One of the greatest escapes in the Alaska outback is not the glitzy, hotel-lined entrance to Denali National Park, but rather the long and winding road to Kennicott Lodge and the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Denali may have the largest mountain and the most visitors, yet it is Wrangell-St. Elias that is the largest national park in the U.S. at 13.2 million acres. Ironically, the park receives about one-tenth of the visitors that Denali receives. Congress has called the Wrangells the “premier mountain wilderness in North America” and the United Nations hailed it as offering “outstanding universal value to mankind.”
Each park has its own attractions that require a solid base of operations, and for the Wrangells, that is Kennicott Lodge.
The lodge is located in the center of the park, and is neighbor to one of the best ghost towns in Alaska. Kennecott, Alaska, was abandoned in 1938, reverting to a shell of the prosperous copper ore town that was busier than its sister city Anchorage. But after the easy copper was mined, the old buildings, town and equipment were abandoned. I marveled at them from 1,200 feet as our bush plane approached the airstrip on final approach, with a massive glacier beneath us.
On our first day, we met with lodge guides to discuss the opportunities. There is always more to do here than expected.
Have your clients first start their tour at the lodge. Old artifacts from the turn of the century cover the lodge walls, and make for some interesting reading. I enjoyed the billing for transporting items to the general store. Then there is a visit to the dining hall, which is a great place to chat with the kitchen help, who may slip you a few fresh-baked cookies for the day.
The next area to visit is the old Kennecott copper mine complex. Exploring the historic buildings and poking around the park service exhibits will take a good day, especially if clients can explore some of the outer buildings a few miles away via a long trail.
On day two, clients should book a trip with St. Elias Alpine Guides for glacier trekking and ice climbing on Root Glacier, its terminus spreading out widely at the base of the lodge. Clients can walk from the front door of the lodge and onto the ice within 20 minutes. Hiking on the glacier is a must because of its proximity to the lodge and its gorgeous blue-water, ice-melt pools; dark-bottomed moulins; huge pressure ridges; and the cracking and thundering crevasses. Ice climbing is only available to those wishing to view ice-melt waterfalls and ice cliffs, and requires an all-day trek. For those who prefer an easier method of enjoying the wilderness, whitewater rafting is also a fun, four-hour float on the Kennicott River to the massive Chitina River.
For clients arriving into Anchorage, it’s best to board a direct, scheduled flight on Wrangell Mountain Air (WMA) for about $550 per person. For those driving to Alaska, WMA also offers a bush-plane flight from the town of Chitina to the lodge three times a day for about $200 round-trip per person.
In 2008, the lodge is open from May 22 to Sept. 14. Package rates include a room in the lodge, three daily meals and transportation between McCarthy and Kennicott upon arrival and departure. While guided activities are an extra charge, the cost is $305 per night. Commission is available.
The only problem I had with my three-day tour to Kennicott is that I didn’t plan time for additional side tours to McCarthy where I could view wildlife, go on an alpine hike or just take in the ghostly mystique of the area. Plan at least three to five days for your clients. They won’t be disappointed.
800-582-5128
www.kennicottlodge.com
