Wrangell-St. Elias National Park: A 4-Day Alaska Itinerary
One park, volcanoes, glaciers & a copper ghost town, all in eastern Alaska.
Four days in America's largest national park: the McCarthy Road to the Kennecott Mines ghost town, the Root Glacier Trail and a guided ice hike, the Bonanza Mine climb, and bush-plane flightseeing over the Wrangell volcanoes.
“I’ve requested to book a Chain Lakes Loop guide on ExplorOFF, and it was the best idea ever! I highly recommend going with their guided option since you get a real human connection on the trail and don’t have to worry about a thing. Yulia was great to talk to!”
13 stops on a real mapEvery stop pinned in order→Wrangell-St. Elias: every stop pinned in order.
Chitina, the McCarthy Road, McCarthy & Kennecott · eastern Alaska
Every stop on this trip, in order, opens as one driving route in the Google Maps app. No copying addresses across one at a time.
Wrangell-St. Elias in photos: 5 of the stops.
Plan and book your 4 days in Wrangell-St. Elias, one step at a time
How 4 days in Wrangell-St. Elias split up
Plan 4 days for Wrangell-St. Elias. Park size: 13.2M acres. Difficulty: Moderate+. Access: Gravel roads. Wrangell-St. Elias is the largest national park in the United States: 13.2 million acres of eastern Alaska, bigger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Switzerland combined. It is a wilderness of towering volcanoes, vast icefields, and braided glacial rivers, with almost none of it reachable by road. The whole park is served by just two rough gravel roads and a scatter of bush-plane airstrips.
Day 1: Anchorage to Chitina & the McCarthy Road to the footbridge
4 stops · Day one
Day 2: The Kennecott Mines ghost town & the Root Glacier Trail
3 stops · Day two
Day 3: A guided ice hike or the strenuous Bonanza Mine Trail
3 stops · Day three
Day 4: Flightseeing the Wrangell volcanoes, then the road back out
3 stops · Day four
Anchorage to Chitina & the McCarthy Road to the footbridge
This is a big driving day. From Anchorage (ANC) it is roughly 7 to 8 hours to McCarthy, so start early. The pavement ends at Chitina, the last real services and your last reliable fuel and cell signal. Top off your tank, grab cash and snacks, and check your spare tire before you commit to the gravel.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
Drive from~7 to 8 hr · remote · fuel up first · DriveThis is a big driving day. From Anchorage (ANC) it is roughly 7 to 8 hours to McCarthy, so start early. The drive runs through Glennallen and on to Chitina, where the pavement ends. Download offline maps before you lose signal and bring everything you might need, because resupply gets minimal once you leave the highway.
Last services at ChitinaFuel, cash · last cell signal · ViewpointChitina is the last real services and your last reliable fuel and cell signal before the gravel. Top off your tank, grab cash and snacks, and check your spare tire and jack before you commit to the McCarthy Road. You can also catch a bush plane into McCarthy from here if you would rather skip the gravel.
The McCarthy Road~60 mi gravel · 2 to 3 hr · ends at footbridge · DriveFrom Chitina, the McCarthy Road runs about 60 miles of slow, rough gravel along an old railbed, crossing the Kuskulana River bridge and ending at a footbridge over the Kennicott River. It takes roughly 2 to 3 hours. Drive carefully over sharp gravel, and remember you cannot drive the last stretch into town.
- Stay in McCarthy or Kennecott
Limited lodging · book far ahead · lodgePark at the end of the road, walk across the Kennicott River footbridge, and into the tiny town of McCarthy (or shuttle the last few miles up to Kennecott). Lodging here is limited and books up far ahead for the short summer season, so reserve early or base out in Copper Center and drive in.
The Kennecott Mines ghost town & the Root Glacier Trail
Spend the morning at the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark, the deep-red, 14-story copper mill and ghost town that operated until 1938 and now sits perfectly preserved above the glacier. Wander the mill buildings, the power plant, and the old company town, and consider a guided tour to go inside the mill, which is otherwise off limits.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Kennecott Mines Historic Landmark
Red copper-mill ghost town · guided mill tours · ViewpointSpend the morning at the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark, the deep-red, 14-story copper mill and ghost town that operated until 1938 and now sits perfectly preserved above the glacier. Wander the mill buildings, the power plant, and the old company town. The mill interior is only open on a guided tour, so book one ahead.
