Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve: History, Highlights, and One- to Three-Day Adventures

Wrangell–St. Elias is the largest national park in the United States, and the best way into it is a gravel road that ends at a footbridge. Across the river lie McCarthy and the old Kennecott copper-mining town, with glaciers, mine trails, and mountains on every side. This guide shows you how to spend one, two, or three good days there, with the drive, the shuttles, the tours, and the trails worked out.

What's inside

• Nine ready-made itineraries: one, two, and three days, each at easy, moderate, and strenuous effort, from the guided Kennecott mill tour to a day on the Root Glacier and the climb to the Bonanza Mine, each with a weather backup
• The park's history, from the Ahtna people of the Copper River to the Bonanza discovery, the Copper River and Northwestern Railway, the Kennecott mill town, McCarthy, and the making of the park
• Sightseeing highlights from the McCarthy Road's bridges and trestles to the mill town, the Root Glacier, and flightseeing
• A wildlife chapter profiling 14 animals, from moose, Dall's sheep, and both bears to trumpeter swans and ptarmigan, each with a photograph and notes on where and when to look
• Trip planning for the drive or flight in, shuttles, lodging, guides, and safety around bears and glaciers
• 36 photographs and 3 orientation maps

What you'll receive

• EPUB ebook (Wrangell_St_Elias_National_Park_and_Preserve_Brian_D_Russ.epub, about 11 MB) for Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play Books, and most e-reader apps. Kindle readers can send it to their library with Amazon's Send to Kindle.
• PDF (Wrangell_St_Elias_National_Park_and_Preserve_Brian_D_Russ.pdf, 99 pages including the cover, about 26 MB) for any device, and for printing pages. It opens on the illustrated cover.

Your download link arrives by email right after purchase.

Edition

First illustrated edition, October 2026, with research completed October 18, 2026. Trails, schedules, and conditions change, so check the park's current alerts before you travel.

Pack rain gear, cross the footbridge, and give yourself time to look up.

This is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service.