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Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve Ranger Kelly interpreting the Wrangell Volcanoes
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Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve
Park Access
 
Snowmachining near McCarthy
 

OFF ROAD VEHICLES (ATV/ORV)

Nabesna Road ORV Trail Closures

Recreation:

Permit required; Not allowed in wilderness; Must stay on established trails; [43 CFR 36.11(g)].
The established trails are: Black Mountain, Boomerang Lake, Caribou Creek, Copper Lake, Kotsina Road, Lost Creek, Nugget Creek, Reeve Field, Soda Creek, Suslota Lake, Tanada Lake, and Trail Creek.

No established trails in Yakutat District.

Nabesna Road ATV Trails

Subsistence:
Permit recommended; Allowed in park and preserve regardless of wilderness designation; Recommend staying on established trails and dry creek beds; [36 CFR 13.46].

SNOWMACHINES

Recreation:
No Permit Required; may operate anywhere in park and preserve when there is adequate snow cover (~12") and frozen ground.

Subsistence:
No Permit Required; may operate anywhere in park and preserve when there is adequate snow cover (~12") and frozen ground.

AIRPLANES

Recreation:
No permit required; May land anywhere in the park and preserve regardless of wilderness designation; [43 CFR 36.11(f)].

Subsistence:

Not permitted in park lands; Airplane access for subsistence hunting in the preserve lands is allowed without permit; wilderness designation is irrelevant; [36 CFR 13.45].

Aircraft access to the Malaspina Forelands for subsistence uses is allowed for residents of Yakutat; A permit is required.

HELICOPTERS

For All Uses:
Permit is required; Uses typically authorized include; bona-fide research where helicopter is essential and/or the removal of downed aircraft; For Search and Rescue and other emergencies, permits are not required; [43 CFR 36.11(f)(4)].

MOTORBOATS

Recreation:
No permit required; Allowed in both park and preserve, regardless of wilderness designation; [43 CFR 36.11(d).

Subsistence:

No permit required; Allowed in both park and preserve, regardless of wilderness designation; [36 CFR 13.46].

Airboats are considered motorboats; Hovercraft are not permitted.

Permit Restrictions Announced
Restrictions for Recreational ORV Permits
Effective May, 2007. Some ORV trails closed to recreational use
more...
Airstrips
Backcountry Airstrips
Poster highlighting park airstrips and cabins
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Pack Horse on Valdez Trail

Did You Know?
The oldest road in Alaska, the Richardson Highway, evolved from a 5-foot wide pack route called the Valdez Trail. This route, initiated in 1898, served as the only land access to Interior Alaska until completion of the Alaska Highway in 1942.

Last Updated: August 18, 2011 at 18:50 MST