How to be a Welcome Visitor

How to be a Welcome Visitor

Courtesy of Kenyon Services, McCarthy,
from A Visitor's Guide to Kennicott & McCarthy, Copyright 1998 (see credits below).

Thank you for your interest in McCarthy and Kennicott! We who call these historically-rich communities home invite you to take a peek into our past and our present.

The McCarthy and Kennicott townsites and much of our surrounding land are privately owned. Full-time, part-time and seasonal residents occupy homes and cabins throughout the area. Many of these same people provide our visitors with a variety of lodging accommodations, meals, gift shops, guiding, river rafting, air taxis and shuttle bus services.

We extend a warm welcome to you! In order that your visit is a pleasant experience, we offer you the following information.

Here are some useful things to know

• Local sources of drinking water are nearby creeks which are properly marked for your convenience. We appreciate your help in keeping our drinking water clean and safe.
• There are no public garbage dumps in the McCarthy area. Local residents and businesses have to haul out much of what they cannot burn or compost. Please help us by carrying out your trash. Serviced trash barrels are provided jointly by DOT&PF and NPS at the roadhead.
• McCarthy and Kennicott do not have local fire departments, so to minimize the fire hazard, both townsites are closed to campfires and camping. Camping is provided, however, on the west side of the Kennicott River.
• If you bring your pet, we ask you to keep it on a leash. Encounters with livestock and sled dog teams could be unpleasant.
• Be sure to tour the McCarthy-Kennicott Museum which is open 7 days a week beginning Memorial Day weekend. Numerous pictures, documents, charts, maps and artifacts are on exhibit. A model of the Bonanza Mine is also on display in a box car next to the museum.
• You are invited to attend Sunday services at 10:00 a.m. at the McCarthy- Kennicott Community Church located on the island between the footbridges.
• For information on the surrounding Wrangell-St. Elias National Park/Preserve and west side access to the park,  stop at the NPS Kiosk at Mile 59 of the McCarthy Road.