- Root Glacier Trail
~4 to 6 mi RT · moderate · walk onto the ice · HikeHike the Root Glacier Trail (about 4 to 6 miles round trip depending on how far you go) out from Kennecott to the edge of the Root Glacier, where you can walk right onto the ice. The trail traverses moraine and meadow with huge views of the surrounding peaks. Bring traction and warm layers, and stay off the ice if you are not equipped.
- Second night in McCarthy or Kennecott
Stay put for the big adventure day · lodgeStay a second night in McCarthy or Kennecott so you are right at the trailheads for tomorrow's big adventure day, whether that is a guided ice hike or the strenuous Bonanza Mine climb. Keeping the same base means no packing up and no driving the gravel between days.
A guided ice hike or the strenuous Bonanza Mine Trail
Today is your big adventure day, and you have two great options. For the ice, book a guided ice hike on the Root Glacier: a local outfitter fits you with crampons and leads you out among the blue crevasses, moulins, and meltwater pools you cannot safely reach alone. It is the single best way to experience a living glacier up close.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Guided ice hike on the Root Glacier
McCarthy River Tours · early Jun to early Sep · crampons provided · activityBook a guided ice hike on the Root Glacier: a local outfitter fits you with crampons and leads you out among the blue crevasses, moulins, and meltwater pools you cannot safely reach alone. It is the single best way to experience a living glacier up close. Reserve ahead for the short summer season.
Book this → - Bonanza Mine Trail (strenuous alternative)
~9 mi RT · ~3,800 ft · do instead of ice hike · HikeThe Bonanza Mine Trail (about 9 miles round trip, strenuous) is a relentless switchbacking climb of roughly 3,800 feet from Kennecott up to the abandoned Bonanza Mine in the alpine, with a jaw-dropping view back over the glaciers and Wrangell peaks. Do it instead of the ice hike, not on top of it. Start early, carry water, and watch for Dall sheep, bears, and moose.
- Third night in McCarthy or Kennecott
Stay put for an early flight slot · lodgeStay a third night so you can grab an early flightseeing slot tomorrow before the long drive out. An early flight gives you the best chance of clear weather and the flexibility to rebook if clouds roll in over the Wrangell volcanoes.
Flightseeing the Wrangell volcanoes, then the road back out
Save the view of a lifetime for last. A bush-plane flightseeing tour out of McCarthy lifts you over the heart of the park: the Wrangell volcanoes, the immense Bagley Icefield, and a maze of glaciers and unnamed peaks you can only truly grasp from the air. With 13.2 million acres almost entirely roadless, this is how you see the real scale of the largest national park in the country. If you have a spare hour, the braided Kennicott and Nizina rivers are also a classic packrafting run for the experienced.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Bush-plane flightseeing tour
Over the Wrangell volcanoes & Bagley Icefield · activitySave the view of a lifetime for last. A bush-plane flightseeing tour out of McCarthy lifts you over the Wrangell volcanoes, the immense Bagley Icefield, and a maze of glaciers and unnamed peaks you can only truly grasp from the air. With 13.2 million acres almost entirely roadless, this is how you see the real scale of the largest national park in the country. It is weather-dependent, so book an early slot.
Christoph Strässler fr / CC BY-SA 2.0Packraft the Kennicott / Nizina rivers (optional)Braided glacial rivers · experienced paddlers · ViewpointIf you have a spare half day, the braided Kennicott and Nizina rivers are a classic Wrangell packrafting run. Glacial rivers are cold and swift, so this is for experienced paddlers or guided trips only. Otherwise, skip it and start the long drive back out with plenty of daylight.
- Getting home: the road back to Anchorage
McCarthy Road to Chitina, then ~7 to 8 hr · DriveWalk back across the footbridge to your car and retrace the McCarthy Road to Chitina, then on toward Anchorage. It is a long day, roughly 7 to 8 hours total, so leave with daylight to spare, top off your fuel and cell signal at Chitina, and take the gravel slow on the way out.
Book the 3 nights
Beds near the trailheads are the one thing on this trip that genuinely runs out. Everything else can be decided later.
Tell us your dates and we will do the checking. We find what is still open near each trailhead and email you this plan back with a booking link for each night. Nothing is charged and you decide at the end.
