Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Wrangell St. Elias National Park is located in the southwest corner of Alaska, United States. The park covers an area of 20,587 square miles (53,321 sq km) making it both the largest national park and the single largest wilderness area in the United States.

The park runs along the southeastern border between Alaska and Canada’s Kluane National Park.  Glacier Bay National Park is just to the south.  Much of the park accounts for significant portions of the Saint Elias Mountains and the entire Wrangell Range. There are four major mountain ranges converging here which include Alaska, Chugach, St. Elias, and the Wrangell.

UNESCO declared the larger Kluane / Wrangell-St. Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek transborder park system a world heritage site.  Ecosystems of the park and area include lowlands, wetlands, uplands, sub-alpine, alpine, and permafrost.

Mount St. Elias is the pinnacle attraction of the park and the tallest point in the mountain range.  Mount Wrangell is an active volcano with a summit of 14,163 feet (4,317 m) and combines with Mount St. Elias for the park’s namesake.

The park features the Bagley Icefield which accounts for about 60% of the Alaskan landscape that is permanently covered in ice.  There are also dozens of renowned glaciers located in the park’s boundaries.  It is home to North America’s largest subpolar icefield.

There are several significant rivers traversing the park which include Chisana River, Chitina River, Copper River, and the Nabesna River. The rivers, forests, and varying ecosystems are home to an abundance of Alaska’s big game.

Some of the more exciting wildlife sightings include black bear, brown bear, caribou, coyote, cougar, grizzly bear, lynx, moose, and mountain goats.

There are 21 species of fish including chinook, chum, coho, pink, and sockeye salmon.  It is a fisherman’s haven for salmon and trout fishing.  The coastline waters feature humpback whales, orcas, porpoises, harbor seals, and sea lions.