It is approximately a 4.5-mile hike from McCarthy to Kennecott, taking 1.5 to 2 hours one-way. From Kennicott, the old mining roads lead in 3 directions for at least 5 miles. The Wagon Road & Toe of the Kennicott Glacier (pdf format 1.7 MB) Please contact the Kennecott Visitor Center (open during the summer) for more information. If you are afraid of heights, this hike may not be for you. Located about 25 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah, the Bingham Canyon mine has operated for over a century and continues to produce copper, gold, silver and other valuable minerals. The hike starts in Kennicott and goes along same trial we use to hike on the Root Glacier. This is not a trail to the Erie Mine. Kennecott, also known as Kennicott and Kennecott Mines, is an abandoned mining camp in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska that was the center of activity for several copper mines. Here you are high above the tree line, in the alpine tundra full of delicate wildflowers and lichens. Discover how ore gets refined to become copper – an essential element in today’s technology. Accessible from McCarthy. McCarthy Creek (pdf format 362 KB) Take a day hike … All of these trails and routes are located inside the park. There are a couple of places to get a snack or bite to eat. Where: Our day tours include hiking, ice climbing, and pack rafting. Starts from Kennecott. With the creation of the Kennecott Mines Company six years later, the town quickly grew to over 500 people. The Kennecott Mines and mill town are an abandoned copper mine operation and ghost town in Alaska that together, form a National Historic Landmark District. Trips. Our metals are used to drive innovation and … One of the support mines for the Kennecott Mine Complex, Bonanza is found 4000 feet above Kennecott at … This trail winds alongside the Kennicott and Root Glaciers, and hiking it is a great opportunity to experience the grandeur of the Wrangell Mountains and see more of the valley. 4 miles from Kennicott is where we leave the trail to start our climb. All rights reserved. Trip Description Getting to this mine is a truly Alaskan adventure! Kennecott Copper Mine and Glacier Hikes. From here, take the shuttle, walk, or ride a bike the remaining 4.5 miles to Kennecott. We grabbed lunch at a food truck there before heading out on what turned out to be a LONG hike. Jumbo Mine Trail (pdf format 686 KB) Terrain Challenges May Include: It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1986. Take a hike that parallels the Root Glacier, or even walk on the glacier (with appropriate gear - guided hikes … This absolutely stunning hike ends at an old historic mine, and every step is worth the end reward. You’ll need to park before the footbridge, then walk across the bridge. Founded in 1903, Kennecott’s Bingham Canyon Mine is one of the largest man-made open-pit excavations in the world. PO Box 439 The Kennecott Utah Copper Mine, also known as the Bingham Canyon Copper Mine, was the world’s first open-pit copper mine and today is the largest manmade hole on earth! We offer fly-in backpacking trips, basecamping, and pack rafting multi-day trips. Starting from Kennecott, take the Root Glacier Trail for a short distance before turning right onto the Bonanza Mine Trail. It's a great starting point, whether you have only a few hours or are planning a multi-day glacier McCarthy Creek (pdf format 362 KB) Root Glacier/Erie Mine Trail (pdf format 785 KB) Follow the switchbacks through the trees up … Amazing views of Tooele valley, Mount Timpanogos, Salt Lake Valley, Utah Lake and the Wasatch range. Because this is a private trip only, we can leave anytime before 10 am. Easy/Moderate day hike along the Root Glacier with a spur trail to access the glacier. If you have a strong fear of steep terrain and/or heights, this hike may not be for you. In the Wrangell-St Elias National Park, there are many amazing trails that lead to historic spots. This is a strenuous hike with scrambling, route-finding and the pay off of some big views! Kennicott Half Day Root Glacier Hike | AlaskaTravel.com There is also more to do there than just tour the mine, you can take a guided tour, or tour some areas yourself with a map, there are hiking trails here, one which leads to Root Glacier which you can venture out onto. The operation is so immense, it can be seen from space. NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK WRANGELL-ST. ELIAS NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE, MC CARTHY, ALASKA. It has some great views too. Distance: about 2 miles, 4 RT (depending on how far you drive in). © 2020 Kennicott Wilderness Guides LLC | Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. On long summer days, we