Explore Wrangell St. Elias Ghost Towns
– Kennicott and McCarthy, AK
Three hundred miles east of Anchorage in a glacier-carved valley deep in the heart of the Wrangell St. Elias National Park are the historic ghost towns of Kennecott and McCarthy. These towns sprang up in the early 1900’s after “Tarantula Jack” Smith and Clarence Warner discovered the richest copper deposit in history. Kennecott quickly became the most modern city in Alaska, boasting running water and a hospital at a time when Anchorage was populated with tents.
Abandoned in 1938, many of the mines, buildings and equipment stand as they were on that last day, leaving a living history of those rugged days of high adventure. In the last few years the National Park Service purchased the property and began stabilization and restoration of some of the buildings. Guided tours into the mine buildings are offered by St. Elias Alpine Guides, whose knowledgeable guides will bring to life the miraculous story of this world-class copper mine.
The Kennecott and McCarthy Alaska ghost towns are a day drive or a short flight from Anchorage, located near the end of the McCarthy Road. Nearby lodging is available at the Kennicott Glacier Lodge, a replica of the historic mining buildings featuring quiet bedrooms filled with mining artifacts.
