McCarthy Road
The better-known of the two scenic routes into the park travels for 60 bumpy miles (fill the tank and the cooler ahead of time) along an old railroad bed from Chitina to the Kennicott River, a drive of at least 2½ hours. Just past Chitina, as you cross over the Copper River, keep an eye out for floating metal and wood contraptions that look like steampunk rafts. These are salmon fishwheels, which can only be used by Alaska residents. All along this road you will come across numerous relics of the region’s mining past and countless opportunities to have your breath stolen away by glorious park vistas. At the end of the road, you must park and walk across the bridge—only residents of McCarthy are allowed to drive across it—to reach the town and the Kennecott site beyond. It’s about a 15-minute walk into town; most outfitters and lodgings offer shuttles.
