McCarthy to Kennicott Trail

This is less a hike and more a walk through time. Starting from the footbridge over the Kennicott River in McCarthy, the old wagon road follows the river valley northward toward the ghost town of Kennecott — yes, the mine and the glacier spell it differently, and locals will correct you. The trail is a wide, mostly flat gravel road with gentle elevation change that even your least outdoorsy friend could handle. You'll pass through boreal forest with spruce and alder, catching glimpses of the Kennicott Glacier's lateral moraine and the Wrangell Mountains towering above. The real payoff is arriving at the Kennecott Mill Town — a massive, rust-red copper processing facility that looks like it was abandoned mid-shift in 1938, because it basically was. History buffs and photographers will lose hours here. The walk itself is the appetizer; Kennecott is the meal.