Copper RiverSalmon Charters 907-822-3664. At the junction.
mile 127/km 204.4 Gulkana. Small Native village (pop. 88).
mile 126.8/km 204 Gulkana River Bridge, parking.
mile 126/km 202.7 Parking.
mile 118.2/km 190.2 Gulkana Airport.
mile 118/km 189.9 Dry Creek State Recreation Site. 50 camp sites, picnic shelters, water, toilets, trails and fishing.
mile 115/km 185 South Junction of Richardson and Glenn
Highways. Here the Glenn Highway heads west 189 miles to Anchorage or 115 miles south to Valdez. If you're heading towards Anchorage see the Glenn Highway description.
Hub of Alaska 907-822-3555. At the junction of Glenn and Richardson Highways. Produce, meat, ice cream, hot sandwiches, coffee, fishing tackle and licenses. Alaskan gifts and jewelry. ATM machine at the store.
The Greater Copper Valley Visitor Center stop by for up-to-date info about the area. 907-822-5555
mile 112.5/km 181 Parking, Historical Marker. Commemorates Alaska Road Commission which began in 1905.
mile 111.8/km 180 Copperville access road.
mile 111/km 178.6 Tazlina River Trading Post.
mile 110.7/km 178.1 Tazlina River Bridge.
mile 110.6/km 178 Rest Area. Picnic tables and toilets
beside the Tazlina River.
mile 110.4/km 177.7 Tazlina River RV Park.
mile 106.2/km 170.7 North Junction of Old Richardson Highway loop road leads to historic Copper
Center. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park/Preserve Info Center located at Mile 105.5 Old Richardson Highway. The following information is about Copper Center. I recommend that you use the old highway so you don't miss a very picturesque Alaskan community. 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.
Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge
Mile 102 Richardson Highway, Brenwick Craig Road. 907-822-4000. Overlooking the Wrangell-St. Elias Mountain Range, this lodge features a true wilderness experience. Participate in the many activities available including flight seeing, river rafting, horseback riding, fishing and excursions into the historic Kennicott mining district. Restaurant, lounge, espresso bar, gift shop and tour desk. Call 800-426-0500 for reservations
The 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.
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.
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 Rivers offer some of the state's best fishing.
mile 101/km 162.5 Klutina River Bridge.
mile 100.2/km 161.2 South Junction of Old Richardson Highway loop road leads to historic Copper Center and returns to the highway at mile 106.1.
mile 87.7/km 141.1 Parking by
Willow Lake. Good views of Wrangell
Range, over 50 miles away. Mt. Drum (12,010 ft.) is nearest peak. Mt. Wrangell (14,163 ft.) is semi-active volcano east of Mt. Drum. Mt. Sanford (16,237 ft.) is partly hidden by these two mountains and Mt. Blackburn (16,390 ft) the tallest of the four major peaks.
The Wrangell Range takes in an area of over 5,000 square miles, and has 12
peaks above 10,000 ft. Innumerable glaciers drain northward into the Tanana and Yukon river systems which flow into the Bering Sea. Glaciers also drain southward into the Copper and Chitina river systems which empty into Prince William Sound and the Pacific.
mile 83/km 133.6 Parking at Pippin Lake.
mile 82.6/km 132.9 Junction. The Edgerton Highway branches off to
the small community of Chitina (33 miles) and into the Wrangell St. Elias National Park to the ghost towns of Kennicott and McCarthy (60 miles past Chitina) This takes approximately 3 hours to drive and the road can be quite rough. The first 33 miles to Chitina are paved. Liberty Falls Campground, with 6 units, grayling fishing, is located 24 miles from this junction.
Chitina (pronounced CHIT-na) has a population of 171. Its beautiful scenery, dilapidated buildings and fishing in nearby lakes and streams are it's main attractions. 2 miles from Chitina
across the Copper River is a camping and picnic area. The highway leading to the campground crosses a $4 million-dollar bridge which is part of a project designed to provide good access from Chitina to the
mineral-rich area surrounding McCarthy and the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, the largest Park in the USA.
Chitina became prominent about 1910 as a railroad and mining supply
center, after completion of the Copper River and Northwestern Railway from the coastal
town of Cordova to the world-famous copper mines at Kennicott. The road from Chitina to McCarthy follows the path of the old railroad. This gravel road is state maintained from May 15 - September 15 and is passable by any standard passenger vehicle. There are no vehicle services beyond Chitina and the road is narrow in places, so watch for other traffic. There are old railroad spikes along the way in the roadbed, so drive carefully. Check at the Ranger Station at Chitina for current road conditions. There is a footbridge across the Kennicott River. The town of McCarthy is a half mile beyond the end of the first bridge. Van transportation is available to Kennicott and McCarthy from the footbridge. Call Wrangell Mountain Bus 554-4411 from the pay phone at the bridge.
Wrangell Mountain Air A real Alaska experience might be summed up in a few words; Mountains, glaciers, wild, untamed wilderness and rustic frontier towns. Wrangell Mountain Air is your ticket to the wonders of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Based at McCarthy near the center of the park, the company offers fly-in day trips to Kennicott National Historic Landmark with optional history tours and glacier hiking, flightseeing in what has been described as the Himalayas of North America. Fly-in backpacking, base-camping and river trips are also available.
Take advantage of scheduled daily flights from Chitina and McCarthy and spend a couple of days in the area. Reservations required. 1-800-478-1160.
The "Company Town" of Kennicott and its support town of McCarthy
sprang up in 1910 with the development of the massive high grade copper deposits at the Kennicott Mine and flourished until 1938 when the mine and railroad were abandoned. In 1986 the Kennicott Mine was named a National Historic Landmark. Today there are about 50 residents in Kennicott / McCarthy area.
Kennicott Glacier Lodge is a full service lodge with hotel rooms, restaurant, guided tours, hiking, and flight seeing. A unique opportunity to stay and explore the famous ghost towns of Kennicott and McCarthy. Comfortable lodging, indoor bathrooms and hot showers as well as a cozy living room with a library and fireplace. Accommodation is limited so there is lots of personal attention from the staff. Historical tours with knowledgeable guides are available 907-258-2350, or toll free 1-800-582-5128.
mile 79.5/km 127.9 Squirrel Creek and Squirrel Creek State Recreation
Site. 25 camp sites, water, toilets, firepits and fishing in creek. Fee area. Limited turn around space at end of road. If you are driving a large RV it is best to park near the entrance and walk to select your site. Road is fairly rough.
mile 79.1/km 127.2 Tonsina River Bridge. Tonsina River and Little
Tonsina River which parallels the highway from mile 74 to mile 65, has good Dolly Varden, grayling and salmon fishing.
mile 74.5/km 119.9 Large parking area.
mile 72/km 115.9 Parking with view of Alaska Pipeline.
mile 65/km 104.6 Little Tonsina River State Recreation
Area. 8 camp sites, water, and toilets. Watch out for bears in area. Fishing for Dolly Varden. Fee area.
mile 64.7/km 104.1 Pump Station No. 12. This is the last of 12 pump
stations located along the Alaska pipeline. Parking and information sign on pipeline.
mile 62/km 99.8 Ernestine Station. Highway maintenance camp-no public facilities.
