McCarthy Road, Remote dirt road in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska.
The 59-mile McCarthy Road extends from Chitina to McCarthy through untamed terrain, following an old railway bed bordered by mountains and rivers.
The road originated in 1909 as a railway line built to transport copper ore from Kennecott mines to Cordova until mining operations ceased in 1938.
The route passes through lands where Athabascan people established traditional hunting and fishing grounds near the Copper and Chitina Rivers.
Travelers need a minimum of two hours each way to navigate the gravel surface, and should carry emergency supplies as no services exist along the route.
The Kuskulana Bridge spans 238 feet above water, constructed in winter 1910 using steel girders supported by metamorphic bedrock.
Location: Alaska
GPS coordinates: 61.46670,-143.68300
Latest update: March 5, 2025 08:00
Alaska presents natural sites in remote areas distant from urban centers. These locations display the geological diversity of the state: glaciers, volcanoes, dunes, hot springs and waterfalls. Visitors discover historical mining sites, indigenous cultural locations and museums. The region enables encounters with brown bears, whales and other wildlife in their natural habitat.
Kennecott
42.3 km
Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve
39 km
Mount Blackburn
32.3 km
Mount Bona
103.3 km
Mount Wrangell
62.6 km
Mount Sanford
86.4 km
Copper River and Northwestern Railway
58.2 km
Mount Churchill
104.8 km
University Peak
102.2 km
Kennicott Glacier
35.8 km
Atna Peaks
39.6 km
Nabesna Glacier
60.6 km
Mount Billy Mitchell
89.9 km
Nizina River
49.4 km
Miles Glacier
97 km
Tana Glacier
96.6 km
Bremner Historic Mining District
50.9 km
Aello Peak
95.5 km
Martin River Glacier
100.5 km
Kuskulana River
16.2 km
Tana River
85.9 km
Hawkins Glacier
99 km
Root Glacier
45.5 km
Allen Glacier
100.9 km
Tonsina River
84.1 km
West Fork Glacier
53.3 km
Jacksina Glacier
67.5 km
Kuskulana River Bridge
17.9 kmReviews
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