Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve

Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Location Valdez–Cordova Census Area, Yakutat City and Borough, and Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska,  United States
Nearest city Copper Center, Alaska
Area 13,175,901 acres (53,321 km²)
Established December 2, 1980
Visitors 61,085 (in 2007[1])
Governing body National Park Service
World Heritage Site 1979

Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve is a United States National Park in southeastern Alaska. It was established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. The park area is included in an International Biosphere Reserve and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the largest national park in the United States by area, covering an area of 20,587 mi² (53,321 km²), or over 13 million acres (53,000 km²). In fact, it is larger than nine U.S. States, and its size is comparable to the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.

Mount St. Elias is situated on the border of Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Canada's Kluane National Park and Reserve. At 18,008 feet (5,489 m), Mt. St. Elias is the second highest mountain in both Canada and the United States. In all, nine of the 16 highest peaks on U.S. soil are located in the park, along with North America's largest subpolar icefield, glaciers, rivers, an active volcano, and the historic Kennecott copper mines.[2] The vast majority of the park is designated as wilderness, and the Wrangell–St. Elias Wilderness is the largest designated wilderness in the United States.

The park is accessible by highway from Anchorage; two rough gravel roads (the McCarthy Road and the Nabesna Road) wind through the park, making much of the interior accessible for backcountry camping and hiking. Chartered aircraft also fly into the park. Wrangell–St. Elias received 61,085 visitors in 2007 and is quickly gaining popularity through its combination of size, remoteness, and accessibility.

Contents

World Heritage Site

The transborder park system Kluane / Wrangell – St. Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek (comprising Wrangell–St. Elias and three other national and provincial parks) was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 for the spectacular glacier and icefield landscapes as well as for the importance of grizzly bears, caribou and Dall sheep habitat.

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ^ National Park Service. Park Visitation Report
  2. ^ "Wrangell St. Elias National Park & Preserve". National Parks Conservation Association. http://www.npca.org/parks/wrangell-st-elias-national-park-preserve.html. Retrieved 2010-06-14. 

Further reading

External links

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