Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, AK
Historic forest route from McCarthy to Kennecott Mill Town
Overview
The Wagon Road is a historic forest route connecting the McCarthy area with Kennecott Mill Town. It is a quieter alternative to the Kennecott Road and follows the old wagon-road corridor through boreal forest, with views toward the Kennicott Glacier and a historic cemetery near Kennecott. This is a point-to-point hike: plan on 4.5 miles one way and about 9 miles for the full out-and-back.
Choose the Wagon Road for a quieter, historic connection between McCarthy and Kennecott when you can arrange a shuttle or are prepared for the full return walk.
Parkwolf’s verdictBottom lineMap & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Wrangell-St. Elias Tour Guide
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 area
McCarthy, the Gateway to Kennecott“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 on the road 0.3 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Wrangell-St. Elias Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“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
Start near the McCarthy Museum. Follow the main road toward Kennecott for about 1,000 feet, then turn left at the Wagon Road access just past the red-and-white Tony Zak Community Center; additional side-road access points exist, but respect private property and stay on the road. Continue straight on the Wagon Road to Kennecott Mill Town. The route can also be accessed from Kennecott, and a shuttle can solve the one-way logistics. The separate fork toward the Toe of the Kennicott Glacier is not part of this Mill Town route.
The NPS describes an easy-to-moderate, slowly ascending walk that takes about 1–3 hours one way. The historic Kennecott cemetery is about one mile from Kennecott. The trail is also open to bikes, but it can be narrow, rocky, bumpy, wet, and shared with other users.
This is bear country: carry bear spray, make noise in dense brush, and secure food. Stay on the signed route through private-property sections, respect landowners, and avoid shortcutting. If exploring the separate glacier-toe fork, use extra caution around meltwater and slippery glacial silt.
Wildlife
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.
Keep exploring
ChallengingMcCarthy Creek Trail13 mi · 7 hr · 0.4 mi awayRugged McCarthy Creek route with washouts, route-finding, and solitude
ChallengingJumbo Mine Trail10 mi · 8 hr · 3.2 mi awayStrenuous climb from Kennecott to the abandoned Jumbo Mine with sweeping glacier views
ChallengingBonanza Mine Trail9 mi · 7 hr · 3.6 mi awayStrenuous climb to Bonanza Mine ruins and sweeping Kennicott Glacier views
Sight · 0.3 mi awayMcCarthyCar-free gateway to Kennecott with seasonal services and shuttles
Sight · 0.4 mi awayWrangell Mountains CenterRustic, brainy hub for workshops beside the Kennicott Glacier
Sight · 0.6 mi awayToe of Kennicott GlacierQuick walk to a dynamic glacier face and growing lake
Sight · 0.9 mi awayMcCarthy FootbridgePedestrian gateway to McCarthy with big river-and-glacier views
Ranger station · 1.6 mi awayMcCarthy Road Ranger StationEnd-of-road info stop with restrooms and day-use parking
Visitor center · 3.5 mi awayKennecott Visitor CenterHistoric hub for Kennecott’s story, films, and ranger advice
Sight · 3.5 mi awayKennecott Mines National Historic LandmarkTowering red mill town frozen in Alaska’s copper boom
Sight · 9.7 mi awayRoot GlacierWalk on blue ice with towering mountain viewsParkwolf’s Wrangell-St. Elias ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
