CHITINA – MCCARTHY SHUTTLES
Traveling to McCarthy, AK?
Leave the driving to us, and avoid the stress of taking your own vehicle on the McCarthy Road. We offer daily van service on the 60-mile gravel road between Chitina and McCarthy, from May 15 to September 15. Travel with a local, watch for wildlife, and enjoy spectacular wilderness and railroad history.
Book Now
RATES
One-Way: $80 per person
Round-Trip Same Day: $130 per person
Round-Trip Different-Day: $144 per person
RESERVATIONS
Call us at 1(907)390-0369, email info@alaskayukontravel.com, or reserve online.
AM and PM SHUTTLE DEPARTURES
AM SHUTTLE Departs DAILY:
Kenny Lake Mercantile & RV Park: 6:45 am
Wrangell-St Elias Tours Office, Kenny Lake: 6:55 am
Chitina Airstrip/Wrangell View RV Park: 7:15 am
Chitina Hotel: 7:30 am
Arrives at McCarthy Footbridge: 10:00 am
PM SHUTTLE Departs M, W, F, SA
Kenny Lake Mercantile & RV Park: 1:55 pm
Wrangell-St Elias Tours Office, Kenny Lake: 2:00 pm
Chitina Airstrip: 2:45 pm
Chitina Hotel: 3:00 pm
Arrives at McCarthy Footbridge: 6:00 pm
PARKING
Free parking is available at our office in Kenny Lake (mile 7.8 Edgerton Highway) and at the Chitina airstrip (mile 28 Edgerton highway.)
We can pick up/drop off directly at your hotel, lodge, campground, or Bed & Breakfast in Copper Center, Kenny Lake, Tonsina, or Chitina.
CAN YOU FLY TO MCCARTHY AND THEN TAKE THE VAN BACK TO CHITINA?
Yes! The Chitina Airstrip is a great place to leave your car or RV during your day trip or overnight stay. It is also a popular pick-up/drop-off point for shuttle passengers.
You can ride the van from the Chitina Airstrip to McCarthy in the morning, and fly back to the Chitina Airstrip in the evening. Or, take a later flight from Chitina to McCarthy, and ride the shuttle back to your car when you’re ready.
Scenic flights are available between Chitina and McCarthy three times a day in summer. Contact Wrangell Mountain Air at 1-907-554-4411 for flight information. http://www.wrangellmountainair.com
| WHERE TO STAY OVERNIGHT IN MCCARTHY KENNICOTT Here is a list of accommodations in McCarthy-Kennicott that are well-suited for shuttle passengers. HOTELS & LODGES Kennicott Glacier Lodge http://www.kennicottlodge.com Located in Kennicott, 5 miles from the footbridge. Hotel provides van transportation to/from lodge. Offers: restaurant meal packages, vacation packages, private in-room bathrooms. Walking distance to glacier and historic attractions. Ma Johnson’s Hotel http://www.mccarthylodge.com A historic property located in McCarthy, 0.5 mile from the footbridge. Hotel provides van transportation to/from lodge. Offers: breakfast, shared bathrooms. Walking distance to restaurants, museum, rivers, shuttles to Kennicott, and flight service. Shushanna Guesthouse http://www.mccarthyguesthouse.com Located in McCarthy, 0.5 mile from the footbridge. Transportation between the footbridge and your accommodation is provided. Offers: 2 modern apartments with private bath, kitchen. Each unit can sleep up to 5 people. Large deck. Walking distance to restaurants, museum, shuttles to Kennicott, guides, and flight service. CABINS McCarthy B & B http://www.mccarthybedandbreakfast.com Road accessible, located 0.5 mile before the footbridge. Offers: breakfast, private cabins, full bathrooms. Some cabins have kitchens. Walking distance to footbridge, museum, restaurants, flight and shuttle services. Kennicott River Lodge http://www.kennicottriverlodge.com Road accessible, just before the footbridge. Offers: private cabins, kitchen access, shared bathrooms, glacier views. Walking distance to footbridge, museum, restaurants, flight and shuttle service. Blackburn Cabins http://www.blackburncabins.com Located on the wagon road between McCarthy and Kennicott, about one mile beyond the footbridge. Provides transportation to/from footbridge. Offers: private cabins, bike rentals. CAMPGROUNDS Glacier View Campground www.glacierviewcampground.com Located on the McCarthy Road, 0.5 miles before the footbridge. Offers (dry) campsites, glacier views, an outdoor restaurant, bike rentals, showers, cabin rental. Walking distance to footbridge, museum, restaurants, flight and shuttle service. |
RETURN SHUTTLES: FROM MCCARTHY TO CHITINA, KENNY LAKE, VALDEZ, OR ANCHORAGE
We have 2 departures from the McCarthy Footbridge to Chitina: 10:00 am, and 6:00 pm.
