Kennecott Mill Town Walking Tour

The 2-hour tour involves walking a mile, including a hiking trail up a steep hill with ~150 feet of elevation gain. Once in the buildings, you will navigate areas that have low headroom and uneven floors. You will also descend multiple sets of stairs and ladders that are steep and uneven – all stairs and ladders have handrails. If you are traveling with small children, please make sure that they can navigate these stairs independently or that you have a hands-free carrier for them. Our guides are happy to assist as needed!

Your Kennecott Mill Town Tour will begin in Kennecott. Check-in with our staff in our Kennecott Office at least 10 minutes prior to the start of your tour. We are the second building on the left as you enter the Kennecott Town Site.

Transportation to Kennecott is available via two shuttle options - the Copper Town Shuttle or the Blackburn Heritage Shuttle.

The Copper Town Shuttle costs $20 per person for an unlimited pass. It has 2 scheduled pick-up locations - on the Eastside/McCarthy-side of the Footbridge and in McCarthy. The Copper Town Shuttle offers an hourly service leaving McCarthy at the bottom of the hour starting at 8:30 am and continuing until 6:30 pm. The first shuttle arrives in Kennecott at 9 am and the last shuttle of the day departs Kennecott at 7 pm. They also provide free shuttle rides covering the ½ mile from the Footbridge to McCarthy starting at 8:45 am and running every half-hour following (9:15 am, 9:45 am, etc.) This shuttle does not go to Kennecott. It takes you into McCarthy where you can catch the shuttle to Kennecott.

The Blackburn Heritage Shuttle costs $5 per one-way ticket and runs between the Footbridge, McCarthy, and Kennecott. In McCarthy they pick-up in front of the Potato - a local restaurant. They offer free rides to active duty military and their families, and minors under 18 travelling with parents. They run an hourly schedule starting at 9 am at the Footbridge (with an early bird pick-up at 8:15 am) and departing Kennecott at 9:30 am and every hour following (10:30 am, 11:30 am, etc.). Their final shuttle departs Kennecott at 6:30 pm. Please keep in mind that breaks can impact their schedule. This shuttle is a white short bus that you can’t miss if you see it!

We recommend catching the shuttle at least 1.5 hours before the start of your tour, as space is limited.

The towns of McCarthy and Kennecott are closed to outside vehicle traffic, and the Footbridge is the only way for visitors to enter the area. The Footbridge is a pedestrian bridge that crosses over the Kennicott River and is located at the end of the McCarthy Road.

You can pay to park your car at the Base Camp Kennicott Campground at the end of the McCarthy Road. To access the towns of McCarthy and Kennecott, you’ll want to cross the Footbridge. Once on the other side, there are a few different ways to get to where you need to go:

• If you need to get to your lodging, check with your lodging host to arrange a pick-up with them.
• If you need to get around the area for the day, there is a local shuttle service that provides rides up to Kennecott at a cost. However, you can always ride your bike or walk the ½ mile to McCarthy or the 5 miles to Kennecott. There are no bike rentals available in the area.

Yes, it’s one of our most popular Day Trip options! Our Half-Day Glacier Hike starts at 9 am and usually ends between 2-3 pm, just in time to catch the 3:30 pm Kennecott Mill Town Tour.

Tipping is customary in the guiding industry and always appreciated. While our guides are paid professionals, gratuities help make guiding a sustainable career. A good guideline is 10–20% of the trip cost—typically $10–$35 per person for day trips, and 10–20% of the total cost given at the end for multi-day trips. Tips can be given in cash, via Venmo, or by card. If your trip includes a flight, please tip your pilot separately, as any pre-tips go directly to your guide.

WSENP is located in Southeast-Central Alaska, about 300mi East of Anchorage and on the Canadian border.

There are many buildings open to the public that our tour does not enter. Take some extra time before or after the tour to explore these buildings. Public buildings are open 9am to 5pm. Check in with our office for additional information.

The group size is 15 guests to 1 guide, multiple tours can go out at each time slot.