At around 13,200,000 acres, Wrangell-St. Elias is a massive park. In fact, it’s the largest national park in the United States! Because of its enormous size, only a few sections of the park can be reached by car. This is where flightseeing tours come in—small aircraft tours, ranging from 50 minutes to 2 hours, that take you soaring above the park’s icefields, glaciers, and mountain peaks.
Going on a flightseeing tour is the single best way to really get a sense of the sheer scale of this park. That being said, we understand that these tours are a significant expense, so we’ve created this guide to help you decide whether a flightseeing tour is right for you and, if so, which one to choose.
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🛫 Wrangell-St. Elias Flightseeing Tour Companies
Wrangell Mountain Air is the only company offering flightseeing tours that leave directly from within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Their prices range from $320 to $520 per person, with flight durations of 50 minutes to 2 hours. This is the company that we took our flightseeing tour with, and we had a spectacular experience!
That being said, other companies in the area offer flightseeing tours of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Below, we’ve listed six of them if you prefer to fly out from a different area, or if flights with Wrangell Mountain Air sell out.
- 40-Mile Air (Tok, Alaska): Flightseeing tours from $210 to $340 per person.
- Copper Valley Air Service (Glennallen, AK): Flightseeing tours from $400 to $650 per person.
- Goat Mountain Air (Anchorage, AK): Flightseeing tours from $
- Meekin’s Air Service (Sutton-Alpine, AK): 1-Hour Flightseeing Tour, $200 per person (3-person minimum).
- Rosey Air Service (Anchorage, AK): Prices undisclosed (you can request a quote)
- Tok Air Service (Tok, Alaska): Prices undisclosed (you can request a quote)
In this article, we’re focusing on the flightseeing tours offered by Wrangell Mountain Air, as they’re the most popular choice among park visitors and the company we went with.
🛩️ Wrangell Mountain Air’s 4 Flightseeing Tours
Wrangell Mountain Air offers 4 different flightseeing tours ranging from 50 minutes to 2 hours. We went on their 90-minute Bagley – University Range Tour and had a blast soaring over Kennicott and Root Glaciers, Bonanza Mine, Mt. Blackburn, the Copper River, and the Bagley Icefield. Below, we’ve broken down the main differences between Wrangell Mountain Air’s four flightseeing tours.
1. Mile High Cliff Tour (50 Minutes, $320/Person)
Mile High Cliff Tour is Wrangell Mountain Air’s shortest tour, but it packs an incredible amount into 50 minutes. After takeoff, your pilot will take you over Rock Glacier and the dramatic Mile High Cliffs, then sweep over the iceberg-filled lake at the toe of the Nizina Glacier. This flight then continues past Chimney Mountain, Rohn Glacier, and the 16,000-ft peaks of the University Range before looping back.
On the return leg, you’ll get unforgettable views of Mount Blackburn, the Stairway Icefall, the historic Erie Mine clinging to the mountainside, and even tiny hikers and climbers on the Root Glacier—finishing with a beautiful flyover of Kennecott and McCarthy!
2. Thirteen Flacier Tour (70 Minutes, $390/Person)
The 70-minute Thirteen Glacier Tour is 20 minutes longer than the Mile High Cliff Tour, and that extra time lets you see even more of the park’s most dramatic landscapes. The flight starts with views of the old Nizina Bridge ruins and the enormous Sourdough Rock Glacier before heading toward Chitistone Canyon and the Mile High Cliffs, where you can study striking rock formations and sometimes spot Dall sheep.
From there, the route sweeps past the Twaharpies Glacier spilling off the University Range, then over the towering Russell Glacier and Mt. Bona. The finale includes Skolai Valley, the Seven Sisters, Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier, hanging glaciers on the Finn, and the merging Rohn and Regal Glaciers with Mt. Regal looming overhead—followed by an encore flyby of the Stairway Icefall, the ogives of the Gates Glacier, and up-close views of Mt. Blackburn and the historic Erie Mine.
3. Bagley – University Range Tour (90 Minutes, $430/Person)
The Bagley – University Range Tour is the one that we went on, and it was incredible! Definitely a top experience for us in all of Alaska. Depending on the weather, your pilot chooses the most scenic of three routes (Bagley Icefield, University Range, or the Wrangell Mountains), each showcasing towering peaks, sprawling glaciers, dramatic landforms, and potential wildlife.
