Getting Here

DRIVE YOURSELF

No matter where you come from, if you drive yourself you will get to experience the adventure of the McCarthy Road. The McCarthy road is the last leg of your journey, 60 miles of dirt road that begins in Chitina and ends at the Kennicott footbridge in McCarthy.

Check out this awesome video from our friends at Alaska.org that describes the journey: Getting to McCarthy

McCarthy Road

• You do not need 4WD
• The road is maintained during the summer months but does vary in condition from week to week due to rain and use.
• Expect it to take approximately 2 hours. An average of 30-35 miles an hour will help to avoid flats and collisions.
• Make sure your car or rental car has a full sized spare and the tools you need to change it. Flat tire repair service is available in McCarthy.
• Chitina is the last stop for fuel!
• Phone service is reliable for most carriers in Chitina (except AT&T). The road itself has little coverage until the last 10 miles when Verizon and Credo begin to work again.
• Enjoy the drive! It follows the path of old railroad from the mining days and has big vistas and ample opportunity for wildlife sightings.

When you arrive:

• Follow directions from your lodging as to where to park and how to best reach them. If you do not have lodging or are planning to camp it is $10/day to park your car at the end of the road. If your cell phone does not work then please use the courtesy phone at the footbridge to reach us by calling 907-554-4444 (907-554-1044 after 7:30 pm).

Rental Car Companies:
Not all rental companies allow their cars to go down the McCarthy Road and policies change from year to year. Check in with your company before making the booking. The following (by no means a comprehensive) list of companies allow travel down the McCarthy road :

• Alaska 4×4 Rental
• Midnight Sun Car and Van rental
• Go North

If you rent a car that does not allow travel down the McCarthy Road, there’s an option to drive yourself to Chitina and get either a flight or a shuttle from Chitina to McCarthy to avoid driving the McCarthy Road. See the flying or shuttles tab.

Driving Instructions:

From Anchorage – 314 miles (7-8 hours)
Take the Glenn Highway out of the downtown area and into the Matanuska Valley. Pass the Parks Highway turnoff, continue through the town of Palmer (last stop light and grocery store) and follow it 130 more miles as it twists and turns between the northern boundary of the Chugach Mountains and the southern boundary of the Talkeetna Mountains. Turn south in Glenallen (fuel up), taking the Richardson Highway 33 miles through Copper Center, the Wrangell Mountains boldly presenting themselves in the East. Then turn east (left) on the Edgerton Highway, and cruise 33 more miles to Chitina and the bridge crossing the Copper River. From there it’s 60 miles of dirt to McCarthy.

From Fairbanks – 374 miles (7-8 hours)
Take the Richardson Highway south through Delta Junction and Glenallen before taking a left on the Edgerton Highway to Chitina & McCarthy. A great side trip is taking the Denali Highway 14 miles out of Paxson and staying at Tangle Lakes. Beautiful alpine tundra, lakes, and Alaska Range monster peaks. There is camping and lodging at the end of the pavement.

From Valdez – 176 miles (5 hours)
Take the Richardson Hi-way north 100 miles, then head East (take a right) on the Edgerton Highway to Chitina & McCarthy. This is a gorgeous drive through the Chugach, some highlights including Thompson Pass and following the Tonsina River.

From Denali National Park – 359 miles (8+ hours)
Head East from Caswell on the Denali Highway, which is a dirt road whose condition you should ask about before taking. This runs 120 miles. Once in Paxson, head south on the Richardson Highway through Glennallen, then left on Edgerton Highway to Chitina & McCarthy.