The Old Richardson Highway leads to historic Copper Center. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park/Preserve Info Center located at Mile 105.5 Old Richardson Highway.

Copper Center is one of the oldest white communities in Alaska’s Interior. Founded as a government agricultural experimental station, it later served as a transportation center for the gold rush prospectors who came over the old Richardson Trail from Valdez enroute to the Forty Mile area and Dawson City.

Accommodations

Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge Mile 102 Richardson Highway, Brenwick Craig Road. Copper Center; 907-822-4000. Perched on a bluff overlooking Wrangell- St. Elias, North America’s largest national park, this lodge features a true wilderness experience. Enjoy the view from the Great room or participate in the many activities available through the tour desk including flightseeing, river rafting, horseback riding, fishing and excursions into the historic Kennicott mining district. Restaurant, lounge, espresso bar, gift shop and tour desk. Reservations suggested. Lodge often runs special summer rates and packages on specific days. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club, accepted. Open mid-May through mid-September. Call 800-426-0500 for reservations

Things to Do
The Chapel on the Hill is open to the public daily, there is no admission fee. A slide show on the area is available to visitors. The town offers a full range of services to the traveler and shouldn’t be missed.

George I. Ashby Memorial Museum, operated by the Copper Valley Historical Society, is housed in the bunkhouse annex of the Copper Center Lodge. It contains early Russian religious articles, Athabascan baskets, telegraph and mineral displays, copper and gold mining memorabilia and trapping articles from the early-day Copper Valley. The Stampeders Cemetery is within a short walking distance.

Grove’s Klutina River Charters Mile 100.5 Old Richardson Hwy, 907-822-5822 or 1-800-770-5822. Great King Salmon & Red Salmon charters. RV parking, electrical hookups, water, dump station, sleeping rooms.

Klutina River offers good grayling, Dolly Varden fishing. Red salmon (sockeye) run from early June to mid-August the peaks of abundance at each end of the run, king salmon from late June to the end of July when it closes to king fishing by regulation.  Inquire locally for detailed information. The Klutina-Gulkana River s offer some of the state’s best fishing.