Kennecott

This historic copper mining town is a National Historic Landmark that offers a rare view into the copper mining history and the rise of “big business” that defined the early 20th century in the United States. The buildings remain largely in their natural, weather-aged state (i.e. not remodeled relics). This makes Kennecott a truly unique and impressive place to visit. No historic mining site on such a grand scale like this exists anywhere else in the world.

It sits next to the massive Kennicott Glacier approximately 4.5 miles north of the town of McCarthy. The views of the mountains and glacier from town are nothing short of stunning!

Tours of the historic town and iconic Mill Building are offered through St. Elias Alpine Guides (late May thru early September). A few hiking trails can also be accessed from town.

McCarthy

Nestled deep in the heart of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park lies this remote little town that represents a true Alaskan bush community. The town originally arose in the early 1900s during the Kennecott mining era but quickly became a ghost town following the closure of the mines in 1938. But homesteaders eventually started to trickle into the Kennicott Valley many years later until McCarthy “boomed” again largely as a seasonal tourist town.

McCarthy is the staging ground for nearly all activities in the park with access to restaurants, lodging, outdoor recreation, guided activities, flightseeing and chartered flights. The town is located 307 miles east of Anchorage, the final 60 miles on a dirt road starting in the town of Chitina. The drive typically takes around 7.5 hrs (or more depending on the condition of the McCarthy Road).

Footbridge

The McCarthy Road is the only road providing vehicle access to McCarthy for those who choose to drive. The 60 mile long dirt road starts in Chitina on the western border of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and continues east to Kennecott, a historic copper mining town in the middle of the park.

Road access for park visitors, however, stops approximately 5 miles before reaching Kennecott at the Kennicott River. NO, you cannot drive your personal or rental vehicle into McCarthy or Kennecott. A footbridge allows visitors to walk across the Kennicott River where daily shuttle service to the towns of McCarthy and Kennecott can be found. Vehicle parking is available in a parking lot on the west side of the footbridge.

McCarthy Airport

Don’t want to drive the bumpy, dusty 60 mile McCarthy Road? No problem. McCarthy actually has a state airport. You won’t see any big commercial jets though. It is small, unpaved airport with a single dirt runway that is buzzing with constant hum of bushplanes taking off and landing everyday.

Wrangell Mountain Air in McCarthy provides direct charter flights from Anchorage to McCarthy. A more affordable (and popular) option is to book a daily charter from Chitina to McCarthy. Chitina is located 246 miles east of Anchorage (approximately 4.5 hr driving time). So you only need to drive from Anchorage to the Chitina Airport to catch the flight.

Mt. Blackburn (16,390 ft; 4,995 m)

The first thing that you will notice upon entering the Kennicott Valley is Mt. Blackburn (weather permitting). It is huge mountain that absolutely hulks over the Kennicott Glacier below. Much like Denali, however, it is often shrouded in clouds so catching a glimpse of this stunning gem of a mountain is not guaranteed.

At 16,390 ft high, Mt. Blackburn is the tallest peak in the Wrangell Range of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and the 5th tallest in both Alaska and the United States. It is one of several old shield volcanos (no longer active) that lie in the park. Not only is it a beauty to look at and photograph from the ground or air, but it is a spectacular climb. As an Alaska grade III climb, it gives seasoned mountaineers quite a thrilling challenge. I highly recommend it!

Oh, and by the way, the first person to climb Mt. Balckburn was a woman, Dora Keen, in 1912 at age 41.

The Fosse

This backcountry landing strip is located approximately 11 miles (as the crow flies) northwest of the town of Kennecott on the west side of the Kennicott Glacier. This narrow, little dirt strip lies within a natural trench, or fosse, next to the glacier. It provides a perfect starting or ending point for backpackers in the Kennicott Valley.

