Alaska 2025

[Donna D.]

Is anyone interested in the Kennecott Mine? https://www.nps.gov/places/kennecott-mines.htm It looks interesting, BUT really hard travel to get there. It's about 125 miles from where we overnight in Glennallen, and it's an all gravel road. Doubtful anyone would drive up and back in one day. If you do that likely means an overnight in McCarthy (really rustic boondocking). Although there IS a shuttle service. https://kennicottshuttle.com/trip-itinerary/

I'll check further if anyone is interested....

[brroberts]

Kennecott is a nice trip. As long as you take the road reasonably slow it’s fine. Camping on the bar is fun. The mine is well maintained. The area is full of history. The other end of the Kennecott rail is the glacier out of Cordova on the Copper River. Wrangell St Elias backs up to Kluane which you pass through on the AlCan. It’s a beautiful space. It ends on the rugged Gulf of Alaska where, if you are not careful sailing, can really find yourself between a rock and a hard place. The vast area of Glacier Bay and Wrangell St Elias adjoins Kluane and Tatshenshini-Alsek for an area of almost 2.2 million hectares of real wilderness. There is / was private RV parking close to the bar for those wanting more than parking on a gravel river bank. I have not been to Glacier, Wrangell St Elias or Kluane since 2011, so I’m a little out of date, but it’s an amazing, but rugged bit of wilderness to explore. Sometimes I dearly miss mountains, oceans, and glaciers.

Glacier Bay is a great trip too.

[akmacs]

We have had no problems getting a site at Riley creek campground at Denali Park with short notice in May but after that it is usually booked pretty solid. There is also Savage river campground at mile 13 (all paved) which is more remote but still only about 20 minutes from the park entrance. Teklanika campground at Mile 29 (about half is gravel road) is also available with a permit and 3 day minimum. There are some nearby private rv parks also.

One thing to consider is that the Denali Park road is closed at Mile 43 due to a landslide. It has to be bypassed with a bridge and that isn't scheduled to be completed until 2026.

As already mentioned there are some Denali state park campsites, Denali View North, Byers Lake and Kesugi Ken. They are a fair distance from Denali National Park at 73 mi (Denali View North), 90 mi (Byers Lake), and 102 mi (Kesugi Ken). Kesugi Ken has electric and is reservable. Byers lake (73 sites non-reservable) is a nice setting with dry campsites and usually not completely full on weekdays. Denali View North (20 sites non reservable) is parking lot style but has tables and some firepits.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by brroberts

Kennecott is a nice trip. As long as you take the road reasonably slow it’s fine. Camping on the bar is fun. The mine is well maintained. ...... There is / was private RV parking close to the bar for those wanting more than parking on a gravel river bank.

I need more info, I can't find any camping info close to the mine except at McCarthy and it's really 'rustic.' There's this one at Chitna, but that's even further from the mine:
https://www.campendium.com/copper-river-campground


TIA

[akmacs]

Kennecott is an amazing place. I've only been once in 2000 and my understanding is the road is much improved since then. We filled a 5 gallon bucket with old railroad spikes (road is built on old railbed) but I hear they aren't a problem anymore due to resurfacing. We stayed at the lodge at Kennecott in 2000 and even with terrible weather it was an awesome place to explore.

[brroberts]

Chitna would be a long drive. I can only speak to my 2011 experience. I do know in 2009 my parents stayed somewhere at the start of the McCarthy road right off the Glenn.

My only experiences at Byers Lake include aggressive campground bears, but that was in the 80’s.

Hatcher Pass out of Palmer / Wasilla is another large mining area, but unfortunately before state parks got money to stabilize the mill, snow took it down. It’s still a beautiful area and has lots of private mining claims.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by brroberts

Chitna would be a long drive. I can only speak to my 2011 experience. I do know in 2009 my parents stayed somewhere at the start of the McCarthy road right off the Glenn.

I'll keep poking around, there's plenty of time. Unfortunately what I've found in getting this itinerary together, is a number of places having permanently closed. The Pandemic hit them hard when they depended on tourist dollars.

[akmacs]

You can't drive past McCarthy as the bridge there is only for small atv and pedestrians. Google only showed two camping locations at McCarthy. No commercial power there and no cell service.

Base Camp Kennicott
https://exploremccarthyalaska.com/gl...ew-campground/

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by akmacs

You can't drive past McCarthy as the bridge there is only for small atv and pedestrians. Google only showed two camping locations at McCarthy. No commercial power there and no cell service.

