The Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center is the main park visitor center. It is located along the Richardson Highway (Hwy 4), which is a paved road that runs through Copper Center, AK. This visitor center is located 10 miles south of Glennallen, Alaska, and approximately 200 miles east of Anchorage, AK and 250 miles south of Fairbanks, AK.
There are two roads that lead into the park: the Nabesna Road and the McCarthy Road. Both roads are dirt roads that are maintained by the State of Alaska. Please go to the Driving Park Roads page to learn about these dirt roads.
The Nabesna District is in the northern portion of the park and can be accessed near Slana, AK, located about 75 miles northeast of Copper Center. The Slana Ranger Station is located at the start of the Nabesna Road. The Nabesna Road is a gravel road that is 42 miles long, with 3 stream crossings. Usually 2-wheel drive vehicles can be driven on this road, but sometimes (especially after it rains) it is recommended that only 4-wheel drive vehicles or high clearance vehicles be driven on this road.
The Kennecott District is located in the southern portion of the park and can be accessed near Chitina, AK, located about 50 miles southeast of Copper Center. The Chitina Ranger Station is located at the start of the McCarthy Road. The McCarthy Road is a gravel road that is 59 miles long. Usually 2-wheel drive vehicles can be driving on this road, but drivers should be cautious due to limited visibility, soft shoulders, and poor road conditions.
The Yakutat District is located along the coastline of the park. This district cannot be reached by car, unless you take a ferry.
There are NO FUEL options for your vehicle inside the park - there are no gas stations along the Nabesna or McCarthy Roads. Please be sure that you depart for these destinations with a full tank.
State of Alaska 511 Road Traveler Information: Here is the state of Alaska's website that contains current driving conditions and road closures. It's a good website to visit before venturing out by car!
Plane
Air travel to either Anchorage (ANC) or Fairbanks (FAI) is the easiest entry to Alaska. Then you'll want to use a car or shuttle service to reach Wrangell-St. Elias. If you are flying your own airplane to the park, there are public airstrips in the park. There are no services for re-fueling airplanes inside the park.
Shuttle
There are shuttle bus services that can transport you to Glennallen and to McCarthy.The schedules are limited and reservations are required.