Magical Wrangell St. Elias National Park Flightseeing Tour In Alaska
Bigger than nine states in the union and many countries, Wrangell St. Elias National Park is a massive 13.2M acres in size. Yet, as the largest National Park and one nestled in a remote corner of Alaska, it’s nearly impossible to get a true sense of the park’s vastness.
Even the most gung-ho adventurer wouldn’t be able to see all of Wrangell St. Elias in their lifetime. Flightseeing around Wrangell St Elias National Park is the go-to move if you want to see the scenery.
To see the vast and stunning landscape, I turned to Wrangell Mountain Air.
After looking up the amazing views from this flight, I knew I had to get on board. While we didn’t get the epic views I’d hoped for due to low cloud cover, it was still an incredible experience. Luckily, our pilot knew everything about everything, making the trip even more enjoyable.
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Flightseeing in Wrangell St Elias National Park
Is a flightseeing tour in Wrangell St Elias worth it?
It’s a phenomenal place and highly worth it. With how big a National Park it is, flightseeing in Wrangell St Elias is the only way to truly see the park’s features. Here are the 10 best things to see and do in the park.
Spend the money. Hop on the plane. Have your mind blown!
What are the Wrangell St. Elias flightseeing options?
- Mile High Cliff Tour – 50 minutes – $330
- Thirteen Glacier Tour – 70 minutes – $405
- Bagley University Range Tour – 90 minutes – $445
- Jewels of the Wragells Tour – 120 minutes – $535
Prices updated in May 2026. Book here.
Which flightseeing tour to choose over Wrangell?
The 90-minute Wrangell St. Elias flightseeing option would be the sweet spot, in my opinion. You get a tremendous flight pattern, over great terrain, including the Bagley Icefield and the three peaks in central Wrangell St. Elias National Park.
However, if you can handle the extra cost, the 120-minute flightseeing option in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park to see Mt. St. Elias would be something you’ll never forget.
How many days do you need in Wrangell St Elias National Park?
Three days is the perfect amount of time to visit McCarthy and Wrangell-St. Elias. Check out my itinerary for how to spend a trip here. This will give you all the time to see the area, walk the Root Glacier, and spend some time disconnected from the world.
When should I plan my trip for the best views?
You can never perfectly predict the weather, but later in the summer, you will have better weather and clearer skies. Plus, more snow will have melted, making the views more captivating. But, as you can see in the photos below, it still looked like winter; this was the last couple of days in May.
Even with cloud cover, I loved our Wrangell-St. Elias flightseeing trip.
What to wear on your Wrangell St. Elias Flightseeing Tour
As you can see above, I wore pants, a shirt, a long-sleeved shirt, and a down jacket. There’s obviously no heat on the plane, but you don’t want to wear too much and overheat. I would dress mildly, but bring an extra layer just in case!
What will you see on your Wrangell St Elias Flightseeing Tour?
From the start, Wrangell Mountain Air was excellent. Unfortunately, our original flight day was cloudy, so they moved us to the next day without hesitation. So on flight day, we met at their office, hopped onto the shuttle, and were at the runway eight minutes later. Yeah, that’s small-town Alaska for you!
With the other couple on the flight, we met our pilot. Then, after going through safety protocols, we piled into the smallest plane I’d ever been in. Four seats – including the pilots. That was all.
Once we took off, the staggering sights of Wrangell St. Elias National Park came into view. Unfortunately, the weather slightly altered our route, but that was okay. Insane views are insane views when flightseeing in Alaska.
Wrangell St. Elias Flightseeing Route
We headed south-southwest into the snowy mountains. All along the way, our pilot was giving us factoids about the area and pointing out where they did backcountry drop-offs (something I’d love to do one day). Finally, after a while, our wings tilted to the left, and we began heading east toward the Bagley Icefield – the second-largest nonpolar icefield in North America.
At 127 miles and six miles wide, it’s enormous. This field of white was mesmerizing. With the recent snow still lingering, the glacier textures were less noticeable. However, it did allow the bright blue pools to shine through. Those were one of my favorite things about flightseeing in Wrangell.
As we neared the end, we flew over McCarthy, Kennicott, and above the Root Glacier we had walked the previous day. Seeing the tiny towns and massive glaciers from above put things into perspective and allowed you to see the vast landscape.
Photos from my flightseeing tour over Wrangell St Elias National Park
Flightseeing around Wrangell St Elias took my breath away. Enjoy some of my favorite pictures from the 90-minute flightseeing tour.
Flightseeing in Wrangell St. Elias National Park – Wrapping up
Thank you to Wrangell Mountain Air for making this possible! It was an unforgettable flightseeing experience over Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, one I’ll treasure forever.
Until next time adventurers, take care and be safe.
You can follow along the journey on Facebook and Instagram.
To view my entire photography collection and purchase photos, click here.