Closest airports
| Airport | City | Drive to the park | Straight-line miles | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulkana Airport (GKN) | Gulkana, AK | 26 min (14 mi) | 106 | Regional |
| Northway Airport (ORT) | Northway, AK | 4 h 30 min (200 mi) | 109 | Regional |
| Merle K (Mudhole) Smith Airport (CDV) | Cordova, AK | 7 h 35 min (208 mi) | 116 | Regional |
| Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) | Anchorage, AK | 4 h 15 min (197 mi) | 246 | Large hub |
Drive times run from the airport to Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center in Copper Center, estimated with OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap roads at normal speeds; allow extra for traffic, stops and construction.
Regional airports have fewer flights, so compare fares with the larger hub.
Directions from the park service
The administrative building and main park visitor center are located along the Richardson Highway (Hwy 4), which is a paved state highway that runs through Copper Center, AK. The buildings are 8 miles south of the Glenn Highway and Richardson Highway intersection near Glennallen, Alaska. This is approximately 200 miles east of Anchorage, AK and 250 miles south of Fairbanks, AK.
Hours
Closed. The park and public lands are always open but visitor facilities have limited seasons: Open in Summer. Call ahead for hours: Copper Center (907) 822-7250, Slana (907) 822-7401, Chitina (907) 823-7250 and Kennecott (907) 205-7106. CLOSED Mid-September through April.
Visitor centers
- Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center in Copper Center: Closed. OPEN Summer season mid-May to mid-September: Daily 9:00am - 5:00pm. Dial-a-Ranger at (907) 822-7250. The parking area for the visitor center and entrance gate at the Copper Center Headquarters closes at 5 pm each day.
- Kennecott Visitor Center: Closed. Daily 9:00am-11:30am, 1:30pm-4:30pm; Crown of the Continent & Kennecott Mill film shown in the General Store/Warehouse; exhibit buildings open; Dial-A-Ranger at (907) 205-7106. Contact the NPS-concessionaire St Elias Alpine Guides for available tours in the Kennecott Mill building.
- Slana Ranger Station: Closed. Open late May - late September; 9:00am, 5:00pm; Dial-A-Ranger at (907) 822-7401; Alaska Geographic bookstore sales. Closed in winter.
- Chitina Ranger Station: Closed. Open in summer on Fridays and Saturdays; staffing dependent. Call the Wrangell - St Elias Visitor Center at (907) 822-5234 for confirmation on hours. Dial-A-Ranger at (907) 823-2205; Closed in Fall-Winter-Spring.
- Yakutat
Last gas, groceries and EV charging
Places mapped in OpenStreetMap within 19 miles (straight line) of Kennecott Visitor Center and Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center in Copper Center. Fill up before you head deep into the park: most parks have little or no fuel inside.
Gas stations (9 within reach)
| Place | Where | Miles | Fuel extras and hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tazlina Trading Post | See map | 3.4 | diesel |
| independent | See map | 4.9 | propane |
| Mountain View Gas & Grocery | See map | 4.9 | diesel, RV dump |
| Marathon | Glenn Highway, Glennallen | 7.1 | diesel |
Grocery stores and supermarkets (2 within reach)
| Place | Where | Miles | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tazlina Trading Post | See map | 3.4 | |
| Copper Valley IGA | See map | 8.1 |
EV charging (1 within reach)
| Place | Where | Miles | Plugs and spaces |
|---|---|---|---|
| EV charger (unnamed) | See map | 8.0 | CCS, CHAdeMO, 2 spaces |
Opening hours and fuel types are what local mappers have recorded, so call ahead in winter or off season. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License.
Getting around
Most parks are best seen by car. Fill up before you enter, since gas inside parks is limited or absent. Parking at popular trailheads fills early in summer.
Sources
- National Park Service Data API: directions, hours and visitor centers (public domain)
- OurAirports: airport list and locations (public domain)
- OSRM drive-time estimates on OpenStreetMap road data (ODbL)
- OpenStreetMap: gas stations, grocery stores and EV chargers (ODbL)
Last checked 1 November 2026.