Wrangell-St. Elias takes comment on letting e-bikes park at Kennecott turnaround

E-bike riders could soon leave their bikes at the Shuttle Bus Turnaround just south of the Kennecott Visitor Center under a rule change now open for public comment at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.

ATVs, personal vehicles and traditional bicycles are already allowed to park there. E-bikes are not.

The National Park Service says the proposed update would make the park's management of e-bikes consistent with other forms of transportation used to reach Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark. The change would be made to the Superintendent's Compendium, the document a park uses to set local rules.

The park's published compendium defines an e-bike as a two- or three-wheeled cycle with fully operable pedals and an electric motor under 750 watts. E-bikes are allowed where traditional bicycles are allowed and prohibited where they are not. Using the motor without pedaling is prohibited except where public motor vehicle use is allowed.

This is not the first time e-bikes have gone through this process. A 2020 park planning document shows e-bike use was part of an earlier round of proposed compendium changes.

The release does not state a closing date for comments. The park is soliciting feedback before making a final decision.