Base Camp Kennicott
https://exploremccarthyalaska.com/gl...ew-campground/

I just found Glacier View at McCathy, I'll need to check it further: https://exploremccarthyalaska.com/gl...ew-campground/

[brroberts]

While you have to cross the river on foot bridges, there were in the past paid shuttles running regularly to the mine. It’s not a bad walk, but the shuttle works too. I’ve done both. I have no idea about current shuttle status or rates. The private vehicle bridge replacing the tram car was damaged. It is not cost feasible to take your vehicle across even if the bridge is open. It was $500 toll in 2011.

[Donna D.]

Just got this current info on a Facebook group. This is starting to sound more doable and interesting by the minute!


"For those looking to travel to McCarthy/Kennecott: https://www.alaska.org/destination/c...nd-campgrounds
The McCarthy Rd is in great shape (May 2023). DOT was out early this year grading and graveling. I wouldn’t recommend bringing your RV all the way down it (tough on suspension and extreme dust), but you can camp for free at Chitina campground that’s near the river shortly after you start down the McCarthy Rd & drive the rest of the road in your truck.
If you must take your RV the entire way, there’s a couple pay-to-park sites at the end of the road. I believe it was $25/day for camping.
If you drive it in your truck, parking was $5 half day (4 hours) or $10 full day.
It took us ~ 2 hours to drive to McCarthy from Chitina campground in our truck. We spent about 2 hours walking in town and out exploring the mine. When the park opens this Saturday, you will be able to walk inside of the buildings, and they will be doing mine tours.
Once at McCarthy, you cross the footbridge and once in town (~ 15 minute walk), go to the blue building to catch the free shuttle to the mine. It leaves every hour at the 30 minute mark. The park opens this Saturday. The ~ 2 hr hike out to Root Glacier is supposed to be really awesome but we didn’t have time for that today.
The shuttle drive will drop you back off at the footbridge after you leave the mine."

[Rockhead]

McCarthy had a show about it for awhile tragic history there

[Lorraine Pittsburgh]

Hi Donna,

I noodled around with the logistics of visiting Kennecott Mine, & decided that it made most sense to camp 2 nights at Chitina & do a day trip to Kennecott (per the itinerary I emailed you). There are certainly other approaches that would work too, this is just my thought.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Lorraine Pittsburgh

Hi Donna,

I noodled around with the logistics of visiting Kennecott Mine, & decided that it made most sense to camp 2 nights at Chitina & do a day trip to Kennecott (per the itinerary I emailed you). There are certainly other approaches that would work too, this is just my thought.

Yeah Lorraine, that's kinda what I'm thinking. The campground at McCarthy, isn't much and at $35 for dry camping it wouldn't be worth dragging a trailer that far.


This is the campground at Chitina: https://www.wrangellviewrvpark.com/

I'm going to check on a shuttle from Chitina to McCarthy too. I just sent them an email asking about pricing round trip from the Chitina Wayside: https://kennicottshuttle.com/trip-itinerary/

[brroberts]

Kennecott can fill a day easily if you want.

[Mike G]

That photo of McCarthy CG certainly re-defines the phrase, "rustic campground."

[Donna D.]

Info I just received from the Kennicott Shuttle:

"we do pick up at Liberty Falls campground. The price for round trip same day is $99 per person (2023 rate) and includes the tickets to take the Blackburn Heritage shuttle from the footbridge in to McCarthy and Kennicott.

We do not have a minimum booking requirement for the number of passengers but we do require a 50% deposit at time of booking with the balance due 30 days prior to departure."


Between the turn off Hwy 4 and Chitina: https://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunit...bertyflsrs.htm ($25)


I've put this on the itinerary!

[Viajante]

McCarthy, AK… those interested in this place might like to read Pilgrim’s Wilderness by Tom Kizzia. Non fiction.

Here is an intro: https://www.npr.org/2013/07/16/19519...kas-wilderness

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Viajante

McCarthy, AK… those interested in this place might like to read Pilgrim’s Wilderness by Tom Kizzia. Non fiction.

Here is an intro: https://www.npr.org/2013/07/16/19519...kas-wilderness

I read the timeline and intro. Creepy. I'll see if I can get the book at my local library on Kindle.

[Viajante]

Yes, the intro focused on the creepy element of the family story, but the book has much more to it as pertains to McCarthy, the residents, and how various social, political, economic, and historical threads play out. If McCarthy makes the itinerary this is as good a backgrounder as you will find between now and 2025.