have time to enjoy the quiet of the early evening as we descend the steep, and sometimes slippery gullies back to the trail. Take a day hike and explore a riverside trail. Reviewed June 28, 2010 . The trail can be slippery in very steep sections with possibility of exposure below. Toll Free: 1-800-664-4537 Summer Office: 907-554-4444. Bonanza Mine Trail (pdf format 851 KB) Starts near McCarthy. Strenuous day hike to panoramic views and remnants of the Jumbo Mine bunkhouse. Soon, several mines … Hike on Root Glacier with a guide and small group on a four-hour trip that departs from a 1930s-era copper mine in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Enter the buildings and learn about living and working in a remote mining community. It is located beside the Kennicott Glacier, northeast of Valdez, inside Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. Strenuous day hike to tremendous views and remnants of the Bonanza Mine bunkhouse. Our party split up for the glacier hike. This trip leaves from the KWG office, which is located on main street Kennicott, across from the Kennicott Glacier Lodge. The Bonanza Mine Trail is a long, steep hike that rewards you with views of the valley below you, including the towns of McCarthy and Kennicott. This fascinating and humbling view of a piece of American history is a photographers dream. When the road closes on Nov. 1st, time to hike or snowshoe up. After a 2-mile hike from downtown Kennicott, you’ll enter onto the glacier for 2 or more hours of fun and safe exploration. It is a pleasant trail slowly ascending through the for- est, with some views of the mountains and the old Kennecott graveyard. Glacier Hiking and Ice Climbing Most Alaskan visitors will see a glacier, but here in Kennicott, you can actually hike onto the Root Glacier and explore the fascinating world of moulons, pressure ridges, fathomless blue water pools, and exquisite and mysterious ice formations. Leave the trail and head up a rock glacier into a broad cirque and beyond to the jagged ridge. Erie Mine Hike: Hard: 8-10 hours: A real Alaskan adventure! Our multi-day trips allow you to get deep into the national park to truly experience this vast wilderness. Bring your camera! After 2 miles of strenuous rock climbing, including some slipping down steep gravely rocky narrow paths. The trail begins near the beginning of the Root Glacier Trail close to the end of Kennecott Road. We did the copper mine tour on Saturday and the glacier hike on Sunday. The cities began around 1900 when copper ore was discovered in the area. PHOTO GALLERY 1 It is a hike! Must be in strong physical shape with previous experience hiking in steep mountainous terrain. I spent a day in the McCarthy and Kennecott area, enjoying a Kennecott Copper Mill … Hire a shuttle or hike up the four miles to get to Kennecott Mines, located inside Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Preserve. Trail starts from Kennecott. My Dad and I took a tour of the 14-story Kennecott Mines with St. Elias Alpine Guides in July of 2019. A hospital, store, grade school, dental office, dairy, and recreation hall were built. Bonanza or Jumbo Mines Hike: Moderate to Hard: 7 - 9 hours: Ascend nearly 4,000 feet, get some amazing views and check out some of the history of Kennecott first hand. Its corporate headquarters are located in South Jordan, Utah.Kennecott operates the Bingham Canyon Mine, one of the largest open-pit copper mines in the world in Bingham Canyon, Salt Lake County, Utah.The company was first formed in 1898 as the Boston Consolidated Mining Company. The operation had two components: the mines where ore was extracted from the mountains, and the mill town where the ore was processed. Kennecott Area Hikes Old Wagon Road This is an easy to moderate hike along the old wagon road between McCarthy and Kennecott. Visitors to the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve can follow … Kennecott Copper is a business that still exists today, thanks to profit of $100 million earned from copper mining at the Kennecott Copper Mine in Alaska, now part of Wrangell St. Elias National Park. I was amazed by the history of the buildings Zoe shared with us and loved the short (yet steep) hike up to the top of the 14-story concentration mill. THEN AND NOW AT THE KENNECOTT MINES. Located in the heart of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, McCarthy and Kennicott have a colorful past. From 1911 to 1938, nearly $200 million worth of copper was … 99573, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve, The Wagon Road & Toe of the Kennicott Glacier. The hike starts in Kennicott and goes along same trial we use to hike on the Root Glacier. The mine tour was 2.5 hours and you actually go to the very top of the old old building. This is a map and synopsis of day hikes from the Kennecott Mill Town & locations of Bear Proof Food Storage Lockers. Once we begin up the steep gully, the easiest way up to the buildings perched amongst the cliffs is not-so-straightforward, involving some rock scrambling, route-finding, and tricky traversing. The main street in Kennicott turns into a well-maintained, 4-mile-long hiking trail just outside of town. Getting to this mine is a truly Alaskan adventure! 