The 10:00 am shuttle departs from McCarthy DAILY and can connect with trips to Valdez (daily) or Anchorage (4 days a week.)
Departs McCarthy Footbridge: 10:00 am
Arrives Chitina Hotel: 1:00 pm
Arrives Chitina Airstrip/Wrangell View RV Park: 1:15 pm
Arrives Kenny Lake Mercantile & RV Park: 1:50 pm
Arrives Wrangell-St Elias Tours Office, Kenny Lake: 2:00 pm
The 6:00 PM SHUTTLE departs from McCarthy DAILY:
Departs McCarthy Footbridge: 6:00 pm
Arrives Chitina Hotel: 8:30 pm
Arrives Chitina Airstrip/Wrangell View RV Park: 8:45 pm
Arrives Kenny Lake Mercantile & RV Park: 9:15 pm
Arrives Wrangell-St Elias Tours Office, Kenny Lake: 9:20 pm
(All shuttle arrival times are approximate and can vary depending on weather, wildlife, passenger load, road conditions, etc.)
A NOTE FOR RV TRAVELERS:
The McCarthy Road is narrow, uneven, and brushy in some areas. Railroad spikes from the old Copper River & Northwestern Railroad, which the road is built upon, still surface. Most RV Rental companies prohibit RV travel on this rural, gravel road.
Whether you are going into Wrangell-St. Elias National Park for the day or planning to stay overnight, you can safely leave your RV in Chitina or Kenny Lake, and take the shuttle on the McCarthy Road.
RV Camping with full-hookups is available near the Chitina Airstrip (mile 28 Edgerton Highway) at the Wrangell View RV Park, and in Kenny Lake, at the Kenny Lake Mercantile & RV Park (mile 7.5 Edgerton Highway.) We can pick you up and drop you off right at your RV.
Other great places to (dry) camp include Squirrel Creek Campground near the Tonsina River, or Liberty Falls, a small campground with a waterfall on the road to Chitina. Arrive early to acquire a site, and let us know where you decide to camp, so we can arrange an easy pick up for your trip.
If you would like to visit us at our Kenny Lake office/shop located at mile 7.8 Edgerton Highway, a large highway pullout just across the road from our location offers easy RV parking. Heading towards Chitina, after you pass the Mercantile and the Community Hall and Fairgrounds, the pull-out will be on the right at “Kenny Lake.” Our office/shop is a small cabin across the road on the left.
Contact us if you have any questions or need help planning your trip. Call 1(907)390-0369 — email: info@alaskayukontravel.com.
Book Now
Do you have only one day to visit Wrangell-St Elias National Park?
Our 12.5 hour tour from Chitina gives you eight hours at of free time at McCarthy and Kennicott, so you can hike or enjoy additional tours. And our Full-Day Trip with Root Glacier Hike makes it easy to add the popular guided glacier hike to your one-day trip.
The Full-Day Trip gives you eight hours of free time at McCarthy-Kennicott, so there is time to walk to the glacier, visit the museum, and see the exhibits and historic sights around the towns of Kennicott and McCarthy.
The Full Day Trip with Root Glacier Hike includes transportation to Kennicott and a guided hike on the white ice of the Root Glacier, which is accessed via a two-mile trail from Kennicott. See and photograph moulins, waterfalls, blue pools, crevasses, and other unique glacial features. Your guide provides all of the equipment and instruction necessary to traverse the glacier ice safely.
For reservations and more information, please give us a call at 1 (907) 390-0369, or email: info@alaskayukontravel.com.