Parking
Begin on foot in downtown McCarthy near the historic hardware store; local parking and services are in town, then follow the signed public approach to the river and footbridge.
Overview
About McCarthy Creek Trail
McCarthy Creek Trail is a rugged, moderate out-and-back creekbed route from downtown McCarthy. The full visitor line follows the public approach from town, then the mapped McCarthy Creek corridor toward the historic upper route. Expect loose cobbles, braided channels, changing footing, and route-finding rather than a maintained tread.
Why go
- Distinct creekbed travel with braided channels and solitude
- Historic mining landscape and a natural river endpoint
- Easy town access without a remote trailhead drive
Heads up
- Floods and washouts can erase parts of the route
- Loose cobbles, wet footing, and route-finding slow travel
- Creek crossing near the endpoint can be hazardous at high water
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Wrangell-St. Elias map
Full mapElevation1,375–1,962 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Wrangell-St. Elias Tour Guide
Your drive to McCarthy Creek Trail, 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 trailhead
McCarthy, the Gateway to KennecottListen
“You're coming up on the town of McCarthy, the small community at the end of the road. This is the gateway to the Kennecott Mines, but it has its own distinct, rustic vibe.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Wrangell-St. Elias Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- McCarthy Footbridge: Crossing the Kennecott River
- McCarthy Road End Information Station
- Kennicott’s Rock Blanket & Root Glacier Hike
- The Bush Pilot Lifeline
- 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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking McCarthy Creek Trail
Route and DistanceWalk through downtown McCarthy past the historic hardware store, continue to the river and…
Walk through downtown McCarthy past the historic hardware store, continue to the river and footbridge, then follow the mapped approach to the first steep switchback. From there, the route follows McCarthy Creek. After about three miles, flooding has washed out parts of the old route; use the established up-and-over line beside the creek rather than forcing a ford. The route ends at the river between an old cabin and the former crossing. The NPS leaflet lists the named trail segment as 5 miles one way (10 miles round-trip). Including the verified downtown approach, this full visitor route measures about 6.5 miles one way, so Parkwolf reports 13.0 miles round-trip.
Experience and SafetyThis is a creek-and-canyon outing with solitude and raw, changeable scenery, not a groomed…
This is a creek-and-canyon outing with solitude and raw, changeable scenery, not a groomed trail. McCarthy Creek is a substantial river: crossing may be possible at low water but can be treacherous when flows rise. Turn around if the crossing is unsafe, and expect floods to wash out portions of the route. Respect private property in the upper drainage and do not trespass. Ask the Kennecott Visitor Center about current access conditions before setting out.
Getting There and GearAccess is on foot from McCarthy.
Access is on foot from McCarthy. The McCarthy Road approach is gravel and can be rough; carry a spare and repair kit if driving in. Wear footwear suitable for wet, loose rock and bring trekking poles and reliable navigation. Dogs are allowed on leash and under control; keep them close in bear country and around changing water.
Route ConventionParkwolf stores the physical out-and-back corridor once, from the downtown start to the river…
Parkwolf stores the physical out-and-back corridor once, from the downtown start to the river endpoint. The reported length is the total round-trip distance, not a duplicated reverse line.
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.
