Parking
Park at Mile 18.9 on the north side of Nabesna Road. The trailhead is farther east on the north side; published NPS references place it around Mile 19.2–19.5.
Overview
About Caribou Creek Trail: Nabesna Road
This is a moderate, out-and-back to the Caribou Creek public-use cabin: about 6.0 miles total (3 miles one way) with roughly 800 feet of gain to the cabin. Some recent GPS tracks clock a bit longer day and closer to ~1,100 feet total gain if you wander, but plan on a solid half-day. The tread starts like an old ATV route—wide in places, occasionally rutted—then narrows into a classic Nabesna valley walk.
Why go
- Public-use cabin as a quiet, rewarding turnaround point
- Varied terrain from tundra flats to forest with consistent views
Heads up
- Multiple creek fords can mean wet feet after rain
- Old ATV ruts create muddy, uneven sections in places
- Mosquitoes can be intense in mid-summer
Yes—this is one of the more approachable Nabesna Road hikes: real Wrangell scenery, a satisfying destination, and a good taste of the park’s big, quiet country. On your drive, easy photo stops like Twin Lakes or Kettle Lake make a nice add-on if conditions allow.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs it worth it?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Wrangell-St. Elias map
Full mapElevation2,933–4,094 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Wrangell-St. Elias Tour Guide
Your drive to Caribou Creek Trail: Nabesna Road, narrated.
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 trailhead
Caribou Creek Trail and Public-Use CabinListen
“The trailhead for Caribou Creek is just ahead. It's a moderate, six-mile round-trip hike that leads up a quiet valley to a public-use cabin.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Wrangell-St. Elias Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Roadside Shorebirds: Yellowlegs and Snipe
- Rusty Blackbirds: The Creaky-Hinge Song
- 98 audio storiesacross Wrangell-St. Elias’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Moose, Humpback Whale, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 13 trails, 28 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Caribou Creek Trail: Nabesna Road
What you’ll seeYou’ll step through open tundra flats into spruce–alder–willow forest with seasonal wildflowers…
You’ll step through open tundra flats into spruce–alder–willow forest with seasonal wildflowers (look for bluebells, prickly rose, monkshood, and tufts of Alaska cottongrass). It’s good habitat for big mammals—wolf, bear, and moose sign is common—so make noise, carry bear spray, and give wildlife space. Views open up down-valley and toward the Wrangells as you near the cabin.
Creek crossings and trail conditionsYou’ll cross Caribou Creek multiple times.
You’ll cross Caribou Creek multiple times. In low flow, you can often rock-hop; after rain or during melt, expect to wade. Waterproof boots, extra socks, and trekking poles are worth their weight here. Sections of the former ATV track hold mud and ruts—nothing technical, just plan on slower, messier steps.
The cabin and extensionsThe Caribou Creek Cabin sits a little over 3 miles from the road and makes a peaceful…
The Caribou Creek Cabin sits a little over 3 miles from the road and makes a peaceful turnaround. Reservations are required; confirm details and current access with the Slana Ranger Station before heading out. Confident hikers sometimes continue beyond on faint game/use paths for higher viewpoints—only do so if you’re comfortable with off-trail navigation and returning the same way.
Getting there and road realityTrailhead is on the north side of Nabesna Road beyond the Mile 18.
Trailhead is on the north side of Nabesna Road beyond the Mile 18.9 parking area; NPS references place it around Mile 19.2–19.5. Nabesna Road itself is a remote, mostly gravel 42-mile spur with limited or no cell coverage and creek washouts after storms. High-clearance and taking it slow are smart, and carrying a full-size spare isn’t overkill. There are no fuel services in Slana—top off before you turn onto the road. Allow about 1.5 hours each way and check current road/trail conditions at the Slana Ranger Station.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Wrangell-St. Elias
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.