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park contains very few roads or trails so most of its vast, remote wilderness can only be accessed by bush plane. The Fosse is the closest official backcountry landing strip from the town of McCarthy. This provides the most affordable way for backpackers to get a true Alaska wilderness experience by flying to the Fosse and hiking back to town. Alternatively, you can link up the Fosse strip with another more distant backcountry landing strip. Backcountry flights can be booked through Wrangell Mountain Air in McCarthy.

Fun fact: A fosse is a long, narrow ditch or trench (sometimes filled with water) that was historically dug around a castle for fortification during medieval times. Glaciers often have a natural trench on their sides which is how this feature got its name.

Kennicott Glacier

Named after the American explorer and naturalist, Robert Kennicott (1835-1866), it’s the prominent glacier in the valley. At approximately 27 miles in length, it is around 4-5 miles wide and about 2500 ft deep. It originates from the glaciers atop Mt. Blackburn and the several other big peaks along the majestic ridgeline at the northernmost edge of the Kennicott Valley. It is one of the many big glaciers found in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.

The Kennicott Glacier snakes its way down the valley past the town of Kennecott and terminating just a mile north of McCarthy. It feeds the mighty Kennicott River that passes underneath the pedestrian footbridge that allows visitor access to McCarthy and Kennecott. The Kennicott River is also used by local guide services for rafting trips and for recreational packrafting.

Gates Glacier

The Gates Glacier is a relatively small glacier that flows into the eastern side of Kennicott Glacier immediately northwest of Donoho Peak. The most distinctive feature is its ogive formations that are clearly visible in the photo. Ogives form at the base of an icefall, although not all icefalls have them. They form as regularly spaced, arc-shaped bands with differences in height and color due to seasonal flow variations. The darker “troughs” form during the summer months when temps are warmer, the ice undergoes a daily freeze/thaw cycle and silt deposits build up. The “crests” are lighter in color and form during the accumulation of new ice during the winter while trapping tiny air bubbles. The arc shape results from ice flowing faster down the center of the glacier where there is less friction compared to the sides.

Root Glacier

The Root Glacier is one of the most magnificent glaciers I have ever seen (and I’ve seen a lot!). There are so many photo-worthy features in such a short walking distance that it’s mind-blowing. So if you’ve ever wanted to walk on a glacier then the Root is the perfect one to explore. Approximately 8 miles long, 1 mile wide and 800 ft deep, it’s the perfect size for a full or half day hike on your vaction. And it can be easily reached by an roughly 2.5 mile long, well-maintained trail from the town of Kennecott.

Never been on a glacier before? Book a guided activity through St. Elias Alpine Guides. They offer glacier hikes, ice climbing or exploring ice caves. All of these trips offer a day of adventure that you will never forget. In fact, many of my clients have told me their day on the glacier was the most memorable part of their vacation. Do it, you won’t regret it!

Stairway Icefall

Staring up the Root Glacier you will quickly notice that it flows out of a massive wall of broken up ice called an icefall. This particular icefall is so huge that it actually has a name, The Stairway Icefall. At over a mile high it is the biggest icefall outside of the Himalayas.

The Stairway Icefall is so visually impressive that you will naturally want to get a closer look. But that is easier said than done by foot. It lies about 6 miles up glacier from the trail-accessed entry point of the Root Glacier. Although that may seem like a reasonable distance for a day hike, don’t be fooled. The glacier travel gets increasingly difficult as you travel further up and actually becomes nearly impassable at around 2 miles from the base of the icefall. And it takes a minimum of two days to get there and back to town (for experienced glacier travelers).

The best way to see the Stairway Icefall up close is through a flightsee tour through Wrangell Mountain Air. The pilot will fly you over the massive, skyscraper sized towers of ice. It’s impressive and intimidating. Trust me, you will feel very small. This is one of those bucket list things that anyone can do and I highly recommend it.

