Step Back In Time At This Overlooked Alaskan Ghost Town Turned National Historic Landmark

Alaska's Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is the largest tract of land under the National Park Service's jurisdiction. Despite being so massive, this national park is still not very well known, and there are many fascinating places to explore without fighting crowds. You could go a long time hiking through the mountains and forests of this wilderness without coming across anything made by human hands — but you might stumble upon a ghost town: The Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark.

A cluster of red buildings, including the tall mill, cut a striking figure against the natural landscape around them. While some buildings might look new, no one has lived here for a very long time. This fascinating place once produced copper ore worth the modern equivalent of over $4 billion and employed hundreds of miners. Although it's been more than 85 years since any copper was mined here, many of the buildings have been preserved, and you can still explore this historic community in the chilly Alaskan mountains and imagine what it would have been like to live and work here a century ago, in the shadow of glaciers.

When copper became one of the most valuable resources in the world because of its use in electric wires and modern machines, a deposit of copper ore was discovered in the Alaskan wilderness. According to the National Park Service, copper ore is typically around 10% copper, and refining is required to make what we know as copper. The ore discovered in what would be Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve could be as potent as 85% copper. The area was not ideal for building anything, being in a rugged, rocky area criss-crossed by rivers and buried in snow every year, but a treasure trove this valuable could not be ignored.

The town was built in the Alaskan wilderness, connected to the rest of civilization by a railroad track. Despite its treacherous location, the mine attracted workers by offering some of the highest wages for miners in the United States. Starting in 1903, this remote town became home to miners who worked long hours extracting the ore from the earth. They brought their families with them, and an entire community sprung up around the copper. However, by 1938, the copper ore was gone, having been used up by decades of mining. As quickly as it had grown, the population of the town shrank. Soon, no one lived there at all. Today, while many buildings still stand and have even been restored to the way they once were, it is a ghost town.

Like many iconic Alaskan national parks and preserves, it's not easy to get into the heart of Wrangell-St. Elias. The train that once transported copper ore to Kennecott has long since stopped being operational, so to reach this abandoned town in the mountains, you'll need to take an eight-hour drive from Anchorage, the final 60 miles of which will be on a gravel road (if you're renting, make sure your car is approved for gravel). You can't drive into the town, so you must park at Kennicott River Bridge. There's a shuttle to the town in the warm weather, but in the winter, you'll have to hike or ski in alone. If you don't want to make the long drive, you might want to charter a little shuttle flight instead. Approaching the town from the air can be an exciting way to enjoy the landscape, too, if you can afford the extra expense. 

Once you arrive, however, a truly fascinating look into history is waiting. Incredibly, much of what the population of Kennecott left behind in 1938 is still there today. From examining the machinery in the old mill to looking over the maps, charts, and papers displayed in the old drafting office, walking through this town is almost like stepping back in time. When you climb to the top of the old mill, you'll be rewarded with incredible views of the misty, snow-capped mountains around you and the town surrounded by rugged landscape below.