カッパーリバー国勢調査地域周辺の簡単なハイキングとウォーキング

This is about as far as you'd want to go on the sometimes steep, unstable and unofficial gravel "path" that parallels the glacier. You do get some amazing views here, but all the warning signs you hiked past are there for a reason. This isn't the safest trail on the planet, and it's very easy to suddenly notice you're walking on the glacier itself, as the rock and dirt you started on merge seamlessly into the ice itself. Don't believe me? Look for the glimmers of blue and blue-white ice peeking out through the grime, and trace the source of the miniature waterfalls spilling down near the trail. They're fueled by melting ice.

This is the closest of a couple different viewpoints you can reach with some easy walking. From here, you get very nice views of the glacier's blue ice and the lake of meltwater in front of it. What might be less obvious is that the glacier is actually larger than it appears: A portion of it is covered in dirt, rock, and silt that makes it look like part of the earth.

Follow the gravel path

The Kennicott Mine can be visited in the summer after the mine has melted. There are guided tours and mountain tours as well as glacier tours on the nearby Kennicott Glacier. Important: the car can only be driven as far as McCarthy.

To the north of the coastal town of Valdez, the huge buildings of the former copper mine that unearthed a fortune in copper ore between 1900 and 1938 still stand proudly. Until the late 1960s, Kennecott (also known as Kennicott) was mainly an abandoned ghost town. However, after being designated a National Historic Landmark in the 1980s, the site continues to develop into a tourist attraction. Residents of the community are lovingly restoring the buildings and preserving the charm from the days of the mountain farmers.

The Rambler Mine operated in search of gold in the 1940s, but has since been abandoned. Original buildings, mine shafts, and artifacts are still located at the site. Good views of the Nabesna River Valley and Mentasta Mountains can be seen from the mine site.

Depart Nabesna Road here and follow the trail to the abandoned Rambler Mine site and buildings.

A small town that formed alongside the Kennecott Mine and Mill site, five miles away. McCarthy flourished during the copper mining boom, and played a part in the railroad infrastructure that shipped the copper ore to Tacoma, WA for processing. After a decline in the mid-to-late-1900s, McCarthy has been revived to serve the tourists visiting Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. The town has restaurants and several air taxi and guiding companies.