The Complete Guide to Visiting Kennecott, Alaska

The Complete Guide to Visiting Kennecott, Alaska

Kennecott (or “Kennicott”)is one of the most remarkable ghost towns in the United States: a nearly perfectly preserved early-20th-century copper mining complex sitting at the edge of the Root Glacier, deep inside Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve — America’s largest national park. Paired with its scrappy neighbor McCarthy, five miles down the road, it’s one of the great off-the-beaten-path destinations in Alaska. This guide covers the history, how to get there, what to do, and where to stay.

1. A Bit of History

In 1900, two prospectors, “Tarantula Jack” Smith and Clarence Warner, spotted a patch of green on a mountainside that they initially mistook for a grazing meadow. It turned out to be one of the richest copper deposits ever discovered. Word reached investors who formed the Kennecott Copper Corporation to develop the site. The corporation was named after the nearby Kennicott Glacier and River — misspelled by a clerical error, which is why the mine is “Kennecott” while the glacier and river keep the original “Kennicott” spelling. To get the ore out, the company built the Copper River & Northwestern Railway,  across 196 miles of glaciers, rivers, and canyons, connecting the mine to the port of Cordova. The company built the Copper River & Northwestern Railroad to move copper ore from Kennicott to the port at Cordova, and established the company town of Kennicott around the mill. Kennecott was a true company town while McCarthy, just down the tracks, grew up as the “sin city” alternative, with saloons, a brothel, and a pool hall. The boom ended fast. By 1938 the richest ore was exhausted, copper prices had fallen, and the company shut the mine down almost overnight, essentially abandoning the town in place. The last train left Kennecott on November 11, 1938, and the site sat largely untouched for decades Kennecott was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986, and the National Park Service (with the nonprofit Kennicott Corp) has spent the past two decades stabilizing and restoring many of the buildings — most dramatically the enormous 14-story concentration mill that dominates the townsite.

2. Getting There

Kennecott/McCarthy sits at the end of a long dead-end road deep in south-central Alaska, roughly 300 miles east of Anchorage. Getting there is genuinely part of the adventure.

By Road

  • Route: From Anchorage, drive the Glenn Highway and Richardson Highway to the small town of Chitina, then take the famous McCarthy Road — 60 miles of mostly unpaved, sometimes rough road built on the old railroad grade (you can still occasionally find old railroad spikes that work their way up and cause flat tires).
  • The total drive is roughly 7 hours from Anchorage and 8 hours from Fairbanks, with the final stretch on the scenic, rugged McCarthy Road.
  • Under good conditions the McCarthy Road itself takes about 1.5 hours to drive, but in bad weather it can take up to 6 — carry a full-size spare tire and a good jack.
  • Most standard rental car companies prohibit driving their cars on this road; you’ll need a 4×4 rented from an Anchorage outfitter that explicitly allows it (a couple of specialty companies cater to this route).
  • The road ends at the Kennicott River. You can’t drive into McCarthy — a pedestrian-only footbridge crosses the river, and McCarthy itself is another half-mile walk, bike, or shuttle ride beyond that. Cars park in a lot at the footbridge.
  • From McCarthy, it’s another 5 miles up to Kennecott itself, covered by local shuttle, bike, or on foot.

By Air

If you’d rather skip the drive (or just want to add it as an experience), small regional carriers serve the area:

  • Copper Valley Air Service runs scheduled flights between Anchorage and McCarthy, and between Glennallen and McCarthy.
  • A popular alternative is to drive about 6 hours from Anchorage to Chitina, then fly the rest of the way into McCarthy with Wrangell Mountain Air— this cuts out the rough final stretch of dirt road while still giving you a scenic drive across the Copper River valley. A round-trip flight with Wrangell Mountain Air from Chitina to McCarthy takes about 30 minutes and runs a few hundred dollars round trip, landing on a gravel airstrip in town.
  • Flying in is also a great way to see the Wrangell Mountains and the Chugach Range from the air on the way in.

Getting Around Once You’re There

  • No outside vehicles are allowed within McCarthy or Kennicott — everything in town is on foot.
  • The Copper Town Shuttle runs between McCarthy, the footbridge, and Kennecott on a seasonal schedule — this is the easiest way to cover the 5 miles between the two townsites.
  • You can also rent mountain bikes in McCarthy, which are a great way to explore — you can ride the road itself or the parallel, more scenic Wagon Road Trail through the forest.
  • McCarthy and Kennicott are only accessible by road during the summer/fall season; winter (roughly October–April) sees nearly all services closed and access requires serious planning. Late May through mid-September is the practical visiting window for most travelers.

3. Root Glacier Trail (the must-do hike)

The Root Glacier Trail starts right in Kennecott and is the signature hike of the area — it is accessible, spectacular, and doesn’t require technical skill for the basic version.

