McCarthy

Getting to McCarthy is half the story. The long, rough McCarthy Road runs deep into the park, following an old railroad bed, and ends at the Kennicott River. From there, visitors cross a footbridge on foot and walk or catch a shuttle the short way into town, since most vehicles stop at the river.

That barrier is part of what keeps McCarthy the way it is: small, quiet, and genuinely remote. There are no chain stores or through traffic, just a cluster of buildings at the foot of the mountains.

During the Kennecott boom of the early 1900s, the mining company ran a strict, orderly company town at Kennecott, so the miners came down to McCarthy to blow off steam, and it grew into a lively town of saloons, hotels, and shops. When the mines closed in 1938, McCarthy nearly emptied out too.

Some of its historic buildings survive, and today the town has a handful of lodges, cafes, and small businesses that come alive in summer. It offers a rare, authentic taste of end-of-the-road Alaska and a comfortable base for exploring the national park around it.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

McCarthy is a tiny historic frontier town deep in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska, at the end of the long gravel McCarthy Road. A century ago it was the lively off-hours town for workers at the nearby Kennecott copper mines, full of saloons and hotels while Kennecott itself remained a strict company town. Today McCarthy is a small, remote community of historic buildings, lodges, and cafes, reached by crossing a footbridge over the Kennicott River. It keeps a genuine end-of-the-road Alaska feel and serves as the main base for visitors exploring the Kennecott mines and the Root Glacier nearby.

Reaching McCarthy takes some effort, which is part of its charm. Visitors drive the long, rough gravel McCarthy Road deep into Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, following an old railroad route, until it ends at the Kennicott River. From there, most people leave their vehicles and cross a footbridge on foot, then walk or take a shuttle the short remaining distance into town, since there is no direct road into McCarthy itself. Because the drive is long and rugged and services are limited, it is important to plan ahead, allow plenty of time, carry a spare tire, and check current road conditions before setting out.

McCarthy is best known as the gateway to the Kennecott mines and the Root Glacier, and most visitors use it as a base for those adventures. In town itself, you can wander among historic buildings, enjoy the handful of cafes, lodges, and saloons, and soak up the genuine frontier atmosphere of a remote Alaska town at the end of the road. From McCarthy, a shuttle or walk leads to the preserved copper-mining ghost town of Kennecott, and from there a trail reaches the Root Glacier, where guided trips take visitors out onto the ice. Together these make McCarthy a memorable base deep in the national park.

For travelers drawn to remote places and rich history, McCarthy is very much worth the journey. It offers something increasingly rare: a genuinely off-the-grid frontier town with no through roads, set deep in one of the largest national parks in the country. Beyond its own quiet charm and history as the miners' town, McCarthy is the base for two outstanding experiences, touring the preserved Kennecott mines and walking on the Root Glacier. The long, rough road in deters casual crowds, so those who make the trip are rewarded with a true end-of-the-road Alaska experience amid spectacular mountain and glacier scenery.