Best time to visit
For photos, early or late in the day gives softer light on the river and glacier. Summer is when most travelers make this trip, and daylight lasts long—use that to your advantage for a quieter, prettier crossing.
Overview
About McCarthy Footbridge
The McCarthy Footbridge crosses the Kennecott River and is the essential gateway into the tiny town of McCarthy and the historic Kennecott mines beyond. From the far side, it’s about 0.6 miles to McCarthy and roughly 5 miles to Kennecott. Expect sweeping views of the river and nearby glacier as you walk across.
Why stop
- Pedestrian gateway to McCarthy (0.6 mi) and Kennecott (5 mi)
- Great river-and-glacier views right from the span
Heads up
- No restrooms or services at the bridge
- Cell coverage is very limited
This isn’t just a crossing—it’s the transition from road trip to on-foot exploration. The bridge delivers big scenery with very little effort, and it’s the logical staging point whether you’re walking, biking, or catching a local shuttle into town.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy it’s worth a stopMap
Where it is
Loading the Wrangell-St. Elias map
Full mapLocal know-how
Tips for visiting McCarthy Footbridge
Park at the bridge and plan to walk 0.6 miles into McCarthy.
Bring your own water and snacks—there are no services at the bridge.
Expect little to no cell service; agree on rendezvous plans in advance.
If you’re heading to Kennecott, consider a local shuttle after crossing.
Drive the McCarthy Road slowly and carry a full‑size spare.
Plan your stop
Before you go
Best time to visit
Logistics you should know
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Wrangell-St. Elias Tour Guide
Your drive to McCarthy Footbridge, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Wrangell-St. Elias audio tourRecorded for this place
McCarthy Footbridge: Crossing the Kennecott RiverListen
“Coming up is the McCarthy Footbridge over the Kennecott River. This is really the spot where the on-foot portion of your adventure begins. The walk across gives you some great views of the river and a nearby glacier.”
Plays as you drive up to McCarthy Footbridge in the Parkwolf Wrangell-St. Elias Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- McCarthy, the Gateway to Kennecott
- McCarthy Road End Information Station
- Kennicott’s Rock Blanket & Root Glacier Hike
- Kennecott Mines: A Preserved Copper Boomtown
- 98 audio storiesacross Wrangell-St. Elias’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Moose, Humpback Whale, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 13 trails, 28 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
More about McCarthy Footbridge
A bit of historyBefore this bridge was built in 1997, visitors crossed the river using a hand‑pulled cable tram.
Before this bridge was built in 1997, visitors crossed the river using a hand‑pulled cable tram. You can still spot remnants of that era near the bridge, a fun bit of context for the Kennecott mining story you’ll encounter up the road.
Getting here: McCarthy Road snapshotThe approach is a 60‑mile, unpaved McCarthy Road.
The approach is a 60‑mile, unpaved McCarthy Road. It can be rough with potholes and occasional old railroad spikes surfacing—drive slowly and cautiously. Allow around two hours each way, fuel up before you start, and carry a full‑size spare with a solid jack.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Wrangell-St. Elias
112 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 9 PMSighting map
63 sightingsMooseMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
21 sightingsHumpback WhaleMost seen around 1 PMSighting map
46 sightingsSteller Sea LionMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
37 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
48 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 5 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Wrangell-St. Elias. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
