Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve (August 2010)

Published on Aug 28, 2010 | Last updated on Apr 4, 2025

Alaska Glacier-Hike Trek-America Ghost-Towns

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve (August 2010)

Location

🏔️ Into the Wild: Wrangell–St. Elias Adventure, August 2010

Getting There: Off the Grid in Alaska

In August 2010, I joined a rugged Trek America tour with 12 fellow adventurers on a journey deep into the heart of Wrangell–St. Elias National Park — the largest national park in the United States. At over 13 million acres, this place isn’t just big — it’s# six times the size of Yellowstone and home to nine of the 16 highest peaks in North America.

We set off from Anchorage, eventually reaching the notorious McCarthy Road — a 60-mile stretch of rough gravel built on a former railroad bed. Originally constructed for copper transport in the early 1900s, the road is now more adventure than infrastructure. As we bumped along, we passed glacial rivers, deep valleys, and endless mountains, all while trying to keep our trailer from shaking apart.

Campfire Cold and Frontier Spirits

That first night, we camped just inside the park boundary. With the temperature dropping to 29°F, we relied on the warmth of a roaring fire, toasted marshmallows, and some very stiff gin and whiskey to carry us through the night. Surrounded by towering peaks and utter silence, it felt like stepping back in time.

Icebound Trek: Root Glacier Hike

The next morning started frosty and fast — quick breakfast, laced-up boots, and crampons secured. A fellow traveler and I joined a guide for a hike across the stunning Root Glacier. Walking on ancient blue ice was unlike anything I’d done before. We knelt to drink directly from a glacier stream — cold, clean, and impossibly refreshing.

Ghosts of the Copper Empire: Touring Kennicott

After the hike, we explored the abandoned town of Kennicott. Once home to a booming copper mining operation, the town was vacated in 1938 when the Kennecott Copper Corporation shut down and pulled out the railroad in a single week. Today, Kennicott stands as one of the most preserved ghost towns in North America — full of creaking floorboards, rusted equipment, and stories frozen in time.

A Wrench in the Wilderness

No epic trip is complete without a bit of chaos. On the way out of the park, our van got a flat tire — and, believe it or not, no one on the crew knew how to change it. So I stepped up, swapped the tire, and helped maneuver our trailer over a narrow, rickety bridge that spanned a freezing river. Just another day in the Alaskan wild.