National Park Feature: Wrangell-St. Elias
As artists and wilderness explorers, the team at Anderson Design Group believes that to create amazing, original art of iconic destinations in the U.S. and around the world, one should physically travel to those places and witness them in person.
Sometimes that’s easier said than done, but whenever we can, we hop on planes, trains, and automobiles (and more than a few boats) to explore national parks, American cities, college towns, state parks, and iconic landmarks not just in the U.S., but around the world.
In the summer of 2025, collaborating artist Kenneth Crane and ADG staff writer Ren Brabenec (two of the three co-authors of Wilderness & Wonder: An Illustrated Guide to the National Parks) traveled to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the largest national park on the roster!
Pictured below, from left to right: Expeditions Alaska guide Marc Heifetz, illustrator/photographer Kenneth Crane, ADG staff writer Ren Brabenec, backpacker Marisa Winner:
Read on for more information on this visually stunning national park, but first, check out our first of three highlight reels depicting Ken and Ren’s adventure in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park:
Fun Facts About Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Before we get into Ken and Ren’s trip, here are some fun facts about Wrangell-St. Elias. These facts are a preview from our book, Wilderness & Wonder: An Illustrated Guide to the National Parks. Order a copy of the book today to learn more about not just this park, but all 63 flagship national parks!
Pictured below, three of the four backpackers, on their first day of backpacking after being dropped off by a bush plane the previous evening:
At 13.2 million acres, Wrangell-St. Elias in Alaska is the largest park on the roster. It spans from the Pacific Ocean to Mt. St. Elias at 18,008 feet. The park preserves volcanoes and glaciers, rivers and forests, abandoned mines, Indigenous communities, and diverse wildlife. One could spend a lifetime exploring this natural wonderland and still not see it all, a fact that is at once humbling and exciting.
Popular, maintained trails still require the proper equipment. Bring ice climbing gear on the Root Glacier Trail and consider hiking with an experienced guide.
Everything is bigger in Alaska, including the parks! This one is the size of six Yellowstones. Just the Malaspina Glacier in the park is larger than Rhode Island.
Pictured below, an accurate depiction of what the alpine regions of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park look like:
There is a 60-mile dirt road “The McCarthy Road” that is the most popular travel route in the park. Once an old railway, the rail bed was covered with dirt and converted into a “road.” Use properly inflated tires, watch for old railroad ties and spikes, and allow two hours each way.
A land of superlatives, Wrangell-St. Elias is home to nine of the 16 tallest peaks in North America, the world’s longest interior valley glacier, and the world’s largest non-polar piedmont glacier. The combination of elevation and ice creates stunning rivers, many of which are tributaries to the massive Copper River Delta.
If You Have Just One Day in Wrangell-St. Elias…
If you have just one day in Wrangell, we strongly recommend spending it in and around McCarthy. There you can explore hiking trails, a river, a glacier, and an abandoned copper mine!
Here’s some information about the mine, excerpted from our comprehensive guide to the national parks:
From the Indigenous Ahtna, Upper Tanana, Eyak, and Tlingit communities that continue to live off the land as they have for thousands of years to the miners who sought their fortune in the copper veins of the region’s mountains, the park’s landscape is not only visually stunning and culturally significant, it is a place of immense value. For example, the Kennecott Mines were once the richest copper mining operation in the world. Mining shut down in 1938, but the National Park Service and conservation groups have spent decades restoring the buildings and making the site into an educational center for visitors to understand how much Alaska means to the world.
Ken and Ren’s 5-Day Backpacking Trip: The Highlights
We could write an entire book, or at least a multi-part series, about Ken and Ren’s trip to Wrangell-St. Elias. Rather, we’ll summarize each day below, and include lots of photos!
Pictured below, the park seen from the air as a bush plane brought our travelers to their backpacking trailhead:
Day #1: Ken and Ren drove into McCarthy, Alaska, a common gateway community for accessing the park. The drive to McCarthy included 60 miles on a dirt road! Once in McCarthy, an air taxi service called Wrangell Mountain Air picked up the pair along with their guide and another backpacker and took the group to Skoli Pass, a beloved launch point for backpackers on the 38+ mile “Goat Trail.”
Pictured below, sunset after the bush plane dropped Ken and Ren off in the park:
Day #2: The group camped the previous night at the Skoli Pass airstrip, so on Day #2, they officially began their backpacking adventure, hiking to their next campsite, roughly six miles away. The hike was not what folks are typically used to. Were there wildlife trails here and there that they could follow? Technically, yes. But most of the hiking was over tundra or rocky scree, with our adventurers having to find their own way.
Pictured below, sunrise on the morning of day #2, the first day Ken and Ren backpacked from one campsite to another:
Pictured below, a little of the terrain that Ken and Ren encountered on day #2:
Day #3: After camping in a hollow protected from the wind, the group hiked down into a river valley, following a rushing, glacier-fed creek for many miles. Then they had to begin climbing again, eventually navigating a precipitous ravine. Day #3 ended with them reaching a beautiful campsite in a saddle between several mountain peaks.
Pictured below, an assortment of photos from day #3, including a river valley the team hiked through, some of the foliage, and a scary section of technical hiking along a true goat trail:
Day #4: This day involved a great deal of hiking over tundra and across flatlands, occasionally spotting sheep and goats. The group forayed into a previously unexplored area and found an incredible, never-before-used campsite on a ridge overlooking a massive glacier.
Pictured below, some scenes from the day #3 campsite and the day #4 cross-country backpacking adventure:
Day #5: On the last day of the trip, Ken, Ren, and their group broke camp, left the ridge, and hiked about eight miles to Wolverine Pass, a small spit of flat land surrounded by mountains where bush planes can land and take off. The group reached the pass, only to find a grizzly bear blocking their path! The group waited until the bear left, then set up camp, spent the night, and were picked up by a bush plane the next day and brought back to civilization.