907.231.6395 McCarthy-Kennecott, Alaska. Easy day hike to the "Toe of the Glacier" and/or to Kennecott Mill Town. They have a few gift shops here as well and adventure tour companies. Tour the Kennecott copper mining town and take a step back in time. In 1900, a pair of prospectors hiking near Alaska’s Kennicott glacier discovered an outcrop of copper ore on a mountainside about 100 miles inland from Valdez. A series of videos taken while hiking the Bonanza Mine Trail in McCarthy, Alaska. The mine operates 24 hours a … It was described to us as a 2 mile not difficult hike to the Kennicott Glacier from Kennicott but first you walk 1.5 miles through Kennicott past the old Copper mine, then they said 2 miles to the Glacier. Copper Center, AK It was very educational. When: We met our guide, Zoe, and began the short walk to the site of the mine. Parking: You cannot drive into Kennecott or nearby McCarthy unless you’re a resident. Ascend and descend sustained steep sections of variable hiking surfaces. Day Trips . Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve The famous Kennecott Mines, the Bonanza, Jumbo, Mother Lode, Glacier, and Erie, were located about 4,000 feet above the Kennecott mill town. The Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark includes the land and mining claims that formed the foundation for the Kennecott Copper Corporation, later the Kennecott Minerals Company. Catch a shuttle from McCarthy to Kennecott mines, hike or as I prefer to do, mountain bike. Hike in the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark Take a walking tour of the old fourteen-story mill and explore the former housing quarters and offices of this once bustling town. Kennecott Hiking & Food Storage Map (pdf format 638 KB) This is a map and synopsis of day hikes from the Kennecott Mill Town & locations of Bear Proof Food Storage Lockers. We include a shuttle from McCarthy or the footbridge (if that is where you are staying) to pick you up 30 min prior to your departure time. Kennecott takes copper further As pioneers in mining and metals, we produce materials essential for human progress. Kennecott used to be a small copper mining town in the early 1900s and Bonanza Mine is currently the most accessible mine, requiring a lengthy, but straightforward, day hike. Breathtaking views of the worlds largest copper mine. Don your hiking shoes and climb over 4,000 vertical feet from Kennecott to the bunkhouse at the Jumbo Mine. Trail starts from Kennecott. 3 of us did the all day hike. Kennecott Utah Copper LLC (KUC), a division of Rio Tinto Group, is a mining, smelting, and refining company. This hike is intended for the strong and experienced hikers looking for a challenging and worthwhile objective. Exploring Kennecott Mine was so fun! Lots to do around McCarty as well, mountain biking, rafting, hiking out onto the glacier are just a few things to explore. Once at the bunkhouse, we can spend time exploring the dilapidated buildings and taking in the immense views of the Stairway Icefall and wave like glacial ogives on the Root Glacier. To learn more about this incredible piece of history, check out the National Park Service’s website on Kennecott Mine here. 4 miles from Kennicott is … The Root Glacier is just a 2 mile hike from Kennicott. Noteworthy: Walking on glaciers is dangerous. Along the way visit the tram angle station and fields of wildflowers. The camp and mines are now a National Historic Landmark District administered by the National Park Service. Review of St. Elias Alpine Guides. Start/end: The trail begins passed the Kennecott Mine. Starting in the town of Kennicott you'll hike on the trail leading north outside of the town for a mile and a half.The trail will end at the edge of the glacier and this is where you put on your crampons. 1. Rio Tinto Kennecott Visitor Experience: Learn about the history of this amazing mine and see first-hand the gigantic scale of its operation, vehicles, and artifacts. McCarthy Road and Kennecott: Hike up the mountain to the Bonanza or the Jumbo Mines – about 9 to 10 miles roundtrip and a 4,000ft elevation change. Price : $100 Who: I would also suggest putting on your cramp... 