Skip Kennicot/McCarthy

My husband and I are just back from the Princess' Off the Beaten Track tour which took us to Copper River Wilderness Lodge. Before going we booked an excursion to the Kennicot/McCarthy copper mine towns. Please, please do not book this excursion!!! We rode for 4 1/2 hours (each way) on an extremely pot hole, rough road. IT was unbearable. It is an impassible road. IF you want to go...fly...it is about $300 (which we found out later)...and this is how the "locals" get back and forth!!!

Be forewarned!!

My husband and I are just back from the Princess' Off the Beaten Track tour which took us to Copper River Wilderness Lodge. Before going we booked an excursion to the Kennicot/McCarthy copper mine towns. Please, please do not book this excursion!!! We rode for 4 1/2 hours (each way) on an extremely pot hole, rough road. IT was unbearable. It is an impassible road. IF you want to go...fly...it is about $300 (which we found out later)...and this is how the "locals" get back and forth!!!

 

Be forewarned!!

You didn't know this before you went? I always mention the fly in- which a LOT of people simply turn their noses up- due to cost. I think one way on the road is worthwhile, and the "bumps" simply have never bothered me. I also think an overnight is superior anyway.

Thank you for taking the time to post- I'm sure, it will be informative- especially for people, who are bothered by a bumpy ride.

When we did Princess's Off the Beaten Path in July, we found that the flight to Kennicott through Princess booked very early on, so we didn't go because we didn't want the long ride. We didn't look into independent operators. I thought I'd read on Cruise Critic that Princess didn't allow other vendors to come to Copper River Lodge, but maybe I misunderstood and it was just that Princess only goes through certain vendors because I don't see how they could prevent a vendor from driving onto the property to pick up people.

When we did Princess's Off the Beaten Path in July, we found that the flight to Kennicott through Princess booked very early on, so we didn't go because we didn't want the long ride. We didn't look into independent operators. I thought I'd read on Cruise Critic that Princess didn't allow other vendors to come to Copper River Lodge, but maybe I misunderstood and it was just that Princess only goes through certain vendors because I don't see how they could prevent a vendor from driving onto the property to pick up people.

Princess does have restriction on vendors at the Kenai Princess, probably some at their two other properties- Copper River and McKinley. But- they do offer shuttles to Copper Center- where you could hook up with a vendor perhaps?

I've used Wrangell Mountain Air, whom is probably also the Princess contractor. There could also be the possibility of using the same transport, if you booked independent?.

These are some options to be aware of when Alaska planning, and a good example of perhaps, some limits with not having your own transportation.

I've always wanted to do the Copper River Lodge and see the area and Kennicot mine and McCarthy. It sounds like a nice adventure. I just had friends return from a stay at the Kenai Lodge, I'd love to pair up the two areas on one trip

My husband and I are just back from the Princess' Off the Beaten Track tour which took us to Copper River Wilderness Lodge. Before going we booked an excursion to the Kennicot/McCarthy copper mine towns. Please, please do not book this excursion!!! We rode for 4 1/2 hours (each way) on an extremely pot hole, rough road. IT was unbearable. It is an impassible road. IF you want to go...fly...it is about $300 (which we found out later)...and this is how the "locals" get back and forth!!!

 

Be forewarned!!

I do not know how impassible the road is now as we drove it a few years ago. However, we flew in and drive out and at that time, I did not find the at all impassable and at all rutted. It was gravel and you could not drive too fast but I would call the road a good Western unpaved road.

You should drive on some really bad Western unpaved roads. The road from St.George Utah to the Toroweep Overlook at the Grand Canyon is 105 miles and much of it is washboard. Now that trip is fun!!

I should say if the trip is a one day excursion, I would not recommend taking it because of time limitations. We spent 2 nights at the Kennecott Lodge and could have easily spend more time there. Doing a one day in-and-out drive trip or even a one day fly-in-drive-out trip does not give you enough time there.

DON

The road from Chitna to McCarthy is built on the old bed of the Copper River and Northwestern Railroad which ran from Cordova to the copper mine. It was fondly called the "Can't Run and Never Will" railroad due to the construction challenges faced by the builders. It is a gravel road, but certainly isn't "impassable."

I can attest to you that the road was indeed impassible. I have been on "bumpy" - this was not! At times our heads hit the ceiling. The driver could never go above 10 MPH. She was white knuckled the whole way. If we would have know to fly...but it is hindsight! And maybe the area is lovely - when there are people around and things to do...but as I said - everything, including the US Rangers were leaving town.

