McCarthy, Alaska is an interesting and rather unique place. It lies at the end of a 60 mile sometimes rough gravel road, right beside the abandoned Kennecott mine and at the edge of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.The public road actually ends on the far side of the river, so many of the residents apparently park their trucks over there and walk to the village across the footbridge - or use their quads or motorbikes for the same purpose.
There is a vehicle bridge, but it is apparently private, and you have to pay an annual fee of several hundred dollars to use it. So the village is somewhat pedestrian oriented.
It is a bit of a living museum. Mining artifacts are on display in the street as well as in the free museum. Many buildings are from the mining era, but there is evidence of recent and ongoing construction as well.
There are several outfitting and guiding businesses as well as an air charter company.
This is the cable car that till the new bridge was built, appeared to be the primary way to cross the river to get in to McCarthy!
Mining artifacts on display in the museum.

I took a couple more shots from the Kuskulana bridge on the way out.

And the rock cut at the very start of the road at Chitina. All traffic to Kennecott and McCarthy must navigate this one lane rock cut.
Some pretty cool clouds greeted our return to the pavement.
We stopped at Kenny lake on the way out and made use of the shower and laundry facilities, and ate some tasty left-overs that the fridge provided.
Then it was down the road towards Valdez. We found a primitive bush camp site not far from Squirrel creek state rec area. N61 40.073 W145 10.404

After the growling Grizzly wake-up call on July 31st we continued on to Chitina (at left on the map below) and got on the 60 miles of gravel road on the way to McCarthy, the Kennecott mine, and Wrangell-St.Elias National Park

Almost immediately upon entering the road, there was a large number of fish traps operating on the river. I presume they were all first nations harvesters.
A distant shot of the traps (click on any photo for a larger view).

And a closer shot of the traps, and the related shacks, RV's and vehicles on the gravel flats of the river.There were a number of impressive bridges along the road, all originally built as a railway link to the Kennecott mine.
Some, like this one, are now used by vehicular traffic.
At 238 feet, it is rather high.
You don't want to drive off this one!
Others, are extensive railroad trestles, some of which were routinely washed out each spring by the flood waters.


Finally, we reached McCarthy (just across the river), and trail heads for hikes into Wrangell - St. Elias National Park.
We had to walk across this bridge, then pay for a shuttle van to take us the 6 or so miles up to the abandoned Kennecott mine - which is now administered and being restored by the National Park Service.
The huge glaciers of the National Park are visible from miles away.
Up closer to the glaciers near the Kennecott mine site, the valley appears to be a mile wide; a jumble of ice covered in gravel and rock.
Next, the Kennecott mine.