On our 5 PM flight, we were taken over Kennicott and Root Glaciers, Bonanza Mine, Mt. Blackburn, the Copper River, and then the enormous Bagley Icefield—the second-largest non-polar icefield in North America.
With just five passengers, headsets for real-time commentary, and an incredibly knowledgeable pilot (shoutout to Orin!), the experience felt both safe and deeply special. If you’re considering this flightseeing tour, we can confirm that it is a 10/10 experience!
4. Jewels of the Wrangells Tour (120 Minutes, $520/Person)
The Jewels of the Wrangells Tour is Wrangell Mountain Air’s longest tour, taking you soaring above the park for a whopping 2 hours! This tour is perfect for those of you who want to see everything and shape the journey around what excites you most.
Rather than following a set route, your pilot tailors the flight to your interests, whether that means circling massive snow-covered volcanoes, getting up close to 18,000-foot peaks, tracing enormous glacier systems, or simply taking off and letting the scenery dictate the path. If you want the ultimate “show me the whole park” experience, this is it.
❓ Is a Wrangell-St. Elias Flightseeing Tour Really Worth It?
Seeing Wrangell-St. Elias from the sky puts the park into perspective in a way that exploring the park by land can’t. If there was one big-ticket item in Alaska, this and the Kenai Fjords Boat Tour would both be at the top of our list. Yes, it’s an investment, but for us it is a worthwhile one. So if it fits within your budget, we think a flightseeing tour of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is 100% worth it.
📰 Looking for more things to do? Check out our full guide to the 13 Best Things to Do in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park to plan the rest of your trip!
🚗 How to Get to Your Flightseeing Tour
Located in the town of McCarthy, you’ll need to either drive 2.5–3 hours down McCarthy Road or fly into McCarthy to reach Wrangell Mountain Air’s airbase. If you’re driving in, like we did, expect a slow and scenic gravel road with potholes, washboards, and occasional construction. We recommend pencilling in 3 hours for this drive, as you never know how slow you’ll need to go, and how many times you want to stop to stretch your legs.
Although we were a bit worried about how we would fare, we think that most vehicles can make it if driving carefully. Once you reach the end of McCarthy Road, park in the designated lot and walk across the footbridge. There are no personal vehicles allowed beyond this point.
🛞 Air Down Your Tires! For the smoothest ride, we recommend airing down your tires like we did. We used this deflator and this inflator, and we recommend a tire repair kit just in case. Make sure you know how to change a tire just in case as well.
After crossing the bridge, you can take the local shuttle (hop on whichever you see first) or simply continue walking into town. Wrangell Mountain Air is then located right in downtown McCarthy, just a short walk from the shuttle drop-off.
🌤️ Best Time to Visit Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Wrangell-St. Elias offers their flightseeing tours from May 15th to September 15th (the same times that McCarthy Road is open). This overlaps with the most popular time to visit Wrangell–St. Elias National Park—June through August—when the temperatures are as warm as they get in Alaska, and McCarthy and Nabesna Roads are clear of snow. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect from each season:
- Summer (June to August): The summer is the sweet spot for most travelers. This is when adventure opportunities are at their peak, and the park is at its most welcoming.
- Shoulder Seasons (May & Sept): The last half of May and the first half of September experience fewer visitors, while still offering doable weather conditions. The other half of these months, there’s usually snow on the ground.
- Winter (October to April): Winter transforms the park into a remote, frozen, and mostly inaccessible place. Nearly all services are closed, and access to McCarthy and Kennecott requires careful planning.
💁🏼♀️ Flightseeing Tour Tips: Know Before You Go
1. Book Your Tour in Advance
Flightseeing is one of the most popular activities in Wrangell-St. Elias, and seats fill up quickly (especially in the park’s peak season of July and August). If there’s a specific tour or time of day you’re hoping for (like golden hour), reserve ahead to avoid missing out.
2. Dress in Layers
Even on warm summer days, temperatures can be much cooler up in the clouds. Wear layers you can easily add or remove, and don’t forget sunglasses, as the reflection off the icefields and glaciers can be bright.
3. Book Your Tour Towards the Beginning of Your Trip
Weather can change fast in the mountains, and flights are sometimes delayed or cancelled for safety. Luckily, our flight was as scheduled, but if you can swing it, plan your tour early in your stay and leave space in your itinerary to reschedule to make a cancellation far less stressful.
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