National Park · Alaska
The largest national park in the U.S., a 13-million-acre wilderness of giant peaks, glaciers, and a ghost-town copper mine.
Field briefing
Wrangell-St. Elias starts with access, not mileage.
Before you go
Elias is the biggest national park in the country, a roadless ocean of mountains, glaciers, and tundra where the towns of McCarthy and Kennecott sit at the end of a long gravel road. Go in summer (June through August) when the McCarthy Road is open, daylight is endless, and you can hike out onto Root Glacier or tour the old copper mill. This is remote, self-reliant country, so come ready for cool wet weather and bring a solid rain shell, sturdy waterproof boots, warm layers, a bug headnet, and microspikes if you plan to walk on ice. There is no entrance fee and no reservation needed, but services are minimal, so plan fuel, food, and time carefully.
The landmarks worth the trip. Tap any photo to enlarge.
Conditions, crowds, and what each season asks you to pack.
Highs from the 30s into the 50s F, with mud, lingering snow, and rough road conditions as things thaw.
Pack Waterproof boots, layers, and patience for muddy gravel roads.
Highs in the 60s to low 70s F, long daylight, cool nights, and frequent rain.
Pack Rain shell, bug headnet, sturdy boots, and microspikes for glacier walks.
Highs in the 40s and 50s F, brilliant tundra color, and the first snows by late September.
Pack Warm insulating layers, gloves, and a windproof jacket.
50F
Bitter cold with interior lows that can reach -50F, deep snow, and very short days.
Pack Expedition-grade insulation, traction, and full cold-weather survival gear.
A preserved early-1900s copper mill town with towering red buildings you can tour.
An accessible hike from Kennecott out onto a real glacier, ideal with a guide and microspikes.
At 18,008 feet, the second-tallest peak in the U.S., rising almost straight from the sea.
A massive active volcano with an ice-filled summit caldera, visible across the western park.
A rugged 60-mile gravel route to the heart of the park, crossing a dramatic old railroad trestle.
Treat transport weather as part of the itinerary, with a real buffer day instead of a tight turnaround. For one day in Wrangell-St. Elias, make Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark the non-negotiable, add Root Glacier Trail only if the first stop runs clean, and keep Mount St. Elias as the flexible finish.
Turn Wrangell-St. Elias's conditions into water, pack, and sleep-system decisions.
Build around access
Plan the transfer before the trail list.
Plan your trip
4 quick tools, already seeded for Wrangell-St. Elias. Tune the route, pack weight, weather margin, and overnight setup after the access plan is real.
Start with the gear decisions Wrangell-St. Elias changes: water, footing, weather, and overnight needs. The checklist is there once your route and dates are set.
Kit Authority
Wrangell-St. Elias packing list
0 of 22 packed. Check items as you pack, then take this list to the store, trailhead, or campsite.
Pack planning
Use this as a constraint check while you are still shaping the trip. The active checklist becomes useful once your route, dates, and sleep plan are set.
Checklist mode
22 items, grouped for the trip you are actually taking.
The buying guides that match what Wrangell-St. Elias asks of your kit. Each one has our current top picks across budget and use case.
Stay strategy
Sleep where the first morning stays simple.
Stay strategy
Wrangell-St. Elias is an access decision disguised as a lodging decision. McCarthy and Kennecott put you near the mill town and Root Glacier, Copper Center and Glennallen are staging bases, and the deep backcountry usually begins with a bush plane.
Compare base options
Compare each base by the first morning: where you park, what you ride, and how many decisions happen before the trail or viewpoint.
This is the right base when the trip is about Kennecott and Root Glacier. Arrive with fuel, food, a tire plan, and realistic expectations for a slow road.
Staging towns
Use these towns to stock up, visit the Copper Center side, or break the long Anchorage drive. They are not a substitute for staying near McCarthy if Root Glacier is the priority.
This is the big-park version of Wrangell-St. Elias, and it demands real Alaska systems. Plan with flight operators, carry conservative gear, and leave schedule slack.
Private camp
Private camping near the end of the road can be the best value for the historic core. Confirm access rules and services before you commit.
Road day
Treat the McCarthy Road as an activity, not a normal transfer.
Gear bias
Bring layers, rain gear, and tire confidence before worrying about optional luxury items.
Camping reservations
Campground systems change by season and sometimes by individual campground. Start with the official park camping page, then confirm open dates, reservation windows, and permit rules before booking.
Reviewed June 6, 2026
Booking window
Check the official park camping page before choosing dates.
Where to book or verify
Use this first for current campground status and park-specific rules.
Check for federal campground, backcountry, tour, and permit inventory tied to this park.
Use this for wilderness permits, timed systems, tours, and other park-specific reservations.
Make the transfer plan before the trail plan.
Weather windows, boat schedules, flight buffers, and backup days shape what is realistic.
Getting there
Car strategy
From Anchorage it is roughly a 7 to 8 hour drive of more than 300 miles: take the Glenn Highway to Glennallen, then the Richardson Highway south to Chitina, where the pavement ends.
Car strategy
From Chitina the McCarthy Road runs about 60 miles of gravel to the Kennicott River footbridge near McCarthy, a slow 2 to 3 hour drive.
Car strategy
The separate Nabesna Road enters the park's north side off the Tok Cutoff.
Pair this with lodging: the best base is the one that protects the departure window, pickup point, or weather buffer.
No. Wrangell-St. Elias charges no entrance fee and requires no timed-entry reservation. You can drive in or fly in whenever access roads are open. Keep in mind that guided trips, flightseeing, and lodging in McCarthy and Kennecott do cost money and often book up in summer.
Summer, roughly June through August, is the best window. The McCarthy Road is open and drier, daylight is very long, and guided glacier hikes and tours of the Kennecott mill run on full schedules. Expect cool, often rainy weather and pack a rain shell and warm layers even in July.
It takes effort. From Anchorage it is a 7 to 8 hour drive, ending with about 60 miles of gravel on the McCarthy Road. You park near the Kennicott River and cross a footbridge into McCarthy, then take a shuttle or hike the last few miles to Kennecott. Drivers who want to avoid the gravel can fly between Chitina and McCarthy on small air services.
Yes. The Root Glacier Trail from Kennecott leads to the edge of Root Glacier, and you can walk on the ice. Going with a local guide and wearing microspikes is strongly recommended, since glacier surfaces have crevasses and meltwater channels that are dangerous to cross unprepared.
Nearby parks
Kenai FjordsTidewater glaciers, the vast Harding Icefield, and whale-filled fjords a short drive or boat ride from Seward.
DenaliSix million acres of subarctic wild ringed by North America's tallest peak, seen mostly from a single 92-mile road.
Lake ClarkA roadless Alaska wilderness of volcanoes, turquoise lakes, and coastal brown bears, reached only by bush plane.