Wrangell Mountains

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. | Galyna Andrushko

🏔️ Overview

The Wrangell Mountains are a spectacular group of high, heavily glaciated volcanic mountains in eastern Alaska. Rising above the Copper River Basin, the range contains enormous shield volcanoes, deeply eroded volcanic massifs, active geothermal features, and some of the highest summits in the United States.

Most of the range lies within Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve, the largest national park in the United States. The Wrangells meet several other major mountain systems in this extraordinary part of Alaska, including the Saint Elias Mountains to the southeast and the eastern Alaska Range to the north.

The highest mountain in the Wrangell Mountains is Mount Blackburn, which rises to 16,390 feet (4,996 meters). Nearby Mount Sanford reaches 16,237 feet (4,949 meters), while the range’s namesake, Mount Wrangell, reaches 14,163 feet (4,317 meters).

Unlike many of Alaska’s great mountain ranges, the Wrangells are especially notable for their volcanic origin. Their broad, ice-covered peaks belong to the Wrangell volcanic region, where millions of years of volcanism have built some of North America’s largest volcanic landforms.

⚡ Fast Facts

Fact	Details
Continent	North America
Country	United States
State	Alaska
Region	Eastern and south-central Alaska
Mountain System	North American Cordillera
Highest Mountain	Mount Blackburn
Highest Elevation	16,390 feet / 4,996 meters
Second-Highest Mountain	Mount Sanford
Major Peaks	Mount Blackburn, Mount Sanford, Mount Wrangell, Atna Peaks, Regal Mountain, Mount Jarvis, Mount Drum
Geological Character	Volcanic and tectonic
Major Protected Area	Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Active Volcano	Mount Wrangell
Major Glaciers	Nabesna, Kennicott, Kuskulana, Sanford, Copper, and numerous smaller glaciers
Nearby Ranges	Saint Elias Mountains, Chugach Mountains, Mentasta Mountains, Nutzotin Mountains
Notable Access Routes	Nabesna Road and McCarthy Road
Named For	Baron Ferdinand Petrovich von Wrangel

📍 Location

The Wrangell Mountains rise in eastern Alaska, mainly within the northern and central portions of Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve.

To the west lies the broad Copper River Basin, from which several of the Wrangells’ immense volcanoes can be seen on clear days. The Saint Elias Mountains rise farther to the southeast, while the Mentasta and Nutzotin mountains—eastern extensions of the Alaska Range—lie to the north and northeast.

The range’s location places it within one of the most mountainous areas of North America. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve contains portions of four major mountain groups: the Wrangell Mountains, Saint Elias Mountains, Chugach Mountains, and the eastern Alaska Range.

This makes the region particularly useful for understanding how different geological processes can produce dramatically different types of mountains in the same general area.

For a broader look at Alaska’s place in American mountain geography, see Mountain Ranges in the U.S..

📏 Highest Mountains in the Wrangell Range

Several Wrangell summits rise above 13,000 feet, and two exceed 16,000 feet.

Mountain	Elevation
Mount Blackburn	16,390 ft / 4,996 m
Mount Sanford	16,237 ft / 4,949 m
Mount Wrangell	14,163 ft / 4,317 m
Atna Peaks	13,860 ft / 4,225 m
Regal Mountain	13,845 ft / 4,220 m
Mount Jarvis	13,421 ft / 4,091 m
Mount Drum	12,010 ft / 3,660 m

Mount Blackburn

Mount Blackburn is the highest mountain in the Wrangell Mountains at 16,390 feet.

It is an enormous, deeply eroded volcanic massif mantled by snow and glaciers. Ice flowing from the mountain contributes to several major glacier systems, including the Kennicott and Kuskulana systems.

Its scale makes Mount Blackburn one of the dominant geographical landmarks of Wrangell–St. Elias National Park.

Mt Blackburn Willow Lake Wrangell-St Elias National Park | Real Window Creative

Mount Sanford

Mount Sanford reaches 16,237 feet, making it the second-highest summit in the Wrangell Mountains.

The mountain is a massive, heavily glaciated volcano rising prominently above the Copper River Basin. Its broad upper slopes contrast with the deeply eroded valleys and cliffs cut into portions of the mountain.

Mount Sanford is especially visible from parts of the Nabesna Road region.

