Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve is the largest national park in North America, covering 13.2 million acres in Southeast Alaska. It contains four mountain ranges, including nine of the 16 highest peaks in the US, and the largest number of glaciers in North America. The park has a diverse ecology and is home to 49 mammal species and 239 bird species. The Copper River is a prominent feature, and the park is accessible by two trunk roads.
Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve is the largest national park in North America. Located in Southeast Alaska, USA, the park covers an area of 13.2 million acres (5.3 million hectares) or 20,578 square miles (53,297 km2). It is larger than 21 of Europe’s 50 sovereign states, almost the size of Croatia. The U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Park Service administers the site.
In 1978, the area was declared a National Monument by executive order of the President of the United States. The addition of the Wrangell Mountains in 1980 created the largest national park in the US system. Bordering Canada’s Kluane National Park and Preserve, the two together form the largest International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Heritage Site in North America.
Part of the Pacific Mountain System, the park contains four mountain ranges. Nine of the 16 highest peaks in the United States are located there. Among them is the second-highest peak in the United States, Mount St. Elias, which rises to 18,008 feet (5,489 m). The Sant’Elia Range is the highest coastal mountain range in the world. The Wrangell Mountains contain 12 volcanoes, one of which is still active.
The Wrangell St. Elias high country contains the largest number of glaciers in North America. Nearly a quarter of the largest national park is covered in glacial ice. The Bagley Icefield is the largest subpolar glacier in North America, being 127 miles (204 km) long and approximately 3,000 feet (914 m) deep. At 75 miles (121km) long, the Nabesna Glacier is one of the longest valley glaciers in the world.
The highly varied terrain creates a diverse and contrasting ecology in America’s largest national park. Three climate zones are covered by more than half of all Alaskan plant species present. The boreal forest is a mix of spruce and aspen, meadows and swamps. Despite being the coldest terrestrial ecosystem on the planet, it is home to a diverse population of animals, with 49 mammal species and 239 bird species identified in the area as of 2011.
The 290-mile (467 km) Copper River is a prominent feature of the park. Sockeye and Chinook salmon spawn there. The river is also home to 19 other fish species. Due to glacial action, the Copper River carries the fourth largest amount of silt among the world’s rivers.
Early June through mid-September is the most opportune time to visit the largest national park in North America. Two trunk roads, Nabesna Road and McCarthy Road, provide access. Transportation is usually by private vehicle, private shuttle service, or commercial air charter. Lodging is available in nearby communities, but none is provided by the National Park Service. Camping is permitted in the park, although no facilities are provided.
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