News Release

Opening Park Areas and Facilities in Response to Local Health Guidance

Date: June 15, 2020
Contact: Jan Maslen, 907-822-7206

Copper Center, AK.  As of June 15, Wrangell St. Elias National Park & Preserve is opening the Kendesnii campground on the Nabesna Road and camping within the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark. On July 1, 2020, non-subsistence users will be able to reserve the following public use cabins: Caribou Creek, Viking Lodge and Nugget Creek by emailing [e-mail]. The Esker Stream cabin can be reserved by calling 907-784-3295.

Visitors are encouraged to recreate responsibly by practicing social distancing and adhering to cleaning protocols to reduce the risk of transmission.

The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, communities and partners is our priority. Visitors come from diverse and distant locations to the rural and remote locations in and around Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.

The NPS is working service-wide with federal, state and local authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and to create ways to provide services safely. We will provide updates on our website at https://www.nps.gov/wrst/index.htm and through social media channels.

More than 13 million acres of outdoor spaces at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve remain accessible to the public where visitors can disperse and adhere to the latest health guidelines.

The NPS also encourages people to take advantage of the many digital tools already available to explore Wrangell-St. Elias, including:

• The Wrangell-St. Elias website at https://www.nps.gov/wrst/
• On-line Junior Ranger program at https://www.nps.gov/wrst/learn/kidsyouth/be-a-junior-ranger.htm
• Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/WrangellSt.EliasNPP/

Visitors can also call 907-822-5234, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:30 pm to obtain information about the park.  Updates about NPS operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus. Please check with individual parks for specific details about park operations.