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Research in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve

Interested in Conducting Research in the Park?
A Scientific Research and Collecting Permit is required for most scientific activities pertaining to natural resources or social science studies in National Park System areas that involve fieldwork, specimen collection, and/or have the potential to disturb resources or visitors.  When permits are required for scientific activities pertaining solely to cultural resources, including archeology, ethnography, history, cultural museum objects, cultural landscapes, and historic and prehistoric structures, other permit procedures apply.  Learn more at the Park website.

Wrangell Mountains Center Research Support
The Wrangell Mountains Center has space available for logistical support of scientific, social, and artistic research programs in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve during the summer field season. Based in McCarthy, a small and remote town in the heart of the Park, WMC has been providing room and board, research space, and a welcoming, intellectually curious atmosphere to private, academic, and government researchers for over two decades. Rates and available resources are flexible. The WMC also serves as a powerful outreach forum, connecting researchers with the public through the popular Summer Arts & Lectures Series, Wrangell Mountains Walks, and other events and programs. The WMC partners with other organizations in the Park and coordinated the first Wrangell-St. Elias Research Summit in 2009 with funding from the Murie Science and Learning Center and the National Park Service. Questions about support from the Center is best directed to Jeremy Pataky, Executive Director, at jeremy(at)wrangells.org.

Logistics
McCarthy's central location in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park makes for an ideal hub to backcountry research sites. Two air taxi services are based in McCarthy that offer backcountry drop offs, pickups, and resupplies. Regular air shuttles are available between Chitina and McCarthy through Wrangell Mountain Air. A variety of lodging and dining options are available in McCarthy/Kennecott. High-altitude flights and glacier landings are available through Ultima Thule Lodge located a short flight from McCarthy on the Chitina River. The Wrangell Mountains Center is headquartered in McCarthy's Old Hardware Store, home to a long tradition of environmental education and research science.