A Tale of Two Wrangells
Are you planning an Alaskan adventure but confused about the difference between Wrangell, Alaska and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park? You’re not alone! These two spectacular destinations share a name but offer vastly different experiences. In this guide, we’ll break down the differences, explain why they’re often mixed up, and share fun facts and travel tips to help you in your travels to Wrangell Island!
Where Bears Steal the Show: Welcome to Alaskan Bearfest
Each summer, Wrangell, Alaska hosts Alaska Bearfest. a five-day celebration of wildlife, science, and culture that brings together bear biologists, artists, adventurers, and curious travelers from all over. It’s part symposium, part street fair, and fully Wrangell: authentic, smart, and just a little wild.
Whether you're here to learn, explore, or just watch a bear catch its dinner, Bearfest is the kind of festival you won’t forget.
HIKING, CAMPING & SIGHTSEEING - OH MY!
Wrangell offers many scenic spots for picnicking and camping, from easily reachable City Park and Shoemaker Bay to the more remote Nemo Point and Salamander Creek campsites.
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF WRANGELL’S HISTORY
Thousands of years before fur, gold, salmon and timber brought settlers, adventurers and pioneers to work and live in Wrangell, the Tlingit people arrived in the region via the Stikine River, migrating from the Interior.
DISCOVER WHAT LIES OUTSIDE THE LINES
Wrangell, one of the most historic communities in Alaska, is the only town in the state to have been ruled by four nations: Tlingit, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
It has the reputation for being the “friendliest little town in Southeast Alaska.” It’s also one of the hardest-working towns in the state.