#9 of 13 trails in Wrangell-St. Elias
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, AK
Short, steep hike from Nabesna Road to historic mine ruins and valley views
Overview
Rambler Mine Trail is a short, steep out-and-back to the abandoned Rambler Mine on White Mountain, with broad views toward the Nabesna River and the Nutzotin Mountains. The official NPS route is approximately 1.5 miles round trip and gains about 400 feet in the uphill half-mile climb.
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 trailhead
Rambler Mine Trail to Ruins and Views“You're approaching the end of the Nabesna Road, where you'll find the trailhead for the Rambler Mine Trail. This is a short but very steep climb, so be prepared for a workout.”
Plays as you drive up to this 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
Start at the public gravel parking area about 1,000 feet beyond Devil's Mountain Lodge at the end of the maintained Nabesna Road. Walk about one-third of a mile along the unmaintained historic mining road, then turn right onto the tree-canopied trail. Follow the steady uphill route through spruce and alder forest to the old mine and its surrounding historic structures. The optional unmaintained continuation above the mine is not included in this trail line.
Nabesna Road is a remote gravel road. The maintained portion ends at private Devil's Mountain Lodge; continue through the property respectfully to the public gravel parking area beyond it. Do not park on private property or the airstrip. The route begins from that parking area and includes the historic-road approach to the signed trail.
The mine area contains dilapidated buildings and equipment, and the old mine opening, tunnels, and surrounding structures are hazardous. Do not enter structures, adits, shafts, or tunnels, and do not remove artifacts. Expect a steep, short climb, no water along the route, and bear-country conditions. Road and creek conditions can be difficult after rain; check locally before committing to the drive.
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
ModerateSkookum Volcano Trail5 mi · 3.5 hr · 5.2 mi awayRemote volcanic pass hike with creek crossings and route-finding
ChallengingTrail Creek- Lost Creek Loop22.5 mi · 1.3 days · 10.1 mi awayStrenuous off-trail loop over a 6,000-foot pass between Trail and Lost CreeksChallengingSoda Lake Trail29 mi · 1 day · 10.1 mi awayRemote 29-mile round trip to a landslide-dammed lake via creek crossings, tundra, and route-finding.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.