Request to bookWhat to pack for Wrangell-St. Elias
Built from this route, not a generic list. Every line says why it is here.
On every day of this trip
On your feet
Because you are sleeping indoors
For the driving days
Specific to Wrangell-St. Elias
What we actually learned in Alaska's biggest park.
Two gravel roads in, and that's it
Almost all of Wrangell-St. Elias is roadless. Just two rough gravel roads reach into it: the McCarthy Road (about 60 miles to the footbridge for McCarthy and Kennecott) and the Nabesna Road on the park's north side. Everything else is bush plane or backpacking country.
Respect the McCarthy Road
The McCarthy Road is slow, rough gravel along an old railbed, roughly 2 to 3 hours each way. Carry a good spare tire and a jack, drive carefully over sharp gravel, and check whether your rental car company allows it. You park at the footbridge and walk or shuttle the rest of the way.
No cell service, limited services
There is no cell signal past Chitina and few services in McCarthy and Kennecott. Fuel up, get cash, and download offline maps in advance. Tell someone your plan, and bring everything you might need, because resupply out here is minimal.
Book lodging and shuttles early
Lodging in McCarthy and Kennecott is limited and fills fast for the short summer. Reserve early, or base out in Copper Center or Glennallen and drive in. Book the McCarthy Road shuttle, or a flight in from Chitina, ahead of time too.
Go late May to mid September
The season is short. Late May through mid September is the window, with the long Alaska daylight at its peak in June and July. Outside that, services close, the road and weather turn, and access becomes a serious expedition.
Come prepared for cold and wildlife
Even in summer, glacier ice and alpine ridges are cold and weather changes fast, so pack layers and rain gear. This is bear, moose, and Dall sheep country: carry bear spray, store food properly, and give all wildlife a wide berth.
Wrangell-St. Elias: questions before you go
McCarthy Road: the questions people ask most.
Three to four days is ideal. That gives you a day to drive in via the McCarthy Road, a day for the Kennecott Mines ghost town and the Root Glacier Trail, a big adventure day for a guided ice hike or the strenuous Bonanza Mine Trail, and a day to fly over the Wrangell volcanoes before the long drive back out. The park is enormous and remote, so it does not reward a rushed visit.
Most visitors drive from Anchorage (ANC), roughly 7 to 8 hours, to the gateway of McCarthy and Kennecott. The pavement ends at Chitina, then the McCarthy Road runs about 60 miles of slow gravel to a footbridge over the Kennicott River, where you park and walk or shuttle in. You can also fly in from Chitina on a bush plane. The Nabesna Road reaches the park from the north.
The highlights are touring the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark (the red copper-mill ghost town), hiking the Root Glacier Trail right onto the ice, taking a guided ice hike, climbing the strenuous Bonanza Mine Trail to an alpine mine, and flightseeing over the Wrangell volcanoes and the Bagley Icefield. Packrafting the Kennicott and Nizina rivers is a classic for experienced paddlers.
Late May through mid September is the window. Summer brings long Alaska daylight, open services, and the most reliable road conditions, with June and July offering nearly endless light. Outside that season most services close and access becomes a serious expedition, so plan your trip for the short summer.
Yes. The Root Glacier Trail from Kennecott leads about 4 to 6 miles round trip to the edge of the Root Glacier, where you can step onto the ice. Bring traction and warm layers, and for the deeper glacier book a guided ice hike: outfitters provide crampons and lead you safely among the crevasses, moulins, and meltwater pools.
For the McCarthy and Kennecott side, the closest lodging is in McCarthy and Kennecott themselves, but it is limited and books up far ahead for the short summer, so reserve early. If those are full, base out in Copper Center or Glennallen and drive in. Whichever you choose, book the McCarthy Road shuttle or a flight in from Chitina ahead of time.
Almost none. There is no reliable cell signal past Chitina, and only minimal services in McCarthy and Kennecott. Download offline maps, get cash, fuel up, and tell someone your plan before you leave Chitina. Come prepared to be genuinely off the grid for your whole visit.
You can, but check first. Many rental car companies restrict or prohibit gravel roads like the McCarthy Road, and you are responsible for tire damage. The road is about 60 miles of slow, rough gravel, so carry a good spare and a jack. You park at the footbridge at the end and walk or shuttle the last stretch into McCarthy and Kennecott.
