Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve

The Land

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, located approximately 320 miles east of Anchorage, is six times the size of Yellowstone National Park and encompasses 20,000 square miles.  It is comprised of four mountain systems, eight physiographic provinces, three climate zones and seven eco-regions.

Flora and Fauna

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park's abundant large mammals include Dall sheep, mountain goats, caribou, moose, brown/grizzly bear, black bear and bison. Look closer and you may see lynx, wolverine, river otter, marten, fox, wolves, marmots, beaver, porcupine and snowshoe hares.

Wetland areas of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park provide seasonal homes for nesting geese, trumpeter swans, ducks and other waterfowl. Golden and bald eagles, peregrine falcons and gyrfalcons, pine grosbeaks, black-capped chickadees and several woodpeckers nest within the park. Willow ptarmigan, spruce grouse, ravens, goshawks and great horned owls live in the park year-round.
 
Park waters are spawning areas for king, silver and red salmon as well as rainbow trout, lake trout, grayling, steelhead, Dolly Varden and burbot.

History

There are four peoples with historic ties to the area of  Wrangell-St. Elias National Park: the Ahtna, Upper Tanana Athabascans, Eyak and the Tlingit.

Mineral development of the Wrangell Mountains started in 1899 with the first gold strike. Silver was also found but in 1911 the Kennecott mines went into full production which by 1938 would mine valued between $100 and $300 million dollars.

In 1978, Present Jimmy Carter declared the area a National Monument due to its scientific and cultural significance. In 1980, the Wrangell Mountains became part of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, when Congress passed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.

Transportation

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is accessible by aircraft and car rental from Anchorage and Fairbanks. Anchorage driving time is about 8 hours and Fairbanks is 6 hours.

More Information

For more information on Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, visit the National Park Service website at www.nps.gov/wrst/.

Source: Alaska State Parks.

For more information on Alaska State Parks, visit the Alaska State Parks web site.

Alaska National Parks

Denali National Park, Kenai Fjords National Park, Lake Clark National Park, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Alaska State Parks by Region

Anchorage, Interior Alaska, Kenai Peninsula, Kodiak, Mat-Su Valley, Prince William Sound, Southeast Alaska, Southwest Alaska

Alaska State Parks by Name

Anchor River State Recreation Area and Stariski SRS, Birch Lake State Recreation Site, Caines Head State Recreation Area and Resurrection Bay State Marine Parks, Captain Cook State Recreation Area, Chena River State Recreation Area, Chena River State Recreation Site, Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, Chugach State Park, Clam Gulch State Recreation Area, Deep Creek State Recreation Area, Delta Junction Area State Parks, Denali State Park, Haines Area State Parks, Harding Lake State Recreation Area, Independence Mine State Historical Park, Kachemak Bay State Park and State Wilderness Park, Kasilof Area State Parks, Kenai River Special Management Area, Kodiak Area State Parks, Nancy Lake State Recreation Area, Ninilchik State Recreation Area, Point Bridget State Park, Salcha River State Recreation Site, Sitka Area State Parks, State Marine Parks in Prince William Sound and Resurrection Bay, Summit Lake State Recreation Site, Tok Area Parks, Totem Bight State Historical Park, Upper Chatanika State Recreation Site, Wickersham State Historic Site, Wood-Tikchik State Park