Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve entry requirements

Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve does not charge an entrance fee.

• Wrangell-St. Elias is a fee-free park with no entrance station on either road. Its visitor centers do not sell or issue federal land passes - buy one before you come if you need it for another park. The park is cashless - no cash accepted for anything. Private businesses permitted in the park may charge parking and camping fees, e.g. the lot at the Kennicott River Bridge (end of McCarthy Road).

Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve has no timed-entry system.

Nothing here is required in 2026.

• McCarthy Road - 60 miles of gravel, about 3 hours each way, no permit needed. No permit, ticket or reservation of any kind is required to drive either park road. Under normal summer conditions most passenger vehicles can make the trip; carry at least one spare tire and an adequate jack. It is NOT RECOMMENDED to drive an oversize vehicle such as an RV, bus or motor coach on either road. Most major car rental companies in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Valdez do not allow their vehicles on gravel roads. There is no gas available along the McCarthy Road; the closest fuel is Kenny Lake and Chitina.
• Nabesna Road - 42 miles of gravel; high clearance recommended beyond Mile 29, last 4 miles unmaintained. No permit or reservation is required. Generally passable by most two-wheel drive vehicles up to Mile 29. Higher clearance and/or four-wheel drive are occasionally needed beyond Mile 29 due to stream crossings - Trail Creek (Mile 29.8), Lost Creek (Mile 31.2) and Boyden Creek (Mile 34.3) may be flowing across the road. Wet conditions such as spring run-off and heavy rain can make these stream crossings impassable. The last four miles are not maintained and vehicle travel on that portion is not recommended; the maintained portion ends at Devil's Mountain Lodge, which is private property. No gas or vehicle repair service is available along Nabesna Road.
• Both gravel roads are open year-round but graded and plowed only infrequently. Both roads are usually passable to all vehicles during the summer months. Summer can have heavy rains and impassable streams; fall, winter and spring can have deep snow after storms. The roads are owned and maintained by the Alaska State DOT, not the National Park Service. Headquarters Visitor Center in Copper Center is open mid-May through mid-September; the gate there is open for day use only 9 am - 5 pm and is locked at 5 pm year-round.
• McCarthy Road in winter - maintained year-round, but no services and no way to drive to Kennecott. There are no services available in McCarthy or Kennecott during the winter. No shuttles run between the end of the McCarthy Road and Kennecott in winter; the only ways there are on foot, cross-country skis, snowshoes or snowmachine, and no winter outfitter rents that gear. All visitor centers and ranger stations are closed during the winter months, though the public lands are open year-round.
• Visitor centers open summer only; Copper Center gate locked at 5 pm year-round. Headquarters Visitor Center in Copper Center: open mid-May to mid-September, daily 9:00 am - 5:00 pm; the parking area and entrance gate close at 5 pm each day, year-round. Slana Ranger Station: open late May - late September, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm; closed in winter. Chitina Ranger Station: open in summer on Fridays and Saturdays only, staffing dependent. Kennecott Visitor Center: closed from the beginning of September through April. The park and public lands themselves are open year-round regardless of visitor center hours.
• Landslide hazard closed area above the north end of the Root Glacier Trail. Hikers returning from a backcountry trip on the other side of the glacier should not linger in the area. The Root Glacier Trail itself is not closed - only the unstable closed area at its northern end.

Nothing here is required in 2026.

• You cannot drive to McCarthy or Kennecott - park at the bridge and walk, bike or take a summer shuttle. The shuttle is optional and is run by private operators, not NPS - there is no NPS-issued shuttle ticket and no reservation system on nps.gov. Shuttle rides are available during the summer months only; none run in winter.

Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve has no in-park stay that changes what you need to enter.

Off-road vehicle permit applies on every date in 2026.

• Off-road vehicle permit

  Dates

  Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026

  Hours

  All day

  Fee

  Not published

  Opens

  No advance booking

  Applies to Established ORV trails off the Nabesna Road

  • The park does not publish a fee for this permit, so no amount is shown here.
  • Only applies to off-road vehicle use on established trails - not to driving the Nabesna Road itself.
  • Snowmachines do not require a permit anywhere in the park.