McCarthy & Kennecott

The heart of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, where the abandoned copper-mining town of Kennecott sits beside the frontier village of McCarthy. Hike on Root Glacier or fly over the icefields in a small plane.

McCarthy and Kennecott are located in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in southeastern Alaska. It is the largest national park in the United States, larger than Switzerland, and together with Canada's Kluane National Park and Reserve, it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The visitor area centers on two towns about 8 km apart. Kennecott was a rich copper mining town from 1911 to 1938. Its red wooden concentration mill and miners' buildings are intact, and it is now a National Historic Landmark. McCarthy was the miners' leisure town, and today it has only a few dozen permanent residents.

Main activities include guided tours of the Kennecott concentration mill, walking to Root Glacier and joining a guided ice trek, tackling the Bonanza Mine Trail, flying over the icefields and stair-step icefalls from McCarthy's small airstrip, and driving the McCarthy Road along the old railway bed.

The best season is June to August. Guided tours, shuttles and lodging mostly operate from late May to early September. In winter, almost no visitors are received.

Getting there: it's about 7-8 hours' drive from Anchorage, via Glennallen, Copper Center and Chitina. The final 97 km is gravel road, which many rental companies prohibit driving on. You can also take a shuttle or fly from Anchorage or Chitina by small plane. Vehicles must stop on the west bank of the Kennicott River, where you cross a footbridge and transfer to a shuttle. Plan 2-3 nights.

Notes: supplies and communications are limited, and food and lodging are expensive, so book ahead. Watch for bears and sudden changes in weather on hikes.

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