I don't mean to sound anti-Kennicot...but it was a horrible experience and I want to warn other unsuspecting tourists. We had stayed at the Copper River Princess Lodge which was lovely!! Rooms were large, and it was quiet...it is definitely in the wilderness of Alaska!!

I can attest to you that the road was indeed impassible. I have been on "bumpy" - this was not! At times our heads hit the ceiling. The driver could never go above 10 MPH. She was white knuckled the whole way. If we would have know to fly...but it is hindsight! And maybe the area is lovely - when there are people around and things to do...but as I said - everything, including the US Rangers were leaving town.

I don't mean to sound anti-Kennicot...but it was a horrible experience and I want to warn other unsuspecting tourists. We had stayed at the Copper River Princess Lodge which was lovely!! Rooms were large, and it was quiet...it is definitely in the wilderness of Alaska!!

The OP is correct. The locals agree that the Chitina to McCarthy road was pretty bad the last part of this summer. That is, the portion beyond mile 17 was bad. The road is about 60 miles long. The first 17 miles has a hard surface coat that was just put on last summer. At the begining of this summer the road was super, all the locals and everybody else were raving over how nice it was. But then, as we got close to the end of August, rains combined with quite a bit of traffic on it turned it into a pot-hole nightmare. They finally graded the gravel portion last week, and it was good again, however, I understand it is deteriorating rapidly.

Like Budget Queen, I always recommend flying in too. That allows much more time to explore the historic areas, get to see more on the way in via aircraft and avoid the chances that the road will be bumpy and or real dusty.

Thankyou for the tip. We are at Princess Copper Lodge for 2 nights next year so will either fly or avoid.

When I was living and working seasonally in Alaska in the mid-80's for several years, I remember going with some friends to McCarthy in their truck. I don't remember the road at that time being as some are describing it today. (Selective memory?;); I do remember that you could only drive across the river in the winter, when it was frozen, and you had to drive back out before the spring thaw. I also think I remember getting to McCarthy in the summer by a cable? or a pedestrian suspension bridge? Sounds like a bridge has been built for vehicles-progress! (If anyone knows when it was built, I'd be interested in knowing) One of my friends knew this old timer that lived there, and fed us a black bear sandwich :eek:-it was not tasty; I'd stick with eating moose! I have good memories of McCarthy.:cool:

When I was living and working seasonally in Alaska in the mid-80's for several years, I remember going with some friends to McCarthy in their truck. I don't remember the road at that time being as some are describing it today. (Selective memory?;); I do remember that you could only drive across the river in the winter, when it was frozen, and you had to drive back out before the spring thaw. I also think I remember getting to McCarthy in the summer by a cable? or a pedestrian suspension bridge? Sounds like a bridge has been built for vehicles-progress! (If anyone knows when it was built, I'd be interested in knowing) One of my friends knew this old timer that lived there, and fed us a black bear sandwich :eek:-it was not tasty; I'd stick with eating moose! I have good memories of McCarthy.:cool:

There is not a vehicle bridge across the Kennicott River into McCarthy/Kennecott for general access per se. However, there is a vehicle bridge on private land, a toll bridge, it was built around 2004-05. The bridge fees are pretty reasonable for locals and business concerns, however, the one time only charge for passage is pretty steep as the fees are designed to prevent short term use of the bridge by motor homes and such since there is very little public parking east of the Kennicott.

There is also a free public footbridge across the river, (the hand pull tram system went away once the footbridge was constructed in the late 90s). The footbridge isn't restricted just to walking traffic as it will accommodate bicycles, 4-wheel ATV's, utility carts, motor bikes, etc.

There is not a vehicle bridge across the Kennicott River into McCarthy/Kennecott for general access per se. However, there is a vehicle bridge on private land, a toll bridge, it was built around 2004-05. The bridge fees are pretty reasonable for locals and business concerns, however, the one time only charge for passage is pretty steep as the fees are designed to prevent short term use of the bridge by motor homes and such since there is very little public parking east of the Kennicott.

 

There is also a free public footbridge across the river, (the hand pull tram system went away once the footbridge was constructed in the late 90s). The footbridge isn't restricted just to walking traffic as it will accommodate bicycles, 4-wheel ATV's, utility carts, motor bikes, etc.

Thanks, kennicott for the interesting, and informative update on McCarthy.

We made arrangements with Kennicot shuttle and there were no issues with them picking us up at the Princess lodge. It was an off the beaten path kind of day but we enjoyed the adventure and learned so much from our driver. It was a 12 hour day. The roads are very bumpy but we survived, having no physical problems like back or neck problems.

We still talk about seeing the wondrous copper ghost town of Kennicott. We got inside some buildings on an organized tour from a local tour company. I think it was St Elias Alpine guides.