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Alaska

Metal Detecting at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in Alaska

Metal detector possession/use prohibited on NPS-administered landGrade A · 100/100 · Verified

Metal detectors and related possession/use are prohibited on NPS lands under the controlling federal rule, subject only to official administrative exceptions.

Answer first

Can you metal detect at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve?

Metal detector possession/use prohibited on NPS-administered land. Metal detectors and related possession/use are prohibited on NPS lands under the controlling federal rule, subject only to official administrative exceptions.

Permit/authorization: site-specific — NPS federal rule applies to the NPS-administered unit.

Evidence freshness: verified , Grade A, confidence 100/100. Recheck the official source before travel.

Managing agencyNational Park Service
Permitsite-specific
JurisdictionFederal
Location typeNational Park Service unit
Rule basisVerified controlling rule

Current verified decision

What the current evidence actually allows

Decision resolved
Detector useProhibited
Ground disturbanceDigging / excavation prohibited or separately restricted
Recovery feasibilityRecreational detecting/recovery not available under current controlling rule
Permission inferenceNo permission inferred
Legal precisionExpress detector-use prohibition or equivalent no-detecting rule
Permission ceilingNone — recreational detector use is prohibited under the current controlling rule
Trip block / prerequisiteCurrent controlling rule expressly blocks recreational detector use
Planning stateChoose Legal Alternative
Jurisdiction scopeControlling Rule Scope Stored
Proof required before tripNo
Water jurisdictionSeparate water rule applies
Historic / recoveryProtected-resource restrictions apply
Scope guardrail: Do not treat public access, passes, recreation listings or open hours as an exception to the express detector prohibition.
Jurisdiction scope note: Apply the stored controlling rule only within its stated jurisdiction/property scope and honor any narrower site-specific overlay.
Scope gate: Confirm the property is within the scope of the express prohibition; do not infer exceptions from public access.
Authorization pathway: No recreational detector-use pathway is established under the controlling prohibition unless the authoritative rule itself provides a specific exception.
Proof before travel: Do not travel to detect based on general access. Use a verified legal alternative.
Operational status: current — Current public identity or statewide/regional management pathway; check current closures, land status and site notices before travel. Current operations source
Next action: Do not recreationally metal detect on the managed property. Use a verified legal alternative rather than treating public access as permission.

Evidence: Grade A · 100/100 · verified 2026-09-01 · freshness Current · revalidation due 2026-12-30 · source conflict none identified.

Map and public access reference

This record has a safe map query. Resolve it on demand to display a temporary provider search match without altering the verified dataset.

Map coverage modeNamed public place map search
Navigation queryWrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Map verificationQuery navigation — no invented coordinate

The map always renders with state/local context. Use Resolve this place on map to place a temporary provider search match on the map, or use the provider buttons directly. The temporary match is not written into the verified-coordinate dataset.

Legal status and controlling rule

Metal detectors and related possession/use are prohibited on NPS lands under the controlling federal rule, subject only to official administrative exceptions.

Where detecting is allowed

No recreational metal detector recovery on NPS-administered land.

Restricted or prohibited areas

Metal detector possession/use and disturbance/removal of protected natural, historical or archaeological resources on NPS-administered land.

Permit and digging rules

Permit: site-specific

NPS federal rule applies to the NPS-administered unit.

Digging: Do not dig or disturb soil unless the controlling rule and exact site authorization allow it.

Water and artifact rules

Water detecting: Exact water, beach, river and shoreline rules follow the controlling manager; ordinary access does not itself authorize detector recovery.

Historic/artifact rule: Historical, archaeological, cultural and paleontological resources are protected; leave qualifying finds undisturbed and report them when required.

Verification record

This page is published only after its legal and access evidence passes the project verification checks. Its current legal/access record is Grade A with a confidence score of 100/100 and was last checked on .

Map policy: every record has an in-page map plus external map-provider navigation. Verified pins remain canonical; query-only records can create a temporary provider search marker on demand, which is never promoted to verified geometry automatically. No map mode proves permission.

Source conflict: none

Official legal and place sources

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve metal detecting FAQ

Can you metal detect at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve?

Metal detectors and related possession/use are prohibited on NPS lands under the controlling federal rule, subject only to official administrative exceptions.

Is a permit or authorization required at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve?

site-specific NPS federal rule applies to the NPS-administered unit.

Does the map show where detecting is legally allowed?

Yes. The page provides map context and address/name-based navigation even when an independently verified coordinate pin has not yet been published. Query navigation does not establish detecting permission.

How current is this Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve record?

The legal/access record was last verified on 2026-09-01 with verification grade A and confidence score 100/100. Recheck the cited official source before travel because rules and closures can change.

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