about the park
This National Park is the largest by square feet in the United States and boasts seven of the tallest peaks in North America. Since it is so remote it only receives about 75,000 visits per year which is a fraction of other Alaskan National Parks such as Denali or the Kenai Fjords. Though it is a trek to get out here it is well worth it if you have the time. You will be inspired by the history of the Kennecott Mines and awed by the surrounding mountains, glaciers, lakes and wildlife.
how to get there
There are no close airports to this national park. You should expect a day to get out to the park. If you are a tourist and renting a car you should be aware that the McCarthy road is gravel and most rental companies will not allow driving on this road. If you wish to drive a vehicle on it you should find specific 4×4 vehicle rental companies that include this drive. You should carry a spare tire and feel comfortable with how to change it. The road has much improved in recent years but still is gravel and can have some serious potholes. It is mostly one lane so you may need to pull over to the side to allow others to pass at times. The speed limit is 35 miles per hour. Another option is to take the Kennicott Shuttle. This shuttle can pick you up in Glenallen, Copper Center or Chitina along the way. If you rent a car you may be able to store your car at your accommodation or at the Chitina airport. You can also fly into the park with a flightseeing tour. You can also elect to combine a flight and shuttle which can save you on some time to explore the park if you are doing it in one day. All vehicles stop at the footbridge which is before McCarthy. If you drive your own vehicle it is $5 to park for 1-4 hours and $10 to park for 24 hours. Once you cross on the footbridge, you can catch a free shuttle from the footbridge to McCarthy about every 20 minutes or walk to McCarthy which is about 0.6 miles away. In McCarthy you can pay for a shuttle to get you up to Kennecott which is about 15-minute drive. If you walk this it is about 4.5-mile walk up the Old Wagon Trail.
getting around
Once your car is parked or you get off the shuttle you still have to make it to McCarthy after crossing the footbridge. You can walk to town which is about 0.6 miles or catch a free shuttle from the footbridge to McCarthy which comes about every 20 minutes from 8 AM- 7 PM. In McCarthy you can get a shuttle that brings you up to Kennicott. There are two shuttle services available. One at the entry sign to town which is $5 each way but seems to be a little more random on timing. There are phone numbers you can call to arrange if you have cell service. The other option is located in the McCarthy store. You can purchase a round trip ticket for $15 for one day or buy the season pass which is $25 for the whole season. If you are spending more than 1 day this is worth it. This shuttle is scheduled leaving from McCarthy on the half hour starting at 8:30 AM with returns from Kennicott on the hour with the last return at 7 PM. The shuttle is about a 15-minute drive. If you walk this it is about 4.5-mile walk up the Old Wagon Trail. Once up in Kennecott you will be able to walk around the town and also get to the most popular hikes like Root Glacier right from town.
where to stay
We stayed on the side of the footbridge in the Kennicott River Lodge. This was walking distance to the bridge where the Kennicott Shuttle drops you off. They had little cabins looking right out on the glacier. The cabins were rustic with heat but no outlets for charging. There was outhouse to use but you could also use the bathroom and kitchen in the main lodge which had running water and electricity (where you can charge your devices). There are a few campgrounds on this side of the footbridge including Basecamp which is $25 to camp at per night. Another popular accommodation at mile 56.7 along the road is Currant Ridge.
Another option is to stay in McCarthy. McCarthy is easy to get to with free shuttle after crossing the footbridge. It has a few restaurants and bars and is known as the party place to be in the park. It is also very easy to catch the shuttle up to Kennecott from here. Accommodation options include Ma Johnson’s Hotel and Lancaster’s Backpackers. You can also find some Air BNB options in McCarthy.
Lastly you can consider staying up in Kennecott itself. The best-known place is Kennicott Glacier Lodge. They have their own shuttle so if you decide to stay with them, they will happily pick you up at the footbridge, so you don’t have to deal with multiple shuttles. This is ideal location for exploring the mines and the trails.
where to eat
In McCarthy, there are a few options for dining.
The Potato is the local hot spot in McCarthy serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and it has both indoor and outdoor eating.
The Golden Saloon has a great drink list and also has food. It is generally open noon until 10 PM.
The Salmon & Bear Restaurant is a fancy restaurant in town the McCarthy if you want to splurge.
In Kennicott, you can dine at the Kennicott Glacier Hotel. There is a food truck Meatza Wagon that has great reviews but was not open when we were there. There was a sign that was opening June 17th.
things to do
Kennecott Mines is a national historic landmark and has an incredible history of being a fully functional copper mine in the early 1900s. They have been working on restoration. You can go into some of the buildings and watch about the history with some short films. You can also take a Mine tour for about $28 that lasts a few hours.
Root Glacier is the famous glacier you can hike to and on while in the National Park. You can elect to do this with a tour for about $95 or just do it yourself. Wearing crampons is a great help when walking on the glacier so bring your own if you plan to do this hike yourself. You can also do a tour that includes ice climbing. The toe of the glacier to Kennecott is 4 miles round trip.
other trails
Erie Mine trail parallels the root glacier and provides some amazing vistas from above the glacier. When we went there was still snow further out on the trail so when we saw that we turned back. During later in the summer you can get all the way out to the mine but the last part of the hike is steeper. The total trail of Erie Mine with the Root Glacier is 8 miles.
Jumbo Mine and Bonanza Mine Trails are also trails you can explore but as we went in early June there was too much snow and these trails were not recommended to hike yet. These hikes are very strenuous. The Bonanza Mine trail is 9 miles and rises an elevation of 3,800 and takes 6-8 hours to complete. The Jumbo Mine trail is a 10 mile trail with elevation gain of 3,400 and includes a wet creek crossing.