Pictured below, the night on the ridge on the evening of day #4, and scenes from backpacking to the pickup location on day #5:
The photo above shows a bear in the background!
Alaska Travel Advice, Take it from Us!
What did Ken and Ren learn from their backpacking trip in Alaska? Here’s what they found out:
Many of the roads to Alaska’s backcountry trailheads are not paved. Thus, Alaskan dirt roads require high-clearance 4WD vehicles. Rent something tough and reliable before venturing into the wilderness of Wrangell-St. Elias.
Pack more food than you think you’ll need, but less of everything else. Did Ken and Ren run out of food while they were isolated in the Alaskan backcountry? No. Did they worry about it? Yes.
Make your pack as light as you can. On the trip, Ken and Ren’s packs weighed between 60 and 75lbs, which is considered “too heavy” even for two strapping young fellows. In addition to being constantly teased by their guide with questions like, “Where’s the kitchen sink,” and “Wow, you really did bring pajamas and a novel, didn’t you?” it is true that their packs were a bit too heavy. The advice? Unless you absolutely need it, it’s best to leave it at home.
Plan for it to be colder and hotter than you think. Alaskan summer days in the mountains are hot, but the nights are cold. And since there are few trees, sun exposure is a real thing. Bring sun protection, a “cool” set of hiking clothes, and a “warm” set of camp clothes.
Last but not least, and we cannot stress this enough, hire a guide when planning a backcountry backpacking trip in Alaska. Ken and Ren used Expeditions Alaska, and they could not have been more thrilled with the experience.
When asked to comment about Expeditions Alaska, Ken said:
“Expeditions Alaska went above and beyond to rebook a new trip for us when our hopes of visiting Gates of the Arctic fell through due to weather. Carl and our guide, Marc, planned an entirely new itinerary for us along the Goat Trail in the Wrangells in only a matter of hours and it was an incredibly GORGEOUS trip! Can’t thank Expeditions Alaska enough for taking care of us during the highs and lows of weather delays and flight cancellations. Wishing I had purchased trip insurance (completely my negligence), but also grateful to still see the untamed wilderness of Alaska. Only leaves me more hungry to return and get Gates someday. Thank you for sharing your home with us, Carl and Marc!”
Ren said:
“I can’t say enough good things about Expeditions Alaska, specifically owner Carl, coordinator Emily, and guide Marc. My colleague and I began planning a late August/early September 2025 “Northern Traverse” Arctic Circle backpacking trip with Expeditions Alaska as far back as January 2025. I felt incredibly well taken care of, long before I ever met any Expeditions Alaska crew in person. They had both our happiness AND our safety at the forefront, every step of the way during the planning stage. When late August finally rolled around and it was time to embark into the Arctic Circle, a massive weather front moved in. Our guide, Marc, spent 36 hours working to find different ways to get us into the area we wanted to go, but weather foiled us each time. Then, and this was truly incredible, Marc and Carl were able to pivot on a dime and plan an entirely different trip for us in an entirely different part of the state within just 48 hours! (Goat Trail, Wrangell St.-Elias National Park). I was so amazed at their ability to shift gears so quickly and roll with the punches that are Alaska’s weather systems. My colleague and I had an incredible time in Wrangell. Marc was an amazing guide and he kept us safe and entertained. I highly recommend Expeditions Alaska for their goodness of heart, keenness of mind, and their dedication to their clients.”
Pictured below is a video reel showing the team's second and third days in the wilderness:
What Inspired Us: Wilderness & Wonder, An Illustrated Guide to the National Parks
One of the best parts of Ken and Ren’s experience in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park was the opportunity to take Wilderness & Wonder: An Illustrated Guide to the National Parks into the park. Ken and Ren co-authored this book with Joel Anderson, Creative Director and Founder of Anderson Design Group.
We borrowed a brief description of the book from our official product listing for this best-selling national parks coffee table book. Learn more about the book below:
Master illustrator Kenneth Crane, ADG Founder and Creative Director Joel Anderson, and writer/researcher Ren Brabenec worked together to publish Wilderness & Wonder, a book for readers of all ages to explore the awe-inspiring aspects of the national parks.
Perfect for outdoor lovers, travel enthusiasts, history buffs, and fans of national park poster art, this book is a tabletop decor piece, a jaw-dropping one-of-a-kind gift, and a useful national park guidebook all in one.
Order Wilderness & Wonder as an excellent present and educational resource for the national park enthusiast in your life, and grab a copy for your own coffee table while you’re at it. This book is a fantastic conversation starter!
The book is available in hardcover and softcover coffee table editions.
For inspiration and travel planning in the national parks, be sure to check out ADG’s books and the free information contained in our website’s blog.
For inspiration on future trips or for souvenirs of completed adventures, ADG’s 63 American National Parks poster art collection is a timeless depiction of the 63 national parks in a vintage poster art style that harkens back to the original artwork that first promoted the parks in the 20th century. It is the art of adventure, made by humans, for humans.
Anderson Design Group donates a portion of its annual profits to the National Park Foundation, meaning your purchase of national park art and books helps fund the protection and stewardship of these iconic places so they can continue to exist and benefit the world for generations to come.
This last video reel shows some of the wildlife and panoramic scenes the team spotted in the park:
We hope you’re inspired, informed, and ready for the adventure of a lifetime in Wrangell-St Elias National Park. May you never be the same again!
-Ren Brabenec
Anderson Design Group Staff Writer
Pictured below, the Northern Lights on the team's very last night in the park, and a Strava recording of the route they took:
