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Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is the largest national park in North America, spanning a spectacular 13.2 million acres. It is home to 9 of the 16 tallest peaks in North America, including Mt. Logan which hails second at 19,580 feet. Five and a half million acres of the park are glaciated, leaving the remaining 7.7 million acres to towering peaks, expansive braided rivers, spectacular sparkling lakes and tons of terrain for the park's large wildlife population. The wildlife here ranges from small animals such as rabbits, beavers, otters etc. to large game such as moose, caribou, Dall sheep, bears, wolverines and more. In addition to being the largest park in North America it is the least visited, offering ready access to solitude and unmarred landscape.

Being surrounded by three of Alaska's mighty mountain ranges: the Chugach, Wrangell and St.-Elias ranges, allows for a myriad of opportunities and experiences. You may choose to experience the wilderness and serenity of this place from an airplane or from a cozy hotel room in the tiny town of McCarthy or you may want to challenge yourself and step out deep into Mother Nature's masterpiece that is our backyard. Either way, numbers and statistics aside, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park will be sure to astound you and offer you an experience to savor for a lifetime.

The land that is our backyard is rugged terrain. Our backcountry, contrary to many national parks in the Lower 48, offers no marked or maintained trails though you may stumble upon a well-worn animal trail or a historical pathway once traveled by the miners that inhabited the area in its financial hey-day. McCarthy and nearby Kennicott were once a bustling metropolis, sprouted from the boom of mining activity in Alaska. Copper was discovered in the hills of this area in 1898 and an explosion of population and activity resulted. As a response to the lucrative mining activity in Kennicott, a railroad was opened in 1911 further increasing the population from a nearly non-existent head-count to an impressive 300 miners and their families, over ten times the current population! This find turned out to be the highest concentration of copper in the world. Kennicott, a no-nonsense, working man's family town, grew into a major city with a gymnasium, a hospital, a school and many more amenities of the luxurious life. McCarthy, sprouted from the working man's need to "have a good time," became the "red light district" that allowed miners to escape the day to day challenges of the miner's life. McCarthy was fully equipped with a bar, a whorehouse (whose remains were recently lost in a flood) and other entertainment which successfully eluded the hand of the law for quite a few years. By 1938 the copper deposits in Kennicott were well tapped and the Kennicott Mining Corporation had other agendas. The last train left McCarthy/Kennicott in 1938 leaving behind a ghost town and the artifacts that surround us today. Sites of historical interest in our area include numerous historical buildings, mining camps and now defunct mines and the well-known 14-story mill building in Kennicott. Since 1938 the McCarthy area's population has again risen: from near zero to approximately 25 year-round residents. The towns, today, are hosts to the seasonal traffic that travels through as well as a community for the local residents. McCarthy is now equipped with flight services, a bar, a hotel and several eateries. Kennicott has guide services and a full service lodge. Both towns make a wonderful jumping-off point to explore the surrounding geography or the intriguing natural history from the ground or from the air!