Donoho Peak (6,696 ft)

This beautiful mountain is undoubtedly one of the most visually unique that I have ever seen. If you look closely at the whole massif of Donoho Peak you will quickly notice that it resembles a crocodile head that is half submerged in water. And the geology gives it a striking appearance with a distinctly drawn contact zone between the upper limestone layer and the lower volcanic basalt layer. It’s simply beautiful!

Donoho Peak is the most accessible mountain that can be summited by peak baggers. Very fit and experienced climbers can summit in a single, long day but most camp in the thickly vegetated basin below the peak and push for the summit the following day. Regardless, climbing Donoho is not easy. It’s a steep, difficult climb with a lot of exposure that should only be attempted by very experienced climbers or on a guided climb through St. Elias Alpine Guides. If you do choose to accept the challenge I promise you the views are definitely worth it!

NOTE: The mines and artifacts are protected for their historical significance. DO NOT take any artifacts or pieces of copper that you may find at the mine sites, in the town of Kennecott or anywhere else inside the national park. It is illegal to take these items. Remember, enjoy this beautiful historical place but take only photos and memories back with you.

Erie Mine Bunkhouse

Are you looking for one of the most challenging, beautiful and unique “hikes” of your life? If so then you needn’t look any further. Getting up to the Erie Mine and Bunkhouse will test your skills and nerve. But the payoff is worth the effort.

Perched on a small outcropping over a rocky cliff 2000 ft above the Root Glacier below, the historic Erie Mine Bunkhouse provided sleeping quarters for the miners at the Erie Mine. This was one of 5 mines that produced copper (and some silver) for the Kennecott copper mining town during the early twentieth century. There are still many historic artifacts, bedframes, machinery, etc. leftover in the old weather-beaten structure, providing a glimpse into the miners living conditions so long ago. And the views of the mountains, glacier and Kennicott Valley are stunning from this high vantage point.

NOTE: Accessing the Erie Mine Bunkhouse is for experts only!!! DO NOT attempt this “hike” without a guide unless you are an experienced rock climber with extensive remote Alaska wilderness travel experience. Seriously, it’s no joke. There is no trail so you have to navigate through steep scree and some short sections of 5th class rock climbing. Most people who attempt this route fail. So the safest and surest option for getting there is to hire a guide.

Erie Lake

Just north of the Erie Mine Bunkhouse site on the east side of the Root Glacier is a beautiful iceberg-filled lake. A perfect patch of green tundra sits above the lake that provides a stunning place to pitch a tent. For those who are looking for a classic Alaska backpacking experience on a budget, this is a great place to setup camp. And since it’s only about 5 miles from Kennecott Erie Lake can be reached in a long day. You will need glacier travel experience to navigate through the tricky crevasse field that guards access to the lake. But don’t worry, if you don’t have the requisite glacier travel experience you can hire a guide to get you there.

Castle Rock

This castle-shaped peak towers above the Root Glacier. Its distinct shape makes it noticeable from across the valley and is one of the first beautiful natural features that you will notice upon arrival.

The Jumbo Mine rests beneath its southern flank. A strenuous hike up a 5 mile trail from Kennecott takes you 4000 ft above the Kennicott valley. There are plenty of remnants of the historic copper mining operation. And staring up at the steep southern wall of Castle Rock is both awe-inspiring and spooky. I swear it will remind you of Mount Doom from Lord of the Rings, especially if it’s shrouded in clouds.

Fireweed Mountain (6,956 ft)

Fireweed Mountain is sort of the gatekeeper of the Kennicott Valley. If you drive to McCarthy on the McCarthy Road, Fireweed Mountain will be visible as you approach but will hide the rest of the valley. As you wind around Fireweed and into the valley you will be suddenly greeted with the most beautiful place on earth.

Fireweed Mountain also offers one of the best day hikes in the valley. A very steep, but well marked trail takes you to the first false summit. From here you will have stunning views of the valley and beyond. On a clear day you can even see the big peaks in the neighboring University Range and the distant mountains in the St. Elias Range.