Ranger station · Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Historic log cabin for McCarthy Road intel and exhibits
Overview
This tiny log-cabin outpost at mile 33 on the Edgerton Highway is the smart first stop before committing to the rough-and-ready McCarthy Road. Rangers here share current road conditions, trip-planning advice, and local updates, plus they handle subsistence permits for eligible local rural residents. It’s compact, friendly, and purpose-built to set you up for a safer, smoother adventure down the road.
Real-time intel for the McCarthy Road: expect the latest on washboards, potholes, closures, and travel time estimates.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy stop hereMap
Local know-how
Stop here before driving McCarthy Road for the latest conditions and advice.
Hours are limited and variable in summer; don’t rely solely on the sign.
Use the WiFi to download offline maps before heading into spotty service.
Ask rangers about recent bear activity and any travel advisories.
Pronounced “Chit-nuh”; the station sits at mile 33 on the Edgerton Highway.
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Wrangell-St. Elias Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Wrangell-St. Elias audio tourRecorded for this place
Chitina and the Start of the McCarthy Road“You're about to reach Chitina, which is the official starting point for the sixty-mile gravel McCarthy Road. Before heading down that road, the smartest stop you can make is the Chitina Ranger Station.”
Plays as you drive up to Chitina Ranger Station in the Parkwolf Wrangell-St. Elias Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
The station is a 1910 log cabin tied to Chitina’s boom years (1910–1938), when this was a transportation hub “where the rails meet the trails” for trains, stagecoaches, dog sleds, and steamboats serving the Kennecott copper mines. The cabin was rehabilitated by the National Park Service in the early 1990s and now doubles as a slice of local history and a modern ranger contact point.
Around the Copper and Chitina river valleys and along the McCarthy corridor, keep an eye out for moose and both brown and black bears in low, brushy areas. Bison roam the river valleys, and the river deltas host migratory birds. The Copper River drainage is prime nesting habitat for trumpeter swans. Your best strategy: slow down, make frequent stops, and glass river flats and hillsides with binoculars or a spotting scope.
If you’re driving McCarthy Road, absolutely—this is the most efficient way to get current conditions and practical advice. If you’re passing through in the off-season or on a day it’s closed, it’s a quick photo stop for the historic cabin, but not essential.
Wildlife
112 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 9 PMSighting map
63 sightingsMooseMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
21 sightingsHumpback WhaleMost seen around 1 PMSighting map
46 sightingsSteller Sea LionMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
37 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
48 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 5 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Wrangell-St. Elias. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
Parkwolf’s Wrangell-St. Elias ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
