When an Alaskan River Trip Becomes a Journey Into Memory
On a packrafting trip in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, our scout finds what lies behind the mythology of the landscape—and her own past.
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is absolutely massive; the Alaskan park covers an area larger than Vermont and New Hampshire combined, with a wilderness larger than any other in the United States. It is a rugged park, defined by towering mountains, infinite ice-fields, unstoppable glaciers and dormant volcanoes. The park is so expansive and remote that many travelers, unable to trek through Wrangell-St. Elias’s interior, see the park from above in air taxis. A 5-day trek on the Goat Trail is enough to give hikers a taste of Wrangll-St. Elias, as is the climb through Dixie Pass. The backcountry has few marked or maintained trails, and backpackers must forge their own path through the wild. True Wrangell-St. Elias backpacking trips often stretch into weeks.
In Wrangell-St. Elias, I Suffered Heartbreak. I Knew I Had to Return.
After a devastating breakup, one writer returns to Alaska to challenge herself and get closure.
Latest in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Packrafting the Nizina River in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Witness America's largest national park from the water on this
A Wild River Trip Through Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
A packraft, a backpack, and some of the most beautiful scenery in Alaska are the ingredients for a bucket-list-level trip.
Hike Wrangell-St. Elias National Park With These Expert Tips
America's biggest park is almost six times the size of Yellowstone and has next to no trails. Make the most of your trip there with these tips from a guide.
The Goat Trail to Skolai Pass, Wrangell-St. Elias NP, AK
These 10 miles of pure Alaska experience are among the best 100 miles of trail in the whole national park system.
Wrangell Plateau to Dixie Pass, Alaska
Navigate your own route through grizzly terrain in Elias National Park, all to access seldom-seen panoramas of the 16,000-foot Wrangell Mountains.
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park: Southern Traverse
Thirteen days of tough travel takes you through the heart of the world's largest protected wilderness.
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park: Bonanza Mine
Pack mining history and Alaska-sized summit views into a challenging dayhike.
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve: The Goat Trail
Hike a smarter variation of the Goat Trail on this five-day adventure in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve: Hidden Creek Lake
Journey up a 10-mile-long glacial highway--linking Root and Kennecott Glaciers--in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.