Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark — Attraction in Alaska

Kennecott, Alaska is such a special place. It is one of the best-preserved mining towns from an older time in Alaskan history! It is a must-visit for anyone who is trying to experience the “real” Alaska, and it has so much to explore!

Kennecott has an intriguing history. It was a booming town long ago, and one day the train came and ordered everyone to leave…only giving them a short notice to pack whatever they could until they would permanently leave, never to return. It is in remarkably good condition all things considered - this part of Alaska is brutal in winter months so the fact any buildings still stand at all is a feat in and of itself! You can explore all around the town and see how it was when it was left such a long time ago - it’s a bit eerie seeing things stood exactly as they were whenever people finally left!

I recommend spending at least a few days in Kennecott. First off, it takes a LONG time to get here. If you’re coming from Anchorage, prepare for a full-day trip. It’ll take hours on long, lonely (and beautiful) highways until you get to the town of Chitina, and once you’re there, you’ll need to drive hours more on a gravel road with no internet until you get to the tiny town of McCarthy. Once you’re in McCarthy, you’ll need to find a tour agency that can then finally take you to Kennecott.

Do spend a few nights at the Kennecott Glacier Lodge! It’s nothing spectacular (or fancy), but it allows for you to explore during morning or evening hours when there are far fewer people around. Food is pretty good, staff is warm and welcoming, cell data and WiFi internet is…pretty bad honestly (but you have to expect it in this remote of a place). It has a beautiful view of the glacier as well.

Yes, I did say glacier! The most incredible thing about Kennecott is it’s precariously perched on the edge of a massive glacier that stretches for miles in both directions. It is truly a sight to behold - the glacial morain is so cool! You can hike to the glacier on a half day or full day trip and explore the beautiful ice, drink crystal-clear glacier water that’s the cleanest on Earth, and even climb into massive holes carved into the glacier! Do keep in mind, I highly recommend booking with a tour agency to hike to the glacier! They will keep you safe!

The tours of the ghost town itself go inside many of the old, abandoned buildings (of course, there are some you can’t enter purely for safety reasons), and they do a great job explaining all of the old history of the town! Also, be sure to hike a bit outside of the town on the marked hiking trails. Some of them go to beautiful waterfalls and amazing viewpoints of the valley!

All in all, I absolutely love this place. I’ve visited multiple times, and I will continue to return. Visit Kennecott while you still can, while the buildings are still standing, and enrich yourself in the rich mining history of...

If I could suggest go visit the Kennecott Mines in Wrangell -St Elias National Park . Keep your motorhome in a campground here in Chitina and drive your car .. do your research ( from what I’m told the road is better😳)McCarthy road is mostly unpaved and rough is an understatement, ITS ROUGH ! 60 miles one way .. 2 hours doing 40 mph!! Can I suggest if you have a mouth guard? Wear it , it’ll help your jaw from clenching and help you not yell out unpleasant words to your driver !! A good time for those kegel exercises since your butt will be tight the whole way ! Once you park .. $6 and you cross the foot bridge a shuttle will drive you into town $5 each way ( another 6 mile bumpy ride) The 2 hour mine tour is $34 a person and the hike to the Glacier is 4 miles. Even if you choose neither , it’s like walking back in time , beautiful, great history and good food !! Enjoy your day and know it’s the same ride home !! OMG 😳😳🤣 — at Wrangell-St Elias...

The road to McCarthy was very adventurous and nice. Then we anchored at the base camp to set off for the little village of Mccarthy and from there with the bus to the Keneecot Mine 25$ Round Tour Ticket. We had a look to the well prepared buildinging and learned a lot on mining and as chemist I was very interested in learning on how they bleached the copper out of the milled rocks. The museum is very informative too And also the power plant was impressive. Then we took an hour walk to the massive glacier (Glacier access trail) Bring good shoes, and make some noise for your neighbors in the forest - be bearaware. After the hike we had a coke and delicious salmon tacos at the food truck in the village. Definitely a good day we had up here. Take enough time to...