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Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Facts

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Facts
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is an 8,323,147 acre park located in Alaska. When combined with the preserve, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve encompass a total of more than 13.17 million acres. This park includes much of the Saint Elias Mountains within its border, known for having some of North America's highest peaks. In 1978 President Jimmy Carter designated Wrangell-St. Elias as a national monument. In 1980, following the establishment of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, the national monument was re-designated a national park. Mount St. Elias, located within the park, is the second tallest mountain in Canada and the United States.
Interesting Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Facts:
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is larger than the entire country of Switzerland. It is the same size as Yellowstone National Park, Switzerland, and Yosemite National Park if they were all combined.
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is home to several volcanoes, including active volcanoes such as Mount Wrangell, and Mount Churchill.
Between 1903 and 1938 the park's center - a boomtown called Kennecott - exploded because of the areas rich copper deposit discovery. It is considered to be one of the richest deposits in the world. The buildings of this abandoned town make up a National Historic Landmark district, declared as such in 1986.
Wildlife that can be found in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park include Alaskan moose, Dall sheep, black bears, grizzly bears, bison, caribou, mountain goats, arctic ground squirrels, porcupines, red foxes, snowshoe hares, lynxes, martens, river otters, coyotes, hoary marmots, weasels, voles, pikas, wolverines, wolves, and many others including the possibility of cougars.
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is home to one of the largest Dall sheep concentrations in North America - with a population of approximately 13,000.
In the coastal waters of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park it is possible to view sea lions, whales, and harbor seals.
Fish that can be found in the waters of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park include Chinook, coho, chum, sockeye salmon, lake trout, Dolly Varden, arctic grayling, rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, northern pike, burbot, eulachon, Pacific lamprey, sculpins, and round whitefish.
Although 93 bird species have been seen inhabiting Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, only approximately 24 species remain throughout the winter. Birds in the park can include rock ptarmigans, hermit thrushes, hairy woodpeckers, robins, and ravens, as well as a variety of owls including the great horned owl and the northern hawk owl.
Wilderness recreation in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park can include hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, and the use of a variety of vehicles such as airplanes and snowmobiles to get around.
Visitors to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park can stay in lodges and other accommodations from May to the end of September every year. The best time to view the wildflowers is in June, and the warmest month is July.
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site named Kluane/Wrangell-St.Elias/Glacier Bay/Tatshenshini-Alsek - an international park system that also includes Kluane National Park and Reserve, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, and Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park.


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