Mount Wrangell

Mount Wrangell rises to 14,163 feet and gives the mountain range its modern name.

Rather than forming a narrow, sharply pointed summit, Mount Wrangell has the broad profile typical of a shield volcano. Its summit contains a large ice-filled caldera as well as smaller post-caldera craters.

Mount Wrangell is also the only volcano in the Wrangell Mountains currently considered active.

Heat remains beneath its summit, and steam can sometimes be seen rising from geothermal areas around its craters.

Mount Drum

Mount Drum rises to approximately 12,010 feet on the western side of the range. Although lower than Blackburn, Sanford, and Wrangell, its position near the Copper River Basin makes it one of the most conspicuous Wrangell peaks from surrounding highways.

Erosion has given Mount Drum a much sharper appearance than the broad shield of Mount Wrangell.

🪨 Geology and Volcanic Origins

The Wrangell Mountains are unusual among major North American mountain ranges because volcanism is such an important part of their geological story.

Southern Alaska consists of numerous crustal fragments, or terranes, that were formed elsewhere and later transported toward North America by plate tectonic movement. Over immense spans of geological time, these terranes collided with and became attached to the continental margin.

This continuing interaction between tectonic plates has produced uplift, faulting, earthquakes, and volcanism throughout southern Alaska.

The Wrangell Mountains developed through a combination of these tectonic forces and volcanic activity.

The Wrangell Volcanic Field

The Wrangell volcanic field covers more than 2,000 square miles and contains thousands of individual lava flows.

Volcanism in the broader region began tens of millions of years ago. Much of the modern mountainous volcanic landscape, however, developed during approximately the last five million years.

Over repeated eruptive episodes, immense quantities of lava accumulated to form gigantic volcanic mountains.

Some of these volcanoes later became inactive and were deeply reshaped by erosion and glaciers. Others, such as Mount Wrangell, retain clear evidence of geothermal activity.

Mount Wrangell’s Continuing Activity

Mount Wrangell is a particularly important feature because it remains an active volcano.

Its summit includes an ice-filled caldera several kilometers across, together with smaller craters where geothermal activity continues.

Steam plumes have periodically been observed from the summit area. Historical accounts also describe possible eruptive episodes, although the interpretation of some older reports remains uncertain.

Today the volcano is monitored as part of Alaska’s broader volcanic monitoring system.

🧊 Glaciers

Ice is nearly as important to the Wrangell landscape as volcanism.

The high elevation, heavy snowfall, and vast accumulation zones of the Wrangell and neighboring Saint Elias mountains support an extraordinary network of glaciers and icefields.

Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve contains more than 3,000 glaciers, with glaciers covering roughly 35 percent of the park.

Several major glaciers originate on or near Wrangell volcanoes.

Nabesna Glacier

The Nabesna Glacier is one of the most significant glaciers associated with the Wrangell Mountains. It flows away from the high volcanic terrain near Mount Wrangell and stretches for tens of miles through the surrounding wilderness.

Its size makes it one of the most important valley glaciers in the region.

Kennicott Glacier

The Kennicott Glacier flows through the southern Wrangell Mountains near the historic mining communities of Kennecott and McCarthy.

This area provides some of the most accessible opportunities for visitors to experience the immense glacial landscape of Wrangell–St. Elias.

Glacier-Cut Landscapes

Glaciers have profoundly changed the appearance of the mountains themselves.

Former volcanic cones have been cut into steep ridges, amphitheaters, and jagged remnants. Glaciers also transport enormous quantities of rock and sediment, creating moraines and braided river systems downstream.

The contrast between broad volcanic landforms and sharply eroded glacial terrain is one of the defining visual characteristics of the Wrangells.

Root Glacier Lakes – Wrangell–St. Elias National Park | Cavan-Images

🌿 Flora and Fauna

The Wrangell Mountains rise through several ecological zones, from boreal forests and wetlands to alpine tundra, barren rock, permanent snow, and glacial ice.

Spruce forests dominate many lower elevations, while willow, dwarf shrubs, grasses, lichens, and hardy alpine plants occupy progressively higher terrain.

Wildlife found in and around the mountains includes:

Dall sheep
Caribou
Moose
Mountain goats
Brown bears
Black bears
Wolves
Wolverines
Lynx
Arctic ground squirrels
Pikas
Foxes
Porcupines

Wrangell–St. Elias is particularly notable for its population of Dall sheep, which inhabit rocky slopes and high mountain ridges.

