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Copper River
 The
Copper Valley is well centered for adventure, whether it be on a river,
glacier or a mountain. The Copper Valley, which includes the Wrangell-St.
Elias National Park and Preserve, is located in Southcentral Alaska.
Located 189 miles northwest of Anchorage, 250 miles south of Fairbanks and
115 miles north of Valdez, and approx. 200 miles from Canada. The Copper
River Valley is accessed by two major highways, the Richardson (Rt.4) and
the Glenn (Rt.1). Surrounded by four mountain ranges, the Wrangell-St.
Elias mountains to the east, the Alaska Range to the north, the Chugach to
the south, and the Talkeetnas to the west. The Wrangell Mountain Range has
some of the highest peaks in North America: Mount Sanford 16,237 ft.,
Mount Drum 12,010 ft., Mount Blackburn 16,390 ft., Mount Wrangell 14,163
ft. Because of this great location, vast wilderness, spectacular scenery
and wildlife, many visit Copper River Valley, Alaska for the adventure of
a life time. Summer recreational activities include rafting, hiking,
flightseeing and excellent fishing; King Salmon, Copper River Red Salmon,
Trout, and more in the Gulkana River, Klutina River, Copper River and vast
lakes. Winter activities include snowmobiling, skiing, ice fishing,
snowboarding and the Copper Basin 300 sled dog race, which has become a
qualifying race for the Iditarod. The Copper River Valley is an ancient
lake bed containing 3.5 million acres. The area's history is rich in
mining and agriculture. The indigenous people of the area, the Ahtna,
speak an Athabascan language, were semi-nomadic and subsisted on caribou,
moose and fish. Today a variety of services are provided in the region.
From private enterprises providing guiding, transportation, lodging and
supplies, to government agencies such as the National Park Service and the
Bureau of Land Management. |
