10 Best Things to Do in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (+ How to Get There)

Wrangell St. Elias is one of my favorite national parks in Alaska. Even though it's difficult to get to, there's so much to see and do and it's unlike any other national park I've been to. From hiking Root Glacier and exploring the old mining town of Kennecott, to taking flight over some of the most incredible views and enjoying the quirky town of McCarthy - their truly is something for everyone.

​​My Essential Alaska Travel Resources :
There are plenty of travel companies out there, but these are my favorite websites and resources for planning an unforgettable trip to Alaska. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

For flights, I recommend using Hopper to compare the cheapest dates to travel to Alaska.

Car rentals, arguably the best way to see Alaska, are best through Discover Cars!

I always use Expedia's easy-to-use platform to compare the best rates.
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To keep cell service if you're traveling internationally, I use Airalo’s easy to purchase eSIM’s (no installation required), and NordVPN to stay safe while connecting to different wifi.

For fun things to do, I recommend Viator or Get Your Guide to find the best tours in the area.

Just in case, Safetywing is the insurance I always use for travel insurance.

Lastly, my Alaska packing list for your travels to the Last Frontier.

Getting to Wrangell St. Elias National Park

Getting to Wrangell St. Elias National Park is a bit difficult, only because it's so remote and far away from any major cities. Most people begin in Anchorage, and from here you'll need to drive about 3 and a half hours just to get to the Visitor Center. Even though the views here are good, to really explore the park you'll want to head to the town of McCarthy, an extra 3 hour drive (about 6-7 hours one way from Anchorage). Once you pass Glennallen gas can be hard to find, so I recommend filling up here, even if you think you have enough.

Once you make it to Chitina and turn left onto McCarthy Road, you'll notice the road begins to deteriorate. Soon you'll be on an all dirt path, which is notoriously known for being extra bumpy and rocky. If you're renting a car, you'll want to make sure you get one that's allowed on the McCarthy Road since many car rental companies don't allow guests to drive here. After a few bridges and amazing views, you'll make it to the end of the road at Base Camp Kennicott. Depending on where you're staying in the National Park, or whether you're camping, you'll park your car here before crossing the pedestrian bridge and catching the shuttle to your stay. However, this area and the town of McCarthy are basically the "jumping off points" for any adventures in Wrangell St. Elias National Park.

​​My Favorite Tours in Wrangell St. Elias NP :
- Kennecott Mill Town Tour
- Half Day Root Glacier Guided Hike

10 Best Things to Do in the National Park

1. Hike to Root Glacier
Hiking to Root Glacier is my all-time favorite thing to do in Wrangell St. Elias National Park. The views are absolutely incredible and it's one of the last few glaciers that you can still walk onto yourself without being required to book a tour. The hike itself is less than 6 miles round trip, and the second half can get a bit rocky and steep, but it's definitely worth it. It's important to know that glaciers can be very dangerous and if you've never been on one before or are just a little hesitant, I highly recommend booking this tour for a guided experience.

2. Go River Rafting or Kayaking on a Glacier Lake
​If you're wanting to experience the glacier a different way, one of the best ways to get up close to the front of the glacier is through a kayaking tour or a river rafting tour. During summer months, some of the tours even let you do a quick polar plunge in the cold glacial waters. If you've never been rafting or kayaking before, no worries these guides are some of the best in the area.

3. Go Swimming
The McCarthy swimming hole is pretty easy to find if you're walking into town from the pedestrian bridge. At the second bridge, off to the left on the main road you'll find the local swimming spot. There's a small beach and you can more often than not find locals here that are cooling down during the summer. Even if you don't want to go swimming, the views here are absolutely incredible and worth enjoying.

4. Rent E Bikes
​The McCarthy and Kennicott areas are known for having some great mountain biking trails. I'll be honest I haven't actually tried the mountain biking here myself, but every time we go hiking, we see all kinds of bikers going by and it's fairly popular in the summer. If you don't have your own bikes, you can usually rent them at Base Camp Kennicott before you go over the pedestrian bridge or in the town of McCarthy itself, but this isn't always guaranteed and depends on availability.

5. Explore McCarthy
McCarthy is one of my favorite towns to explore in Alaska. It's small, quirky and unique - with quite a few hidden gems. You can expect dogs wandering around on their own, no cell phone service, lots of mosquitoes in the summer, and a lot of dust if it hasn't rained recently. If you've never been before I recommend stopping at The Roadside Potato for some food, the McCarthy-Kennicott Historical Museum if you wanna learn more about local history, and of course just walking downtown and taking in the unique sights.

6. Flight Seeing Tour
​I'll be honest this is the one thing on my list that I haven't had time to do myself yet, however, I've had many friends and acquaintances go on  this flight seeing tour - and they've said it's incredible. You'll be able to head up and get an aerial view of the National Park and multiple mountain ranges in the area, plus all the glaciers nearby. It's the best way to get the best view, just book early because availability is usually pretty limited.

7. Explore the Old Mining Town of Kennecott
One of the best things to do in Wrangell St. Elias National Park is to explore the old mining town of Kennecott. If you're on a budget, you can explore on your own and most of the buildings have been well preserved and have signs on the inside so you can read all about the history here and learn about each building's purpose. However, the only way to get inside the 14-story Concentration Mill is through a guided tour that you can book here.

8. Grab a Bite to Eat
​Compared to other places in Alaska they're really aren't as many places to eat in Wrangell St. Elias National Park. On your way into the park you can stop in Chitina, where my husband Tyler and I have found the best burger we've ever had at the Grubstake Grill food stand there (the burger we had was conveniently called Mt. Wrangell). In the town of McCarthy, you can stop at The Roadside Potatohead (food here can be hit or miss, but based on my experience it's the best in town) and the McCarthy Center Store for ice cream. And at the old mining town of Kennecott you can stop at the Meatza Wagon food truck.

9. Drive Nabesna Road
On the north end of the National Park you'll find Nabesna Road. This area is much more rugged than the McCarthy area, and from McCarthy, it'll take you about 3 hours to drive to the entrance point. There are hardly any services here so you'll want to bring your own food, however it's typically much less crowded and I've always been luckier at spotting wildlife out this way. 

10. Visit the Visitor Center
​The last thing on my list of best things to do in Wrangell St. Elias National Park is to head to the visitor center. Located on the main road it's super easy to get to, and you can visit either on your way into the park or on your way out. You'll often find large buses here, and it's a perfect spot to have a little picnic. Like most things on my list the Visitor Center is only open in the summer, and you can find the Visitor Center itself in addition to an amphitheater, museum, and exhibit hall. Plus, there's a short hike you can do that brings you to an overlook of the Wrangell & Elias mountain ranges.

Watch my Wrangell-St. Elias Adventures Here!

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Other Wrangell-St. Elias Blog Posts : 
-> 48 Hours in Wrangell-St. Elias
-> Hiking Root Glacier in Wrangell St. Elias
-> 10 Best Things to Do in Wrangell St. Elias

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