  • Start: From the Kennecott visitor center/historic townsite, walk north through Kennecott, and about a half-mile past the visitor center you’ll reach a fork in the road — go straight to stay on the Root Glacier Trail.
  • Distance: About 4 miles round trip to the toe (edge) of the glacier, moderate and mostly flat, gaining a bit of elevation as you go.
  • The trail is well-defined and mostly wooded, crossing a few creeks, with the views opening up dramatically as you get closer to the ice.
  • The turnoff down to the toe of the glacier, marked “Glacier Access,” comes just past Jumbo Creek — the trail splits there, with one branch heading onto the ice and the other continuing toward the historic Erie Mine.
  • On the ice: Many hikers walk right up onto the glacier’s surface near the toe without crampons for a short distance, but if you want to go further out onto the blue ice, get among the crevasses, or see the stunning ice caves and moulins, it’s strongly worth booking a guided glacier trek (see below) — glacier travel has real hazards (hidden crevasses, meltwater channels) that aren’t obvious to the untrained eye.
  • Camping option: There’s a National Park Service camping area right at the toe of the Root Glacier — a great way to experience the glacier without the day-trip crowds. The nearby Jumbo Creek campsite has bear-proof food storage boxes.
  • Guided trips: St. Elias Alpine Guides (the concessionaire with NPS access to several Kennecott sites) runs half-day and full-day Root Glacier hikes with crampons and ice-climbing add-ons for those who want to get out onto the deeper ice.

4. Other Things to Do

 

Kennecott Mines Mill Tour

The centerpiece of the historic townsite is the enormous, red, 14-story concentration mill, where raw ore was processed. Access inside the mill building is only possible through a guided tour, since St. Elias Alpine Guides holds the exclusive NPS concession for it. The roughly 2-hour tour takes you through the mill and several other historic buildings, with guides sharing stories of the miners, the boom, and the abrupt 1938 shutdown.

Hike to Bonanza Mine

A much longer, steeper hike (roughly 9 miles round trip with serious elevation gain) climbs from Kennecott up to the historic Bonanza Mine, one of the original ore deposits, with commanding views back down over the glacier and valley. A good option if you have a third day and want a real workout.

McCarthy-Kennicott Historical Museum

Housed in McCarthy’s former railroad depot, this small museum features historical photographs and mining artifacts a fascinating, ever-changing collection spanning the 1800s to present, including photographs, papers, a mining diorama, and a caboose car you can walk through. Hours vary, so check locally before planning around it.

Flightseeing

A flightseeing tour puts Wrangell-St. Elias’s scale into perspective in a way no hiking trail can — with Wrangell Mountain Air operating scenic flights right out of downtown McCarthy. This is widely considered one of the best splurges in the state, given the park contains the Wrangell, Chugach, and St. Elias mountain ranges converging, along with 9 of the 16 highest peaks in the country.

Rafting and packrafting

Local outfitters run whitewater rafting and glacier trekking trips, ranging from mellow scenic floats to multi-day wilderness trips on the Nizina and Kennicott Rivers.

Wagon Road Trail

This historic wagon/walking road between McCarthy and Kennicott follows the old railroad-era route through the woods, a nicer, quieter alternative to walking the dusty main road between the two towns.

Golden Saloon & The Potato

McCarthy’s small but lively social scene centers on the Golden Saloon (the classic frontier-bar experience) and The Potato, a beloved local restaurant that’s become the default first-night dinner spot for most visitors.

5. Where to Stay

Lodging is limited and books up in summer, so reserve well ahead.

In Kennecott (right at the historic site):

  • Kennicott Glacier Lodge — the closest lodging to the Kennecott Mines Historic Landmark, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner with views over the Root Glacier. This is the splurge option if you want to wake up looking at the mill and glacier.

In McCarthy:

  • Ma Johnson’s Historical Hotel — the largest accommodation in McCarthy, a former boarding house that keeps its historic character.
  • A scattering of B&Bs, guest houses, and private cabins around town.
  • Camping: Base Camp Kennicott campground sits at the end of McCarthy Road, right next to the Kennicott River footbridge, with no reservations required — just check in with the camp host. There’s also a glamping option that’s newer to the area. Backcountry camping near Root Glacier (Jumbo Creek area) is another option for those wanting to be right at the trailhead.

6. Practical Tips

  • Bear country: McCarthy sits squarely in bear country, so brush up on bear safety and carry bear spray — it can be rented in Anchorage before you head out if you don’t want to fly with it.
  • Cash and connectivity: Services are limited and seasonal; card readers and cell coverage can be spotty. Bring some cash as backup.
  • Tires: If you’re driving the McCarthy Road, a full-size spare and a good jack aren’t optional — old railroad spikes still work their way to the surface occasionally.
  • Season: Plan for late May through mid-September. Outside that window, most businesses close and the drive gets much harder.
  • Book ahead: Lodging, the mill tour, and glacier guiding trips all have limited capacity in a town with only a couple dozen year-round residents — reserve well in advance for peak summer weeks.

Kennecott rewards the effort it takes to reach it — a genuinely remote, still-authentic slice of Alaska’s mining history sitting right at the foot of one of the most dramatic glacier landscapes in North America.