2023 Map of McCarthy A-4 NW

About this map

The southern slopes of the Saint Elias Mountains dominate this high-altitude landscape, where the vast Wrangell-Saint Elias National Preserve encompasses most of the territory. The topography is defined by significant drainage systems, notably the Young Creek valley and the smaller Sheep Creek and Calamity Gulch which feed into it. To the south, the terrain descends toward the wide valley of the Chitina River, a major hydrological feature of the Copper River region. The high-relief terrain of MacColl Ridge stands as a prominent landmark between the high peaks and the river valley. This survey illustrates a wilderness nearly devoid of permanent human structures, focusing instead on the glacial and riverine features that have shaped this portion of the Alaskan interior for centuries.