#7 of 13 trails in Wrangell-St. Elias
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, AK
Remote 16-mile out-and-back to an alpine pass with cold creek crossings and route-finding.
Overview
Dixie Pass is a remote backcountry route on the south side of Wrangell–St. Elias. The named hike follows Strelna Creek and the Dixie Pass drainage to a high alpine pass with broad Wrangell mountain views. It is wilderness travel, not a maintained frontcountry trail; route-finding, creek-crossing skills, and careful trip planning are required.
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
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 area
Tiny Predators in the Muskeg“This boggy landscape, called muskeg, is so nutrient-poor that some plants evolved to eat insects to survive. Look closely at the ground on wet mats of sphagnum moss, right near puddles, for Sundews and Butterworts.”
Plays on the road 1.9 mi from the trailhead 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!!!!”
Trail guide
From the Dixie Pass Trailhead on Kotsina Road, the mapped corridor climbs approximately 7.96 miles one way to the pass. Plan for about 16 miles round trip on the return route. The NPS route sheet describes an initial wooded section, travel along Strelna Creek, a crossing above the confluence, then a series of routes and crossings up the Dixie Pass drainage. A canyon may be impassable at high water; higher up, the route uses switchbacks, hillside traverses, and open-country route-finding to reach the pass. Allow 3 days or more for this remote trip, depending on pace, conditions, and route-finding.
At about mile 14.5 of the McCarthy Road, turn north onto Kotsina Road. The rough, one-lane approach reaches the Dixie Pass trailhead after roughly 3.8-3.9 miles, just past the Nugget Creek trailhead. Medium- to high-clearance vehicles are recommended. If the road is not suitable, park at McCarthy Road and walk the approach. The approach crosses or borders private and Native corporation lands and easements; follow posted signs and ask the park for current access guidance.
Expect cold creek crossings whose volume and velocity can change with weather and time of day, brush, route-finding, bears, and rapidly changing mountain weather. The canyon may require turning around or carefully routing around it when water is high. Snow can remain near the saddle and conceal drainage. Carry map and compass, secure food and garbage, and be prepared to turn back; help is not readily available.
Campsites are found along Strelna Creek and the Dixie Pass drainage on sand or gravel bars. The pass is a wildlife travel corridor, so camping there is not advised. Water is generally accessible for most of the route, but the final mile may require snowmelt runoff when available.
Experienced backcountry hikers comfortable with route-finding, cold-water crossings, and a multi-day wilderness trip. The route is a demanding objective even though the approach begins by road; it should not be confused with the separate Nugget Creek or Kotsina routes in the same corridor.
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.
