Nabesna Road
Encyclopedia
The Nabesna Road is a minor highway in the U.S. state
of Alaska
that extends 42 miles (67.6 km) from the Slana to Nabesna, providing access to some interior components of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. The entire length of the road is gravel and has few services. Flat tires and washouts are fairly common along the entire length of the road.
The Nabesna Road was originally built in 1933 by the Alaska Road Commission
to supply Nabesna Mine and to ship out its ore. Today, the Alaska Department of Transportation maintains the Nabesna Road and, generally, the road is passable by most two-wheel drive vehicles. However, higher clearance and/or four-wheel drive are occasionally needed beyond Mile 29 due to stream crossings. Wet conditions such as spring run-off and heavy rain can make these stream crossings impassable. The maintained portion of the road ends at a private hunting lodge at mile 42. The last four miles (6 km) of the road are not maintained and may be deeply rutted and wet. Vehicle travel on this portion of the road is not recommended.
Motorists may stop at the Slana Ranger Station, mile .5, to check current road conditions and to pick up a Nabesna Road Guide brochure.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
that extends 42 miles (67.6 km) from the Slana to Nabesna, providing access to some interior components of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. The entire length of the road is gravel and has few services. Flat tires and washouts are fairly common along the entire length of the road.
The Nabesna Road was originally built in 1933 by the Alaska Road Commission
Alaska Road Commission
The Board of Road Commissioners for Alaska, more commonly known as the Alaska Road Commission or ARC, was created in 1905 as a board of the U.S. War Department...
to supply Nabesna Mine and to ship out its ore. Today, the Alaska Department of Transportation maintains the Nabesna Road and, generally, the road is passable by most two-wheel drive vehicles. However, higher clearance and/or four-wheel drive are occasionally needed beyond Mile 29 due to stream crossings. Wet conditions such as spring run-off and heavy rain can make these stream crossings impassable. The maintained portion of the road ends at a private hunting lodge at mile 42. The last four miles (6 km) of the road are not maintained and may be deeply rutted and wet. Vehicle travel on this portion of the road is not recommended.
Motorists may stop at the Slana Ranger Station, mile .5, to check current road conditions and to pick up a Nabesna Road Guide brochure.