Size: 13.2 Million Acres

Year Established: 1980

Annual Visitors: 50,000

Firearms Information in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Visitors to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve who are eligible to possess weapons under federal and Alaska state law are allowed to do so in the park.

Firearms may be used or discharged in accordance with the regulations of 36 CFR 2.4(a)(2)(ii) and 36 CFR 13.30. Which is not the case for all Alaskan National Parks.

Signs at the park’s entrances inform visitors that guns are prohibited within some federal buildings.  Those buildings include:

• All National Park Service offices and administrative buildings
• Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center, Exhibit Hall, and Theater in Copper Center
• Slana Ranger Station
• Chitina Ranger Station
• Kennecott Visitor Center
• McCarthy Road Information Station
• Gulkana Operations Center
• Yakutat Operations Center
• Glennallen Maintenance Yard

Hunting in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Only within the boundaries of the National Preserve, and strictly in line with Alaska State Law, may sport hunting take place. Both the park and the preserve permit subsistence hunting by legally resident rural residents.

All hunters older than 16 in Alaska must have a valid state hunting license. Possession and bag limitations are also species and region specific.

Additional Information About Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Compared to Yellowstone, this park is over 17 times larger, while Yellowstone is over six times larger, than Yosemite. When it comes to American parks, this one takes the cake. Several major mountain ranges come together to form what is commonly referred to as the “Mountain Kingdom of North America.” Their names are on the plaques throughout the park.

There’s heat and cold here. One of the world’s largest active volcanoes, Mount Wrangell, may be found in this park, along with 150 glaciers. One-third of Wrangell-St. Elias is covered by these ice giants, and the Bagley Icefield, at 80 miles in length, is the longest subpolar ice field in North America.

Even while most glaciers are receding and melting away, the 76-mile-long Hubbard Glacier is actually expanding and thickening. It honors Gardiner Hubbard, the man responsible for establishing the National Geographic Society and serving as its first president. From observing the glacier’s development, geologists and climate scientists have gained valuable insight.

Despite this, new satellite data suggests that Galloping Glacier Hubbard may be slowing down. The warming of the planet is shown by this phenomenon.

Because of the park’s size, it is home to a diverse population of animals. Mammals like sea otters and Steller’s sea lions are only two of the 54 species that can be spotted here.

There are 239 different species of birds, and birdwatchers may witness anything from the bright pine grosbeak to the hermit thrush, whose singing is profoundly melancholy.

Best Time to Visit Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

The best time to visit Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is between the months of June to September.

Visitor Fees

There is no fee to enter Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.

Visitor Centers

Copper Center Visitor Center

Address

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Visitor Center,
Richardson Hwy,
Copper Center, AK 99573

Phone Number

(907) 822-7250

Hours of Operation

Daily 9:00 AM–5:00 PM

Be sure to check for seasonal closures. This center is closed every Winter.

Kennecott Visitor Center

Address

Kennecott Visitor Center,
McCarthy Rd,
Chitina, AK 99566

Hours of Operation

Daily 9:00 AM–5:00 PM

Be sure to check for seasonal closures. This center is closed every Fall, Winter, and Spring.