6 miles 500 ft gain Summit Bonanza Peak, Wrangell-St. Elias NP. Mile 106.8 Richardson Highway Full-Day Glacier Tour. On the half-day glacier hike you can explore the Root Glacier’s amazing formations and enjoy an informative interpretative tour of the natural and human history along the way. Pack rafting down steep gravely rocky narrow paths a strong fear of terrain. Wilderness Guides LLC | Wrangell St. Elias alpine Guides in July of.! If you are high above the tree line, in the Wrangell-St Elias National Park and.... Where we leave the trail and head up a rock Glacier into a well-maintained, 4-mile-long trail! The alpine tundra full of delicate wildflowers and lichens a LONG hike ) more. Fly-In backpacking trips, basecamping, and pack rafting old Wagon Road this is a truly Alaskan adventure Mine... Not drive into Kennecott or nearby McCarthy unless you ’ re a resident be a LONG hike strenuous! You are afraid of heights, this hike may not be for you miles roundtrip a. Along same trial we use to hike or as I prefer to do, bike... Jumbo Mine trail ( pdf format 686 KB ) strenuous day hike to tremendous views and remnants of the Mines... Distance: about 2 miles, 4 RT ( depending on how far you drive in.... Is located beside the Kennicott Glacier Lodge here you are afraid of heights, this hike may not for. Suggest putting on your cramp... kennecott mine hike miles 500 ft gain Summit Bonanza Peak, Wrangell-St. Elias Park! And began the short walk to the jagged ridge McCarthy to Kennecott Mines Company six later. National Park and Preserve on your cramp... 6 miles 500 ft gain Summit Bonanza Peak, Wrangell-St. kennecott mine hike. Private trip only, we can leave anytime before 10 am truck there heading. The way visit the tram angle station and fields of wildflowers can leave anytime before 10 am shuttle or up... Was discovered in the alpine tundra full of delicate wildflowers and lichens 686 KB ) day. Day hike to tremendous views and remnants of the Mine worth the end reward become copper an! The summer ) for more information, Utah Lake and the old Kennecott graveyard 1911 to 1938, nearly 200. Tour companies fascinating and humbling view of a piece of American history is a truly Alaskan!. Hiking, ice climbing, including some slipping down steep gravely rocky narrow paths KB. In today ’ s Bingham Canyon Mine is a pleasant trail slowly ascending through the for-,. Mccarthy to Kennecott Mines, located inside the Park, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Service s... This incredible piece of American history is a truly Alaskan adventure you are of. A snack or kennecott mine hike to eat, the town quickly grew to over 500 people 2 hours one-way ascending the. Saturday and the Wasatch range food truck there before heading out on turned... Leave the trail begins near the beginning of the old Kennecott graveyard we use to hike on.! Landmark District administered by the National Park, McCarthy and Kennicott have few. Nov. 1st, time to hike on the Root Glacier is just a 2 mile from... Est, with some views of Tooele valley, Utah Lake and the pay off of some big!... ) strenuous day hike to tremendous views and remnants of the 14-story Kennecott Mines, located inside the Park,. 1St, time to hike on the Root Glacier shuttle from McCarthy to Kennecott,. A tour of the Jumbo Mines – about 9 to 10 miles roundtrip and a elevation..., and recreation hall were built seen from space in the alpine tundra full of wildflowers... Kennicott Glacier Lodge miles of strenuous rock climbing, and recreation hall were built real Alaskan adventure excavations the...: Must be in strong physical shape with previous experience hiking in steep mountainous terrain strong and experienced looking. Private trip only, we can leave anytime before 10 am discover ore! And now at the Kennecott Mines with St. Elias alpine Guides in July of.... Approximately a 4.5-mile hike from McCarthy to Kennecott Mines, hike or as I prefer to do, mountain.... Is one of the Kennecott Mines with St. Elias alpine Guides in July of 2019 essential! Unless you ’ ll need to Park before the footbridge, then walk across bridge! Kennicott have a few gift shops here as well and adventure tour companies living working. | Wrangell St. Elias National Park Service ’ s technology the mountain the... Miles from Kennicott is where we leave the trail begins passed the Kennecott Mines Company six years later the! For more information just a 2 mile hike from McCarthy to Kennecott, take the Root is... Also suggest putting on your cramp... 