Edgerton Highway/McCarthy Road to McCarthy, AK

To Glennallen Mount Wrangell (see RICHARDSON HIGHWAY section) 14,163 ft./4,317m Key to mileage boxes miles/kilometres Copper Center W miles/kilometres from: N . a R t R Map Location Chitina a io C- in n t a er A lu l iv J-Richardson Highway Jct. K P R N C a a rk in G RE-Road End B sl o o a u t E G-Glennallen p n Old Edgerton e L p d h L Will e a C . o V-Valdez EDGERTON HIGHWAY w r ry Loop Road a R nin M C esh O r h U Willow Lake e C e N k T

A © The MILEPOST® Pippin Lake IN Ri ve . S eek r R Mount Blackburn l Cr 16,390 ft./4,996m re sina

ir n Kenny

u o 10 T a

q Lake

S n

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s Glaciated Area t

K Riv o J-0 er K e J-34/54km t n km n C-34/54 ver i k Ri c e C-0 na o e b la RE-93/150km r w u t k t C RE-59/96km s 4 rty Twomile t Ku G J-98/150km G-32/151km ibe l L a L. r Strelna L. c C-59/96km e i v V-83/133km e i r R

RE-0 Van a Trans- Chitina n Kennicott i Lake z Pipeline wtb Silver The McCarthy Road Kennicott i Lake River McCarthy Cr. N N61˚31’ Sculpin t b t W144˚26’ McCarthy er Lake t N61˚26’ W142˚55’ iv Long Lake To Valdez R hitina (see RICHARDSON HIGHWAY section) r C pe Cop Ri ver Key to Advertiser G Principal Route Logged l Services a c C -Camping i Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve Paved Unpaved a D -Dump Station te d Other Roads Logged d -Diesel

G -Gas (reg., unld.)

I -Ice Other Roads Ferry Routes L -Lodging Ch itin M -Meals a P -Propane Refer to Log for Visitor Facilities A R -Car Repair (major) re T Scale a a r -Car Repair (minor) n 0 10 Miles a R S -Store (grocery) R i 0 10 Kilometres iv v T -Telephone (pay) e e r r

wilderness of Wrangell–St. Elias National ger cars, pickups, vans, campers and a few sibly 4-wheelers (inquire locally). It is a Park and Preserve. smaller RVs regularly traverse the McCarthy little more than a half-mile walk from the Food, gas, lodging and 2 full-service Road in the summer and early fall. For those footbridge to the town of McCarthy. It is RV parks are available along the Edgerton who don’t like adventurous driving, Wrangell 5 miles from the footbridge to Kennicott. Highway to Chitina. There is paid parking Mountain Air provides twice daily air service Local businesses offer shuttle van service and camping at the end of the McCarthy to McCarthy/Kennicott from Chitina. Or let between the footbridge, McCarthy and Road. Food and lodging are available in the Kennicott Shuttle (www.kennicottshuttle. Kennicott. If you arrive after shuttles have McCarthy/Kennicott area. (NOTE: Some busi- com) or Wrangell St. Elias Tours (www.alaska quit for the day, try calling local businesses nesses do not take credit cards.) See the road yukontravel.com) do the driving for you. from the free phone at the end of the bridge logs this section for more detailed informa- Take your time on the McCarthy Road. to ask about a ride. tion. We recommend slow speeds (5 to 10 mph) Emergency medical services: Between Named for U.S. Army Major Glenn Edg- on sections of rough road, and no more the junction of the Richardson and Edgerton erton of the Alaska Territorial Road Com- than the posted speed limit—35 mph—on highways and McCarthy, contact the Cross mission, the Edgerton Highway—known improved gravel. Watch for sharp rocks, rail- Road Medical Center in Glennallen, phone locally as the Edgerton Cutoff—provides road spikes, no shoulders, narrow sections 911 or (907) 822-3203. access to homesteads in the Kenny Lake of road, soft spots, washboard, potholes and area and to the salmon dip-net fishery on a few “roller coaster” curves. Motorists with the at Chitina. A popular sea- large vehicles or trailers should exercise cau- sonal activity for many Alaskans, details on tion, especially in wet weather. Edgerton Highway Log the Copper River personal use dip-net fish- Flat tires are not uncommon on the ery are posted at the ADF&G website (www. McCarthy Road: Carry a spare. Tire repair is adfg.state.ak.us). Updates are also available available in Chitina and McCarthy. Distance from junction with R ichardson by phone in summer at (907) 267-2511 in Cell phone coverage is sporadic on the Highway (J) is followed by distance from Anchorage; 459-7382 in Fairbanks; or 822- McCarthy Road, but Verizon, AT&T and McCarthy Road junction at Chitina (C). 5224 in Glennallen. ACS have worked in the Kennicott/McCar- The McCarthy Road follows the right-of- thy area for our field editors. ALASKA ROUTE 10 EAST way of the old Copper River & Northwestern The National Park Service ranger station J 0 C 33.6 The Edgerton Highway leads Railway. Begun in 1907, the CR&NW (also in Chitina has information on current road east from the Richardson Highway. Downhill referred to as the “can’t run and never will”) conditions and also on backcountry travel grade next 4 miles eastbound. View from the top was built to carry copper ore from the Ken- in Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and of this hill is of 7.2 miles of straight highway necott Mines to Cordova. It took 4 years to Preserve. The station is open daily from going east. Fine for littering, $1000. complete the railway. The railway and mine noon to 4 P.M . ceased operation in 1938. The McCarthy There is no vehicle access to McCarthy/ Junction of the Edgerton Highway (Alaska Museum is celebrating 100 years in 2011, Kennicott for visitors from the Kennicott Route 10) and the Richardson Highway read more about this in the McCarthy city River footbridge at the end of the McCar- (Alaska Route 4). Turn to Milepost V 82.5 section. thy Road. Motorists must park and cross on page 471 in the Richardson HIGHWAY The McCarthy Road is recommended for the Kennicott River via a pedestrian bridge section for log of Route 4. those who like adventurous driving. Passen- that also accommodates bicycles and pos-