Caribou also use areas of the Wrangell Mountains, feeding on lichens and sedges, while moose are more frequently associated with forested wetlands and lowland areas.

Bald eagles, golden eagles, ptarmigan, waterfowl, and numerous migratory bird species are also found within the wider park ecosystem.

🥾 Hiking and Exploring the Wrangell Mountains

The Wrangell Mountains should not be thought of as a conventional trail-based mountain destination.

Wrangell–St. Elias is enormous, remote, and largely undeveloped. Much of its backcountry has no maintained trail system at all.

Visitors generally explore the Wrangells from two major road corridors: Nabesna Road in the north and McCarthy Road in the south.

Nabesna Road

Nabesna Road begins near Slana and extends approximately 42 miles into the northern part of Wrangell–St. Elias.

The road provides views toward Mount Sanford, Mount Wrangell, Mount Jarvis, and surrounding mountain terrain.

Several hiking routes begin along the corridor, including:

Caribou Creek Trail
Trail Creek Trail
Lost Creek and Soda Lake routes
Skookum Volcano Trail

Skookum Volcano Trail is especially interesting for visitors interested in geology because it passes through the remains of a deeply eroded volcanic system.

Nabesna Road is unpaved, road conditions can change, stream crossings may become difficult, and services are extremely limited.

McCarthy and Kennecott

The 60-mile McCarthy Road approaches the southern side of the Wrangell Mountains.

At its end, visitors can access the communities of McCarthy and Kennecott as well as the historic Kennecott mining district.

The area offers hiking, backpacking, glacier viewing, and access to the immense Kennicott and Root glacier landscapes.

Backcountry Travel

Beyond established access corridors, the Wrangells are true wilderness.

Backcountry travelers may encounter:

Unbridged rivers
Glaciers and crevasses
Dense brush
Bears
Rapidly changing weather
Difficult route-finding
Long distances without assistance
Little or no cellular service

Travel across glacier ice requires appropriate experience and equipment.

🏔️ Field Guide Tip: Do not judge distances in the Wrangell Mountains by appearance alone. Alaska’s huge valleys, glaciers, and mountains can make destinations appear far closer than they really are. Carry detailed maps, navigation equipment, emergency communication, and enough supplies to handle delays.

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | BlueBarronPhoto

🧗 Mountaineering

The highest Wrangell summits are serious mountaineering objectives rather than hiking peaks.

Climbing mountains such as Blackburn and Sanford normally involves glacier travel, crevasse rescue skills, snow and ice climbing, remote expedition logistics, and the ability to operate independently in severe weather.

Many expeditions use aircraft to reach glacier landing sites because practical ground approaches can be extremely long.

Early Exploration and Climbing

The Wrangell Mountains became increasingly known to outside explorers during the late nineteenth century.

U.S. Army Lieutenant Henry T. Allen explored the Copper River region in 1885 and named several prominent peaks, including Blackburn, Sanford, and Drum.

One of the landmark early climbing achievements occurred in 1912, when Dora Keen and George Handy reached the eastern summit of Mount Blackburn during a pioneering expedition.

Later surveys determined that Blackburn’s western summit is slightly higher.

📜 How the Wrangell Mountains Got Their Name

The range was named for Baron Ferdinand Petrovich von Wrangel, a Russian naval officer, Arctic explorer, and administrator.

Wrangel served as governor of Russia’s colonies in Alaska from 1829 to 1835 and later became director of the Russian-American Company.

Lieutenant Henry T. Allen helped establish many of the English-language mountain names still used in the Wrangell region during his 1885 exploration of the Copper River Basin.

Long before these names appeared on modern maps, however, Alaska Native peoples had their own names, travel routes, cultural connections, and traditions associated with these mountains.

For example, the National Park Service records the Ahtna name K’elt’aeni for Mount Wrangell.

🌤️ Best Time to Visit

For most road-based visitors, June through early September generally provides the most practical conditions for exploring Wrangell–St. Elias.

Even in summer, however, weather can change dramatically.

The park spans an enormous range of elevations and climates, and conditions can differ substantially from one part of the region to another. Rain, cold temperatures, high winds, snow at elevation, swollen creeks, and rapidly changing road conditions are all possible.

