Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve Alerts and Current Conditions

Cover of Brian Russ's guide to Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve

Last checked: October 25, 2026. This page tracks what's closed, what's changed, and what's coming up at Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska, from the park's alerts, news releases, and hours pages. I check it daily and rewrite it when the park posts something new, so bookmark it rather than an old news story. Winter arrives early in interior Alaska and the two park roads aren't regularly maintained in winter, so check with the park before you drive in.

Current alerts

  • The park isn't listing any alerts as of October 25, 2026. Its recent news releases cover hunts, meetings, and helicopter work that have already ended. (NPS)
  • Root Glacier is reachable on a rerouted trail. After closing an area beneath an unstable hill on the Root Glacier access trail north of the Kennecott mines in July, the park opened a new reroute in August that restores access to the glacier. (NPS)

Open and closed right now

  • The park and its public lands are open year-round, with no entrance stations. The park doesn't list an entrance fee. (NPS)
  • All visitor centers and ranger stations are closed for fall, winter, and spring. That includes the Wrangell–St. Elias Visitor Center in Copper Center, the Kennecott Visitor Center, the Slana Ranger Station, and the Chitina Ranger Station.
  • Roads: the Nabesna Road and the McCarthy Road, both maintained by the State of Alaska, are open year-round but aren't regularly maintained in winter.
  • Kendesnii Campground on the Nabesna Road is open all year, with no reservations taken. It isn't maintained or plowed in winter. (NPS)
  • Locked gates: when a visitor center closes, its entrance and parking gates are locked. The Copper Center headquarters gate closes at 5 p.m.

Coming up in the next few weeks

  • No dated changes are posted between now and the end of November. The park says the summer season runs mid-May through mid-September, services are limited by the end of September, and there's usually snow on the ground by then.
  • Next summer: the park's listing shows the visitor center in Copper Center back on summer hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, from May 20, 2027.

What this means for your trip

Nothing on the park's alert list changes a trip right now, but the season does. With every visitor center and ranger station closed until spring, there's no staffed desk to stop at for a permit question or a road report. Expect to plan on your own.

The McCarthy Road to Kennecott and the Nabesna Road are technically open, but the park is clear that they aren't regularly maintained in winter. Drive them only in a vehicle and with gear you'd trust on an unplowed road, and tell someone your plans. The Root Glacier reroute is good news for next summer's Kennecott visitors more than for anyone now.

If you're camping, Kendesnii is the one park campground listed, and it's unplowed in winter. Please respect the private property along both park roads, as the park asks.

Before you go

  • Check the park's alerts and conditions page before you drive in.
  • For information, call park headquarters in Copper Center at 907-822-5234.
  • If your vehicle gets locked inside a gate after hours, call the Alaska Region Communication Center, staffed 24 hours, at 907-683-9555. In an emergency, call 911.

If the season changes your plan, my guide to Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve has nine one- to three-day itineraries at easy, moderate, and strenuous effort, each with a backup plan for weather or closures. You can also check alerts and conditions for every national park.

This page is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service. Always check the park's current alerts before you go.