Things to do in Wrangell–St Elias National Park
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Kennicott
In 1900 miners 'Tarantula Jack' Smith and Clarence Warner reconnoitered Kennicott Glacier's east side until they arrived at a creek and found traces of copper. They named the creek Bonanza, and was it ever - the entire mountainside turned out to hold some of the richest copper deposits ever uncovered. In the Lower 48, mines were digging up ore that contained 2% copper. Here, the veins would average almost 13%, while some contained as much as 70%.
Eventually, a group of investors bought the existing stakes and formed the Kennecott Copper Corporation, named when a clerical worker misspelled Kennicott (which is why, nowadays, the town is spelled with an 'e' while the river, …
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Kuskulana River Bridge
At Mile 17 of McCarthy Rd sits the one-lane, 525ft-long Kuskulana River Bridge, long known as 'the biggest thrill on the road to McCarthy.' Built in 1910, this historic railroad span is a vertigo-inducing 238ft above the bottom of the gorge. Though the state has added guard rails and new planks and thus taken some of the thrill out of the crossing, the view of the steep-sided canyon and rushing river from the bridge is awesome, and well worth the time to park at one end and walk back across it.
After rattling through another 43 miles of scrubby brush and thick forest - with few good mountain vistas and not many diversions en route - the road ends at the Kennicott River. I…
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Chitina
The end of Edgerton Hwy is 10 miles beyond Liberty Falls State Recreation Site, at little Chitina, the last place you can purchase gas. There's a grocery store here too, and a café, an art gallery and a ranger station. Backpackers can camp along the 3-mile road south to O'Brien Creek or beside Town Lake.
At Chitina, the McCarthy Rd begins, auspiciously enough, by passing through a single-lane notch blasted through a granite outcrop. From here 60 miles eastward you'll be tracing the abandoned Copper River & Northwest Railroad bed that was used to transport copper from the mines to Cordova. Though your around US$40-a-day rental car can usually travel this stretch during th…
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McCarthy
Most local services are in the hamlet of McCarthy, an erstwhile ghost town so funky and cool you'll want to haunt the place yourself. Facing the Kennicott Glacier's terminal moraine and just a stone's throw from the river, the tiny community is a car-free idyll, where the handful of gravel roads wind past rotting cabins and lovingly restored boomtown-era buildings.
Alas, in the past few years the place has been 'discovered,' but the summer population still hits only about 200, and just a quarter stick it out for the winter.
Once you've crossed the Kennicott River on the footbridge, follow the road across another footbridge and about half a mile further to the unstaffed McC…
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Bonanza Mine Trail
Another excellent hike from Kennecott is the alpine Bonanza Mine Trail. It's a round-trip of almost 8 miles and a steep uphill walk all the way. Plan on three to five hours to hike up if the weather is good and half that time to return. The trail is actually a rough dirt road to the tree line and starts just north of town at a junction that makes a sharp 180-degree turn up the mountain.
Once above the tree line the view is stunning, and you can clearly see the mountain where the mine still sits. To reach the mine you have to trek up a rocky slope to the remaining bunkhouse, shafts and tram platform. Water is available at the top, but carry at least a quart (1 liter) if th…
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Root Glacier Trail
Beginning from Kennicott Glacier Lodge, the Root Glacier Trail is a 3-mile round-trip route past the mine ruins to the sparkling white-and-blue ice. Hike northwest of town and continue past an unmarked junction to Bonanza Mine, less than a quarter mile away. Along the way you cross Jumbo Creek; a plank upstream makes fording this creek easy in normal water conditions.
Another half mile further on campsites overlook the end of Root Glacier; nearby you'll find an outhouse and a storage bin (to keep bears out of your food).
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Silver Lake Campground
Silver Lake Campground is a commercial facility with sites, canoe rentals for Silver Lake, and other limited services - gas not being one of them. At Mile 14.5 you'll reach the access road to the trailheads for the Dixie Pass, Nugget and Kotsina Trails, across from the Strelna airstrip.
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McCarthy Air Flightseeing
If the day is clear, splurge on a flightseeing tour of the surrounding mountains and glaciers. Both McCarthy Air Flightseeing and Wrangell Mountain Air, with offices on McCarthy's main drag have a fantastic reputation, offering a wide range of scenic flights.
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Wrangell Mountain Air Flightseeing
If the day is clear, splurge on a flightseeing tour of the surrounding mountains and glaciers. Both McCarthy Air and Wrangell Mountain Air Flightseeing, with offices on McCarthy's main drag have a fantastic reputation, offering a wide range of scenic flights.
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The Golden Saloon
Beside the McCarthy Lodge, this is the area's only true bar, with pool, frequent live music and an always intriguing cast of drinkers. There's bar food until 22:00.
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Kennicott Wilderness Guides
Offerings include full-day ice-climbing excursions, overnight stays on the Root Glacier and fly-in day-trips to the remarkable Donoho Lake area.
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McCarthy Lodge
In the heart of McCarthy, this eatery serves up quality wraps and sandwiches for lunch, and mains such as halibut cioppino for dinner.
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St Elias Alpine Guides
St Elias Alpine Guides offers historical walking tours of Kennecott ($25) and a half-day hike on Root Glacier ($65)
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Roadside Potatohead
As offbeat as McCarthy itself, this screened-in cabin off the town's main drag will satisfy your burger, spud and espresso needs.
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Copper Oar
Copper Oar has a full-day whitewater raft trip that ends with a bush plane flight ($275).
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