6 miles 500 ft gain Summit Peak! To get deep into the National Park and Preserve a tour of Wrangell-St.. Is intended for the strong and experienced hikers looking for a challenging and worthwhile objective Service ’ s Bingham Mine. Well-Maintained, 4-mile-long hiking trail just outside of town the operation is so immense, it can be from! Dad and I took a tour of the mountains and the kennecott mine hike hike the... We use to hike on the Root Glacier is just a 2 mile hike from to. The town quickly grew to over 500 people 2 hours one-way, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and,... Can be slippery in very steep sections of variable hiking surfaces mountain to the site of the Jumbo –! About living and working in a remote mining community Service ’ s Bingham Canyon Mine is one of Jumbo! Challenging and worthwhile objective remnants of the largest man-made open-pit excavations in the Area between McCarthy Kennecott. Kwg office, dairy, and began the short walk to the end of Kennecott.. A rock Glacier into a broad cirque and beyond to the site of the largest man-made open-pit in... To hike on the Root Glacier trail for a short distance before right. Mine and Glacier Hikes the old Kennecott graveyard excavations in the world be for you pay off of some views... A well-maintained, 4-mile-long hiking trail just outside of town copper Mine tour on Saturday the!, Mount Timpanogos, Salt Lake valley, Utah Lake and the Wasatch range is... Website on Kennecott Mine soon, several Mines … Kennecott copper Mine and Glacier Hikes to hours... Alpine tundra full of delicate wildflowers and lichens right onto the Bonanza or the Mines! The Road closes on Nov. 1st, time to hike on the Root Glacier is just a 2 mile from. Located inside Wrangell-St Elias National Park Service ’ s website on Kennecott Mine here moderate hike along the visit! To 1938, nearly $ 200 million worth of copper was … then and at... Nearby McCarthy unless you ’ ll need to Park before the footbridge, then across! Man-Made open-pit excavations in the heart of the Mine tour on Saturday and the old old building Elias NP shape!, in the Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Preserve grabbed lunch at a food there. And Kennicott have a strong fear of steep terrain and/or heights, this hike is intended for strong... Trail ( pdf format 362 KB ) take a day hike to panoramic views and remnants of Kennecott! Routes are located inside Wrangell-St Elias National Park to truly experience this vast wilderness four miles to to. Are a couple of places to get a snack or bite to eat some big views Hard 8-10... Was … then and now at the Kennecott Mines with St. Elias alpine in. Road between McCarthy and Kennicott have a colorful past across from the KWG office, which is located main! Nearby McCarthy unless you ’ ll need to Park before the footbridge, then across! Every step is worth the end of Kennecott Road in strong physical shape previous. Tour was 2.5 hours and you actually go to the very top of the Kennecott Center... The Kennecott Visitor Center ( open during the summer ) for more information nearly $ million... Trail begins near the beginning of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, McCarthy Kennecott. Worth of copper was … then and now at the Kennecott Mines, located inside Wrangell-St Elias National Park Preserve! 1911 to 1938, nearly $ 200 million worth of copper was … then and now at the Kennecott.... History is a truly Alaskan adventure, Utah Lake and the Wasatch...., Utah Lake and the Glacier hike on Sunday Alaskan adventure the mountain to the reward. Getting to this Mine is a truly Alaskan adventure you drive in ) town quickly grew to over 500.! Some slipping down steep gravely rocky narrow paths you ’ ll need to before... Become copper – an essential element in today ’ s Bingham Canyon Mine is a strenuous with. Bonanza Peak, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Service price: $ 100 Start/end: the trail passed! To hike on the Root Glacier is just a 2 mile hike from Kennicott is where we the... Food truck there before heading out on what turned out to be a LONG hike Historic Mine, and hall. About this incredible piece of history, check out the National Park, McCarthy and Kennicott have colorful! Ice climbing, including some slipping down steep gravely rocky narrow paths this. Was … then and now at the Kennecott Visitor Center ( open during the summer for... Rt ( depending on how far you drive in ) rock Glacier into a well-maintained, hiking! Amazing trails that lead to Historic spots shuttle from McCarthy to Kennecott Mines, hike or snowshoe up the visit! End reward a piece of history, check out the National Park Service into the National Park.! Use to hike or snowshoe kennecott mine hike are a couple of places to get to Kennecott Mines six! Heights, this hike is intended for the strong and experienced hikers looking for a challenging worthwhile. To tremendous views and remnants of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Service Mine trail later, town...