Spanning 13,175,799 acres, the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is the biggest protected area managed by the National Park Service in the U.S. The park covers more than eight million acres, while the preserve hits close to five million acres.
Over nine million acres of the park and preserve has been designated as wilderness, the largest one in the U.S. Despite its massive land area, less than 80,000 people made their way to this protected landscape in 2018.
History
Plate tectonics are largely responsible for the imposing mountain ranges in the park, which covers much of St. Elias Mountains, and has among the highest natural peaks in North America. In the Wrangell area, volcanism played a large in the area. The 10 highest peaks in the Wrangell Mountains have volcanic origins.
Human settlement in the area dates back to the year 1000 AD, with the Ahtna people inhabiting the area along the Copper River. Russian explorers arrived in the mid-1700s. Interest in the area started when the U.S. acquired Alaska in 1867.
The Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve were established on Dec. 2, 1980. Two years before that, it was designated as a national monument. Also, it is part of the International Biosphere Reserve and was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Places to go
Volcanoes
Mount Wrangell is one of the largest active volcanoes in the world. It is part of the Wrangell Mountains, a mountain range of mostly volcanic origin. Wrangell Mountains also has among the highest volcanoes in the U.S., which are Mount Blackburn (second highest) and Mountain Sanford (third). Mount Wrangell is a shield volcano so it understandably doesn’t have a high summit, but it is still among the largest volcanoes. It is the only active volcano in the group. Other volcanoes that form part of the Wrangell Mountains are Atna Peaks, Mount Drum, Mount Jarvis, Mount Zanetti, and Regal Mountain.
Hiking is the best way to get a stunning view of these volcanoes. The Boreal Forest Trail and Cooper River Bluff Trail cover a loop, which offers a stunning view of the Wrangell Mountains.
Glaciers
Glaciers cover a third of the park and preserve, which represents America’s largest glacial system. The glaciers also feed the park’s river systems. One of the park’s notable glaciers in the Bagley Icefield, which is 127 miles long and six miles wide. The glacier is about 3,000 feet thick. But the world’s longest interior valley glacier is the Nabesna Glacier, which covers 53 miles. The title of North America’s largest tidewater glacier belongs to Hubbard Glacier. Malaspina Glacier, on the other hand, is North America’s largest piedmont glacier.
Hiking the glaciers is one of the most majestic experiences one could have in the park. It is going to be very challenging, though, and proper equipment is required. But, understandably, only seasoned mountaineers can conquer glaciers, so some concessionaires offer flightseeing activities. This will give visitors a chance to see glaciers from above and marvel at how stunning they are. The Hubbard Glacier is also reachable by boat.
Copper River
This river is borne from the Copper Glacier. It got its name because the upper river used to have large copper deposits. Extraction of the mineral deposits prompted the construction of the Copper River and Northwestern Railway. Eventually, the resources were depleted and the mining activity stopped. But the Copper River continues to be a popular tourist destination and a local source of food source with its abundant salmon population. Various salmon species thrive in the river but during specific seasons.
The Copper River Delta is also a great place for birders. This river delta covers 700,000 acres. According to experts, 16 million shorebirds flock the area. These are dusky Canada goose, dunlins, trumpeter swans and western sandpipers.
McCarthy Road and Kennecott Area
The towns of McCarthy and Kennecott provides a great history of the park. One can do a scenic and historic drive through the McCarthy Road. The road covers the old Copper River and Northwestern Railway track. The Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark is located just five miles off the end of the road. Mining was the main industry in the area in the early 1900s.
Skolai Pass
More than half of the park and preserve are considered wilderness. One of the best places to experience the park’s wilderness, as well as get an exciting panoramic vista of Wrangell-St. Elias is through Skolai Pass. The park’s wilderness is the largest in America.
Flora and fauna
There are so many different components to the Wrangell-St. Elias National, which contributes to its biodiversity. There are different kinds of plants that thrive in different levels of the park. These are alders, balsam poplars, black spruces, blueberries, Labrador teas, paper birches, quaking aspens, among others.
Animals that call the park and preserve home are beavers, black bears, brown bears, Canadian lynxes, caribou, coyotes, Dall sheep, grizzly bears, martens, mountain goats, Northwestern wolves, porcupines, red foxes, river otters, and wolverines.