rise from below the horizon, with the highest is the mighty Mount Saint Elias, standing at 18,008 feet. The park is home to over a hundred mountains above 10,000 feet, earning it the highest average elevation of any national park or reserve.
The park’s climate is characterized by short, mild winters and cool summers. The park’s glacier-fed rivers, including the Muldrow Glacier and Stikine River, flow dramatically, creating stunning waterfalls that carve out the landscape. The variety of geological formations, including moraines, talus slopes, and glacial valleys, adds to the overall diversity of the park’s landscape.
Hiking and mountaineering challenges
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve offers endless options for outdoor adventures, from leisurely day hikes to challenging multi-week climbs. The park’s iconic peaks and glaciers attract the world’s top mountaineers and hikers. For those seeking easy adventures, numerous trails and loop hikes traverse the park’s vast glaciers and surrounding mountains. For avid mountaineers, the park holds endless challenges, including climbing legendary peaks such as Mount Saint Elias or the iconic Glacier Peak.
A permit system is in place, with mandatory registration for glacier hikes, high-altitude climbs, or other excursions. Rangers assess applicants based on experience, physical shape, and skill level to ensure solo climbers’ safety and well-being. Many climbs require technical and safety knowledge, so it’s often advisable to seek the guidance and planning services of certified guides or outfits experienced in high-altitude glaciated climbing.
Wildlife and ecological wonders
The park is part of the traditional lands of the Southern Tlingit people, along with other indigenous communities. Today, humans and wildlife coexist in stunning harmony, where moose graze by rivers, bears saunter along the shore, and goats, wolverines, foxes, and mountain goats play amidst the trees.
The park remains an integral habitat for a tremendous range of plant and animal species; there are more than three dozen types of mammals, including Grizzly bears, brown bears, black bears, wolves, moose, caribou, Dall sheep and many other. Birdwatching opportunities abound, with over six hundred bird species identified within the park itself. Be sure to spot Alaskan’s most iconic bird, the Ptarmigan, in its natural attire – tuxedo, wings and feathers in a white dress code for winter periods!
Getting there – Wilderness accessible
Access routes vary in terms of experience level and preparedness. For instance, travelers who have experience 4×4 off-road driving – especially high-clearance all-terrain vehicles – navigate 90 miles of rough-haul logging roads. Experienced paddlers may enjoy Class I or Class II river access along some park rivers during open-season.
Aerally accessible regions can be conveniently visited with short, affordable, fixed-wing or turbo-prop charters. One example: A scenic airplane trip originating from the townships around Copper Center, McCarthy can easily deliver passengers to the awe-inspiring ice of Kennicott, while taking in glacial valley landscapes. Then again, many adventurers venture from major airports like Anchorage (~320 miles or 515 kilometres to Copper Center) that’s just as easy taking buses.
Preserve’s legacy and human impact conservation
Since 1986, when Congress protected the park site and neighboring land, Wrangell-St. Elias National Preserve remains as the most widely known nature preserve. After two more years, in April 1989, Congress extended Park Service responsibilities. This combination resulted in 13 millions 800,000 acres with federal parkland, managed carefully in coexistence with local towns.
Wildlife corridors now protected safeguard wildlife migration & population conservation, a testament both to careful conservation efforts led by Wrangell–St. Elias National Park &Preserve park management and local understanding & agreement of wildlife habitat essential needs. Long-term planning balances protection goals, while offering fair opportunity for public use across many forms.
Conclusion
There are very few places on planet earth like Wrangell-St. Elias National Park &Preserve – Alaska. At least four UNESCO World Nature Heritage sites exist in Alaska due to incredible preservation, this immense landscape area has the following benefits in preserving natural land resources & human culture (World Nature Heritage Site Designations #12,013 to 12,016/21),. It contains diverse wilderness ecosystems, wildlife habitation sites, historic sites showing native history and natural resource developments & an iconic landmass whose majestic appearance attracts people while sharing and honoring its importance amidst these national treasures.
Get there with open heart or your next wilderness adventure might leave the impression of this unparalleled world class gem – breathtaking!
Download image Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve, Alaska [OC] [3000×2000] by –FuckYouSpez–