Photo: Kennecott mining town
Alaska, the “Last Frontier,” had lingered on my bucket list as the only state I had missed since my first plane trip 52 years ago.
The most unique, remote and virtually unknown stop on our itinerary was the largest and one of the least visited national parks in North America bordering the Yukon in western Canada. According to National Geographic, the 13.2-million-acre Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve could swallow Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Glacier and Olympic national parks with “with plenty of room to spare.”
Most Alaskans have never ventured to this gigantic, majestic, historic, volcanic, largely frozen wilderness, even though it’s only 250 miles east of the capital city Anchorage, a relatively short distance for residents who think nothing of hopping into a four-seat plane to distant destinations in America’s largest state.
Nine of the 16 highest mountains in the U.S. soar within its boundaries, including Mt. St. Elias (18,008), the second highest in the U.S. behind Mt. Denali (20,310). The five highest volcanoes in the U.S. rise within the 160-mile long Wrangell Volcanic Field. The only active one, Mt. Wrangell (14,163) spouts puffs of steam but has never had a major eruption.
Photo: 14-story copper concentration mill
Within the park, the remains of the Kennecott mining town – a National Historic Landmark – range from outhouses to the 14- story timber concentration mill where copper was separated from limestone before being shipped to the smelter in Tacoma, Washington. One of the best remaining samples of early 20th century copper mining, the operation – funded in part by billionaire J.P. Morgan and the Guggenheim family – generated $200 million ($4.2 billion today) between 1911-1938 from the largest deposit of copper in the world. The National Park Service bought the ghost town in 1998 and has spent millions stabilizing the 76 buildings.
America’s largest glacial system covers 35 per- cent of the park, including Bagley Icefield, the largest non-polar icefield in North America. It’s 127 miles long, 6 miles wide, and up to 3,000 feet thick. The most unique experience of our trip – hiking on the four-mile Root Glacier with crampons – proved exhilarating and, at times, excruciating when I slipped on the rock solid ice.
Photo: Root Glacier
Photo: A Crampon
Few people actually see this grandeur because of the difficulty just reaching the interior of the park. Only 50,000 visited Wrangell-St. Elias in 2021, the eighth lowest total among America’s 63 national parks.
Two largely gravel roads provide the only ground access. The degree of difficulty ranges from doable to treacherous, depending on the weather, mudslides, and road maintenance. Most companies won’t rent a car to would-be visitors unless it’s a 4×4.
Photo: “Downtown” McCarthy
From the isolated north, the 43-mile long Nabesna Road requires navigation across several streams. Most folks brave the 63-mile McCarthy Road that leads to the only two populated needles inside the Wrangell-St. Elias haystack – McCarthy (21) and Kennicott (6 year round souls). “Downtown” McCarthy consists of a few structures and, at times, an awfully muddy Main Street.
Photo: Kennecott Glacier Lodge
We stayed at the Kennecott Glacier Lodge, a three-star hotel that served the best meals of our trip. Unfortunately, the wet, rainy weather prevented us from experiencing its clear mountain glory.
The McCarthy Road originated in 1909 as a railway bed to support the Kennecott mines. Remnants of ties and spikes still pop up, creating a business operation for a local entrepreneur who picks up flats at a designated spot, patches and returns them. Full-size spares and sturdy jacks are as vital as a full tank of gas before setting off from Chitina on the park’s western border. Under ideal circumstances, it’s possible to drive the McCarthy Road in 1½ hours. But in adverse conditions, it can take as much as six if you’re lucky.
The easiest and much preferred option if you have the money ($331.10 round trip) – the four-seater fleet of Wrangell Mountain Air – flies from Chitina to McCarthy in 30 minutes, landing on a 3,500-foot long gravel runway. The company also offers flightseeing tours, the best way to get a true feeling for the enormity of the park.
Photo: Ed and Susan on the plane
The rewards of Wrangell-St. Elias are worth the effort getting there. There’s backpacking, camping, kayaking, mountain biking, river rafting, fishing, hiking, skiing on glaciers, and touring the Kennecott mines.
Photo: Ed on the Root Glacier
The crunch of your crampons on a huge, white sheet of ice is something to brag about when you return to the Lower 48.
