Posted: 02/09/2007--25/11/2008 || Rate this Article: 3 || Views|| Sign In || Register ||Hello Guest
Alaskas rugged Wrangell Island is thirty miles long, five miles wide and located 150 miles south of Juneau. Wrangell Island is accessed via the Alaska Marine Highways car ferry system, private boats or charter airplanes.
Wrangell is a city of just a few thousand people sitting on the islands northwest tip near the mouth of the Stikine River. The rivers name means Great River in native Tlingit. The Stikine River extends from British Columbia to Wrangell through icy valleys and delta flats.
Explore the wide river and its international waterways through different recreational activities. A broad perspective of the river and three mountain ranges is gained from Alaskan aerial tours. Kayak or canoe rentals offer a slower, more peaceful way to meander down river. The Stikine River is fed by over one hundred glaciers and much of its terrain can be covered quickly in a guided jet boat tour. Two hot springs invite the rivers visitors to relax.
View a large migration of Bald Eagles each spring in the rivers delta. The Stikine Le-Conte Wilderness is only reached via water. Visit the Stikine Flats to observe an impressive collection of marine mammals and birds. Cabin rentals are available through the Forest Service for those wishing to sleep in the wild.
The simple town of Wangrell is encompassed by beautiful woods and unblemished by modern commercialism. Muskeg Meadows is a serene and challenging golf course on the island surrounded by stunning Pacific Ocean and snow-capped mountain vistas.
City Park is only a mile from the Ferry Terminal and stretches more than four miles south of town by Shoemaker Bay Recreation Area with picnic tables, a playground, and volleyball courts. An RV Park with tent camping here offers fabulous views of Zimovia Strait. Rent bikes or hike the trail on the waterfront. Climbing and whitewater rafting excursions are adventuresome ways to explore the surrounding large, remote Tongass National Park.
Both challenging and moderately easy trails lead from Wrangell into a lush temperate rainforest. The old-growth rainforest is home to more than four hundred kinds of birds and a hundred mammals. Venture on your own or with a walking guide to learn more about the Alaskan environment.
Basic food and supplies can be purchased at small stores in town. Sea food and artistic homemade crafts are offered by locals at little shops. Small bed and breakfasts and hostels are alternatives to RV or tent camping.
A day in Wrangell must include the Anan Bear and Wildlife Observatory. A half mile trail leads to a covered deck where you watch black and brown bears eating salmon spawning in Alan Creek. Wildlife is best viewed in July and August and excursions enable photographers to capture bears, sea lions, whales, eagles, otters, and many salmon.
Wildlife boat tours are offered by various charter companies in Southeast Alaskas protected waterways. Rent a sea kayak for close encounters with nature. Fishing for halibut and king salmon is spectacular in the clear glacier lakes and streams. Day or overnight fishing tours traverse the inland waterways. Alaska Charters and Adventures offer both salt and fresh water fishing excursions.
Alaskas history can be observed on Wrangells shoreline at Petroglyph Beach. Ancient artistic designs are etched into 8,000 year old large stones on the beach. This State Historic Park has an interpretive center and a boardwalk overlooking Petroglyph Beach, Stikine River, and Zimovia Straits.
The Wrangell City Museum on Church Street has exhibits revealing its Native American roots. A Collections Museum, owned by a local resident, can be visited on Evergreen Avenue. Chief Shakes Island has a re-created tribal house listed on the National Register and colorful totem poles welcoming visitors. Reach the island which celebrates the Tlingit heritage from a footbridge in town.
Over one hundred miles of forest roads traverse Wrangell Island in Alaskas Inside Passage. Enjoy the Alaskan islands unique opportunities for scenic drives, boating, fishing, camping, photography, and wildlife viewing.
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