The road follows an old railroad grade, and over the years iron rail spikes have worked up through the gravel where they can puncture a tire. Combined with sharp rock, that makes flats a real possibility. Drive slowly, run a high-clearance vehicle if you can, and carry a full-size spare and a working jack rather than a temporary donut. Since services past Chitina are scarce, bring extra food and water too in case a repair slows you down.
Yes. Local outfitters based in McCarthy and Kennecott run guided ice hikes and mountaineering trips on the Root Glacier, bush-plane flightseeing over the Wrangell volcanoes and the Bagley Icefield, and rafting or packrafting on the Kennicott and Nizina rivers. Because the park is almost entirely roadless, a guide is also the only practical way to reach the backcountry beyond the McCarthy Road and Nabesna Road corridors.
Yes, and no permit is required for backcountry camping, though a free voluntary registration at the Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center or the Slana or Chitina ranger stations helps rangers know where you are. There are no maintained backcountry trails beyond a handful near McCarthy and Nabesna, so most backpacking here is cross-country travel on river bars, ridgelines, and old mining roads, which suits experienced wilderness travelers more than beginners.
Yes. Tell us your dates and we check what is still open for the plan on this page, then send it back with a booking link for each night and the total. Nothing is charged and nothing is held, and you pay the normal rate.
Pick how you want to go.
Same 4-day route. Same 7 stops.
- 3 nights, a campsite near McCarthy
- $66
- Guided ice hike on the Root Glacier
- $570
- Rental car, 4 days
- $440
- Gas, about 624 miles
- $105
- 3 nights, a room in McCarthy
- from $720
- Guided ice hike on the Root Glacier
- $570
- Rental car, 4 days
- $440
- Gas, about 624 miles
- $105
- A private local guide, rooms and campsites booked
- Included
- Airport pickup and every drive
- Included
- Park, permit and campsite fees paid
- Included
- All the gear and the trail meals
- Included
Written and walked by Yulia Vasilyeva · Co-founder · Lead planner and guide
Three years leading guided hikes in the Pacific Northwest, rated 5.0 by 20+ verified guests, and she builds every custom itinerary herself. Based in Seattle.
Last checked September 2026
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What adventurers say about us.
All reviews are from verified guests. ★★★★★ 5.0 average from 20+ bookings.
"Felt like going out with a really knowledgeable friend who just happens to know everything about the area. No awkward tour-guide energy, just a magnificent day."
"Yulia is an incredible guide. She knew every trail, every viewpoint, and exactly how to pace the day for our group. The photos she took of us were stunning. 100% booking again."
"I was visiting Seattle solo and this was the best decision I made on the trip. Yulia picked me up, had snacks, and took us to a trail I never would have found on my own. Absolute must-do."
"We did this as a couple's trip and it was perfect. Yulia adapted everything to us, our pace, our interests, our photo obsession. The mountain views were unreal."
"Phenomenal experience. Yulia has deep local knowledge and a real passion for the outdoors. She went out of her way to show us the hidden gems tourists never see. Will remember this forever."
"I've done a few guided hikes and this was by far the best. Yulia is warm, funny, and genuinely expert. The trail she chose had the most insane wildflower bloom, we got so lucky."
Fees, reservation windows, shuttle dates and trail closures are planning estimates. Confirm hours, road status and any reservations with the land manager before you go.
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You can't hike it if you can't get the permit.
The best hikes in America run on lotteries that open once a year and sell out in minutes. Every trail runs on its own calendar. Pick the ones you want and we do the watching.
The WaveCoyote Buttes North · Arizona / UtahPermitLotterybrutal odds
Half Dome CablesYosemite NP · CaliforniaPermitOpens Mar 1fair odds
Mt. WhitneyInyo NF · CaliforniaPermitOpens Feb 1tough odds
Angels LandingZion NP · UtahPermitLotterytough odds
The SubwayZion NP · UtahPermitLotterytough odds
Mount St. Helens Summit ClimbGifford Pinchot NF · WashingtonPermitReservationtough odds
How it works
- An email the morning each window opens, never the day after.
- A 14-day heads-up so you can line up your group and dates.
- Win odds and a ranked backup plan for every trail you pick.
Didn't win? We keep watching. We check recreation.gov every day for The Enchantments, Half Dome and Angels Landing, and email you the moment a sold-out date frees up. Cancellations are the second chance most people never hear about.