On 2 December 1980, the United States passed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), a landmark law that reshaped America's conservation history. With one sweeping law, more than 40 million hectares of Alaska's wild lands gained lasting protection, like the Wrangell–St Elias National Park and Preserve, seen here, now the largest national park in the country. ANILCA balanced preservation with tradition, safeguarding ecosystems while honouring rural subsistence rights.

Wrangell–St Elias is a realm of extremes: its glaciers sprawling like frozen rivers, volcanic peaks piercing the sky. Among them stands Mount Blackburn, a 4,996-metre sentinel of ice and ancient fire. Its snow-mantled slopes feed vast glacier systems, a silent monument to geological time. Just beyond the park boundary, Willow Lake rests in the Copper River Basin—a roadside jewel along the Richardson Highway. On clear days, its glassy surface reflects the Wrangell Mountains in a panorama that feels endless: Blackburn's white shoulders rising against cobalt skies, mirrored in still waters where swans drift like living brushstrokes. This view tells ANILCA's story without words—a law that turned landscapes into legacies.