Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark is found within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. This early 1900's copper mining operation overcame numerous challenges and found success in the heart of the Alaskan wilderness.
Wrangell-St. Elias is a vast national park that rises from the ocean all the way up to 18,008 ft. At 13.2 million acres, the park is the same size as Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Switzerland combined! Within this wild landscape, people continue to live off the land as they have done for centuries. This rugged, beautiful land is filled with opportunities for adventure.
The Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Subsistence Resource Commission will meet at the Tok Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Center and virtually by Microsoft Teams and teleconference on Thursday, September 25 and Friday, September 26. The meeting will consider a range of issues related to subsistence hunting and fishing in the park. This is an alternate meeting location to what is listed in the Federal Register notice in order to meet technological needs.
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve plans to conduct special aviation operations with a helicopter in late-July and late-August. Flight dates will depend on the weather.
The 2025 federal subsistence hunt for the Chisana caribou herd was announced by acting Wrangell-St. Elias Superintendent Joshua Scott, the designated federal manager for the hunt. Consistent with the cooperative management plan for the herd, the harvest quota is 6 bull caribou. The hunt will open on August 10 and close on September 30 or when the quota has been reached. Hunters are required to report back within three days of harvesting an animal, or at the end of the season if unsuccessful. The hunt area is Federal public lands in Unit 12 that occur east of the Nabesna River and Glacier and south of the Winter Trail running southeast from Pickerel Lake to the Canadian border.
Federal subsistence registration permits for hunts in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve will be available starting Tuesday, July 22, at the park’s Visitor Center in Copper Center and at the Slana Ranger Station. The Visitor Center in Copper Center is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through September 14. The Slana Ranger Station is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through September 21.
On the morning of July 10th, local observers noted that the level of Hidden Creek Lake has begun to fall. This is consistent with conditions that often precede the release of water into the Kennicott River. Residents and visitors should use caution if or when water rises and can get updates about river level from the US Geological Survey. These conditions can be dangerous for anyone on the Kennicott River or downstream rivers and streams such as the Chitina and Copper Rivers.