The closest major airport is Anchorage, Alaska. There is a smaller airport in Yakutat, Alaska.
From the North
1. Take Stateroad 2 South to Stateroad 1 South to the park.
2. Take Stateroad 2 South to Stateroad 4 South to the park.
From the East
1. Take Canada Stateroad 1 North to Alaska Stateroad 2 North to Stateroad 1 South to the park.
From the South
1. Take Stateroad 97 East to Canada Stateroad 1 North to Alaska Stateroad 2 North to Stateroad 1 South to the park.
2. Take Stateroad 16 North to Stateroad 37 North to Canada Stateroad 1 North to Alaska Stateroad 2 North to Stateroad 1 South to the park.
From the West
1. Take Stateroad 1 East to the park.
2. Take Stateroad 1 East to Stateroad 4 South to the park.
Additional Directions and Information
The Wrangell - St Elias National Park is located on the Alaska Highway system and the interior is accessible by two state-maintained roads (the Nabesna Road and the McCarthy Road) and by aircraft. The abandoned Kennicott copper mine in the park interior is an increasingly popular destination. The National Park Service is studying possible acquisition of the 75-year-old buildings and mineral rights. The privately owned mine is a National Historic Landmark.
Park headquarters is located in Copper Center, 14 miles south of Glennallen, Alaska. There are District Ranger Stations in Slana, Chitina and Yakutat. All park services are located outside of the actual boundaries of the park.
Access into the Park and Preserve is usually by private vehicle along unpaved gravel roads, via watercraft or by chartered air taxi service from Tok, Glennallen (Gulkana), McCarthy, Valdez, Cordova or Yakutat. With the exception of Yakutat and Cordova, these communities can be reached by private vehicle or bus lines from Anchorage. Yakutat and Cordova can be reached by Alaska Airlines which offers daily jet service from both Juneau and Anchorage. Cordova and Valdez are accessed via the Alaska Marine Highway (State Ferry).
The park can be reached from Anchorage via the Glenn Highway (Alaska 1). At Glennallen, the Glenn Highway meets the Richardson Highway, which skirts the park's western boundary en route to Valdez, a coastal city served by the state ferry system. The Tok Cutoff coming south from the Alaska Highway borders the northwestern corner of the park.
From these highways, two unpaved roads penetrate the park. The Chitina/McCarthy Road extends 61 miles from Chitina to the Kennicott River, just west of McCarthy. The road follows the old Copper River and Northwest Railroad route. High clearance, two wheel drive vehicles usually can make the trip in summer. The road is generally not maintained in winter.
The northern portion of the park can be reached via the Nabesna Road. From Slana on the Tok Cutoff, it extends 45 miles to Nabesna, an inactive privately owned mining area. Check at the Slana Ranger Station at the start of the Nabesna Road for the latest road conditions.
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