Visit Nabesna Road & Mine

What: Nabesna road is a 40 mile gravel road in the remote interior Alaska that offers stunning views of Wrangell St Elias National Park. The road is worth visiting for a weekend or even seeing it as part of a day trip.

When to go: Ideally accessed in the summer months when it is easy to access the various trails and valleys to explore.

How to get there: https://goo.gl/maps/CHmFMqHyVzncbvWs8

Tips:

• Nabesna road is quite remote and has very little infrastructure on it. The best way to explore the road is for a full weekend to see all the sights and explore the various hikes. There are a few places to stay – you can find an airbnb/hotel at the start of the road or along the road. There are also a few state run dry cabins such as Caribou Creek and Viking Lodge cabin that can be reserved by calling a phone number.
• The first 15 miles of the road are mostly paved before it turns to full gravel road. The gravel portion is not too bad and most cars should be able to handle it. However, there are three streams to cross, and their levels can vary depending on how much rain and snowmelt have come down recently. You can stop at the ranger station at the start of the road to grab maps and find out the conditions of the stream crossings. Unless there is heavy rain, most trucks and SUVs should be able to cross the streams without issues.
• It’s definitely worth driving to the very end of the road since the scenery is most dramatic for the last 10 miles or so. When you get to the very end of the road, you will see the road narrow until you physically can’t drive further. From here, it is worth getting out and going for a hike. From here you have two options – hike about 10 minutes in and head up the hill to the Rambler Mine. The mine itself is very small, but offers great views of the surrounding valleys within a minimal climb to get there. Alternatively, you can keep walking down the trail to the Nabesna Mine at the end. Nabesna mine is an amazing site given its massive size and well preserved miners housing, but be very careful here since there are many mine tailings with dangerous chemicals in the area.
• Beyond the Rambler/Nabesna mine, it’s well worth checking out the Caribou Creek hike and the Skookum Volcano hike.
• It’s well worth packing your food, essentials, backup gear, spare tire since there is very limited infrastructure on the road itself.