McCarthy/Kennicott Links

The ruins of the Kennecott Copper Mine.

    Is there anybody out there that doesn't want to see glaciers when you come to Alaska? ..... I didn't think so! Well, if you don't mind some rough road to get to them, a trip in to Kennicott gets you right up close, and as a major bonus, the abandoned Kennecott copper mine is one of the most spectacular mining complexes in the North (that's not a mistake - the names of the town and mine are spelled differently).

    A trip to Kennicott works in well if you're making one of the circle trips that I generally recommend, taking the Tok Cutoff, Richardson Highway and Glenn Highway south to Anchorage, then north to Fairbanks, and finally south on the Alaska Highway back to Tok again. From the Richardson Highway, 33 miles south of Copper Centre, the Edgerton Highway heads east. Along the way, you can often see fish wheels in operation along the Tonsina River. The road is very good for the 33 miles to the village of Chitina (whose historic buildings are well worth a look), then gets narrower and rougher for another 58 miles, at which point it dead-ends, at the edge of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, and pretty well in the middle of nowhere! [2005 update - over the past couple of years, the road has been substantially upgraded, enough that some car rental agencies now allow their vehicle to be taken on it].

    The last 58 miles is passable for even large motorhomes (I've taken full-size highway motorcoaches in several times), but requires a great deal of caution. In several places, 2 large vehicles can just barely squeeze by each other. You cross over the Kuskulana River on an old one-lane bridge built in 1910 for the Copper River and Northwestern Railroad, and it's quite a thrill - apparently before guardrails were added 10 years ago, it was a thrill that few people wanted to repeat (it's a loooong way down!).

McCarthy, a great place to just relax.

    After parking your vehicle in the large parking lot, you cross the Kennicott River on a little hand-powered aerial tramway - its great fun, even if you do have to work a bit [1999 update - it's been replaced by a footbridge]. It's then about a one-mile walk to McCarthy, and 5 miles to Kennicott, mostly through a beautiful forest. There is accommodation at both settlements, and camping at McCarthy.

    As well as having a fascinating history that you'd be hard-pressed to ignore, McCarthy and Kennicott are a photographer's dream - there are subjects for great photos everywhere. One of the features of the area that makes it so attractive to me is the quality of the flight-seeing. Unlike other places I've gone, there is no "dead time" - virtually as soon as you take off, you can start taking photos of glaciers, and one of the mines in particular is hanging off a cliff of astounding height.

    The Kennecott Mine itself is massive, and is a rather unique resource in the amount of material that remains. Anything of value was of course carted away many years ago, but there is still enough to really get a feel for what it must have been like working there before it closed in 1938.

    With all there is to see, though, McCarthy and Kennicott still provide a superb location to just go to unwind. Tired of the road? Just want some peace and quiet? Consider visiting the ghosts and the glaciers at one of the undiscovered gems in Alaska.

    As always, if you have questions or comments, feel free to drop me a line.

McCarthy/Kennicott Links

The History of McCarthy
A short history and a map from the Alaska Department of Community & Regional Affairs Community Database.

McCarthy Air
Flightseeing, charters and backcountry support in the Wrangell Mountains, using a Cessna 206 and a Pilatus Porter on wheels and skis.

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
The official NPS site.

Richardson Highway
A guide to the history, services and attractions.

Copper River Valley Photo Album

The McCarthy Road
As well as some history and other information, some outdated.

Swift Creek Cabins
These small hand-scribed log cabins are located on 7 acres in the heart of Wrangell St. Elias National Park, at Mile 57 of the McCarthy Road.

McCarthy Ventures Hotels
McCarthy Lodge, Lancaster's Hotel, Ma Johnson's Hotel and other properties in McCarthy provide a wide range of lodging, from hostel to full service.