Over the last couple weeks, we have made several posts about the United States’ largest national park—Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska. We described several of the outdoor recreation activities available at the park in addition to is magnificent scenery and wild terrain. In this post, we will wrap up this series on Wrangell-St. Elias with some tips to maximize your visit to this national park. Then, the rest is up to you!
For most people, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is a far cry from any other state or national park they have visited in the past. The sheer magnitude and wildness of almost everything within the park is a sight to behold. In fact, Wrangell-St. Elias is so large that it equals more than six Yellowstone National Parks! From the towering, majestic mountain ranges and glaciers to the rippling brooks that run through peaceful meadows, this national park simply stands out from the crowd.
However, due to its large scale and rugged but beautiful terrain, you will need to remember the following travel tips and park information before you head to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park:
- Getting there – Making your way into Wrangell-St. Elias is not as easy as driving your Alaska RV rental on the nicely paved road to the easily accessible welcome center. It will take some effort on your part, because the only way to access the park is by unpaved gravel road, boat, or aircraft. You will want to check out the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Directions page on their website to plan your trip into the park.
- Safety – there’s no doubt about it: Wrangell-St. Elias is a wild, mountain wilderness. From the wild animals to the risk of hypothermia or coming across an abandoned mine, visitors to the park must respect the nature around them and protect themselves in the process. Unless you are fully prepared with equipment, planning, and adequate experience, we recommend that you not venture out into the more remote areas without a guide.
- Weather – unless you are ready to experience sub-zero temperature, stay away from Wrangell-St. Elias in the winter! Although the spring and summer months do not seem to last as long as the winter season, they do bring better outdoor traveling weather, average temperature highs between 45 degrees in the spring and high 70s in the summer. Plus, when you aren’t at the park, you can probably better navigate your way across the state in your AK motorhome rentalwhen roads aren’t piled in snow. But no matter when you come, be sure to dress in layers in case it does get chilly. Alaska weather is not completely predictable.
- Maps & Brochures – before you head out on a Wrangell-St. Elias adventure, take advantage of the many maps and pamphlets describing the park that they have available on their website. Whether you plan to hike, fish, or hunt, these informative brochures can help you plan your visit.
- Research – we can’t say it enough. This national park is huge! If you don’t plan ahead, you may be overwhelmed by the immensity of the landscape around you and not know where to start. Therefore, do your research and plan out how you plan to get to the park, how long you want to stay, and what activities you would like to do while you’re there. These simple steps will help make your visit to AK’s Wrangell-St. Elias much more enjoyable.
We hope you have enjoyed our short series on the United States’ largest national park. May your visit to Wrangell-St. Elias be filled with memorable sights, sounds, and experiences that will make you want to come back to Alaska again and again.
