“Free advice is worth about what it costs.” - Ayn Rand
An opinionated moose’s view on the best of Alaska
An opinionated moose’s view on the best of Alaska
McCarthy
A 6-8 hour drive from Anchorage, this little town is in the middle of Wrangell St. Elias National Park at the end of a 60 mile dirt road. It has a small bar, a few hotels, and a scrappy frontier feel and is accessible by footbridge in the summer If you stay at the Ma Johnson Hotel they will help you with your bags. Unfortunately, there are a lot of cars around – driven across the river in the winter by locals. Obviously there is good camping and hiking nearby. (A fellow named Butch once told me now that I've been thrown out of a saloon in McCarthy and charged by a bear, I can now run for governor.) In any case, a good spot to start your own Alaskan political career.
Best hotel: Ma Johnson Hotel. You can also stay at the Kennecott Lodge near the mine up the road but when we looked around it seemed kind of touristy (yes, all hotels are touristy but it seemed touristy and, despite its location, not all that characterful.)
We haven’t done it, but we understand there is a camping spot nearby on a rocky peninsula where two glaciers meet. You might ask around about conditions and details. Also, we’ll know more next summer when we do it, but there are a few backcountry cabins you can fly out to (via McCarthy Air) that are supposed to be quiet cool and not all that expensive to reach as they’re only a 10 or 15 minute flight. Though you can’t make cabin reservations, McCarthy Air will have more info about which ones are likely to be occupied.
