World Heritage Site: Wrangell-St. Elias, Glacier Bay, Kluane and Tatshenshini-Alsek
An International Treasure
What does Wrangell-St. Elias have in common with the Great Wall of China, the Taj Majal, the Galapagos Islands, and the Tower of London? They are all World Heritage Sites!
Some places transcend time and national boundaries and become the common inheritance of mankind. These places are now given international recognition as World Heritage Sites, outstanding universally recognized natural and cultural features that attract the attention and merit protection of all people worldwide. As of 2020, there are twenty four World Heritage sites in the United States (view and download brochure below).
In 1978, in combination with its Yukon neighbor Kluane National Park, the United Nations recognized Wrangell-St. Elias as part of an International World Heritage Site, the first bi-national designation. Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska, and Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park in British Columbia were added in 1993. Together, these four units include 24.3 million acres, one of the largest internationally protected ecosystems on the planet!
World Heritage Site plaque at the Headquarters Visitor Center in Copper Center.