Letters: Staying Safe In Wrangell-St. Elias Park

Safety Tips On Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 

The Park Is Considered "The Most Dangerous" Park In America For Hiking Or Camping 

Editor's Note: Not that many people actually camp or hike in Wrangell-St. Elias Park -- comparatively. But, because it is in the Copper River Valley, it's a dangerous place. 

 

November 22, 2023

To: Copper River Country Journal 
From: KUHL Research 

1 in 126,904 people that go hiking or camping in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park might suffer an incident and die, according to research conducted by KÜHL. The data indicates that this is the most dangerous national park in America. 

Specialists at KÜHL wanted to find out the risks involved in recreational travel in national parks, so they conducted an in-depth analysis of America’s national parks to determine the safest and, by contrast, the 'most dangerous.’ They’ve analyzed seven key metrics — total deaths, missing people, search and rescue missions, park ranger presence, proximity to hospitals, trail alerts, and visitor data — and ranked all 63 American national parks.

The findings revealed that Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is America’s most dangerous national park for hiking or camping. 

However, by contrast, Alaska has another location — Kobuk Valley National Park — among the top 5 safest American national parks. 

You can see all the findings here. 

November 22, 2023

To: Copper River Country Journal

From: Carrie Wittmer at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Thanks for the opportunity to comment. 

I encourage visitors to familiarize themselves with tips for safely visiting Wrangell-St. Elias on our webpages: Backcountry - Wrangell - St Elias National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) and Aviation Safety - Wrangell - St Elias National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov).

A good site for general backcountry questions is at: Backcountry FAQs - Wrangell - St Elias National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov).  There is no backcountry permit requirement at Wrangell-St. Elias, but we encourage people to submit a Backcountry Itinerary Form at our Visitor Centers in Slana, Copper Center, Chitina, and Kennecott (only open in Summer).  Most importantly, all backcountry users should have a Point-of-Contact who knows where you're going and when you'll be back and is responsible for reporting you as overdue, if needed.  

Thank you for helping us get the word out on how to have a safe and enjoyable visit to Wrangell-St. Elias.