Late summer can bring cooler nights and autumn colors to lower elevations, while winter transforms the region into an environment suited primarily to experienced cold-weather travelers.

Anyone planning a trip should check current road, trail, weather, wildfire, river, and glacier conditions directly with the National Park Service before departure.

🧭 Nearby Mountains and Attractions

The Wrangell Mountains lie within an exceptionally diverse mountain region.

Saint Elias Mountains

The Saint Elias Mountains rise southeast of the Wrangells and contain some of the highest peaks in North America.

They include Mount Saint Elias and Mount Bona and continue across the international boundary into Canada’s Yukon.

Alaska Range

The Alaska Range extends across much of south-central Alaska. Its eastern Mentasta and Nutzotin mountains approach the northern part of Wrangell–St. Elias.

Farther west, the range contains Denali, the highest mountain in North America.

Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark

The abandoned copper-mining complex at Kennecott preserves an important chapter in the human history of the Wrangell Mountains.

Large-scale mining took place here during the early twentieth century, and surviving mills and buildings now form one of Alaska’s most remarkable historic sites.

Copper River Basin

The Copper River Basin lies west of the range and provides distant but impressive views of several Wrangell volcanoes.

Mount Drum, Mount Sanford, and Mount Wrangell can be especially prominent from highways and communities in the basin when skies are clear.

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska | high fliers

💡 Fun Facts

Mount Blackburn is the highest mountain in the Wrangell Mountains, reaching 16,390 feet.
The Wrangell Mountains include some of the largest volcanic landforms in North America.
The Wrangell volcanic field contains thousands of individual lava flows.
Mount Wrangell is the only volcano in the range currently classified as active.
Mount Wrangell has an enormous ice-filled summit caldera.
Steam can occasionally rise from geothermal vents around Mount Wrangell’s summit.
Glaciers have dramatically reshaped many of the range’s older volcanoes.
The Wrangell Mountains lie almost entirely within the immense Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
The park contains more than 3,000 glaciers.
Dall sheep are particularly well represented in the Wrangell–St. Elias ecosystem.
Lieutenant Henry T. Allen named several major Wrangell peaks during his 1885 exploration of the Copper River Basin.
The range’s English name honors Russian explorer and administrator Ferdinand von Wrangel.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Where are the Wrangell Mountains?

The Wrangell Mountains are in eastern Alaska, primarily within Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve. They rise east of the Copper River Basin and northwest of the Saint Elias Mountains.

What is the highest mountain in the Wrangell Mountains?

Mount Blackburn is the highest summit in the range at 16,390 feet (4,996 meters).

Are the Wrangell Mountains volcanic?

Yes. Volcanism played a major role in building the Wrangell Mountains. Several of their largest peaks are enormous volcanic structures that have subsequently been modified by glaciers and erosion.

Are any Wrangell volcanoes still active?

Yes. Mount Wrangell is considered an active volcano. Geothermal activity remains visible around its summit craters.

How high is Mount Wrangell?

Mount Wrangell reaches 14,163 feet (4,317 meters).

What is the second-highest mountain in the Wrangells?

Mount Sanford is the second-highest summit at 16,237 feet (4,949 meters).

Are the Wrangell Mountains part of the Saint Elias Mountains?

No. The Wrangell Mountains and Saint Elias Mountains are neighboring but distinct mountain ranges. Both occupy portions of Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve.

Can you drive into the Wrangell Mountains?

Road access is limited, but visitors can enter parts of the region using the Nabesna Road and McCarthy Road. Both are remote gravel roads whose conditions can vary considerably.

Can you hike in the Wrangell Mountains?

Yes, but the region differs significantly from national parks with extensive maintained trail systems. A small number of developed trails and routes are available near the main access corridors, while much of the park requires off-trail wilderness travel.

Are the Wrangell Mountains difficult to climb?

The highest peaks are major expedition mountains. Glacier travel, crevasses, severe weather, remoteness, avalanche conditions, and complex logistics make climbing objectives such as Mount Blackburn and Mount Sanford suitable only for properly prepared mountaineers.

Why are there so many glaciers in the Wrangell Mountains?

The combination of very high elevations, heavy snowfall, cold temperatures, and broad mountain accumulation zones allows large quantities of snow and ice to persist and feed extensive glacier systems.

🔗 Related Articles

📚 Sources

Rate this post