Driving Yourself

The McCarthy Road

The McCarthy road can be great, or it can be terrible. It is feasible, but not recommended, to drive the road in a passenger car. Recent improvements have made travel vastly easier in recent years than ever before, but with the potholes, puddles, washboards, and occasional washouts the road is not without its perils. One of the single-most notable hazards is flat tires sustained from old railroad spikes, relics from the days when the Copper River & Northwestern Railroad once ran along that very route. The most thorough "McCarthy Road Kit" that we can recommend is a spare tire on a full-sized rim (not a small emergency donut), 2 cans of fix-a-flat, a 12-volt air compressor, and the preparation to spend some extra time out there if necessary. Flat tire repair service is available in Chitina, Silver Lake, and in McCarthy. McCarthy-Kennicott.com is a great informational website that features a blog-type entry with the most up-to-date information available on the internet concerning the conditions of the McCarthy road.

Rental Cars

If you rent a car make sure not to mention driving to McCarthy. Most rental car companies prohibit any dirt road driving, including the Denali Highway and the McCarthy Road. The Dept of Transportation has been improving the road out here every year, and what was once a 3 to 4 hour adventure is now a 2 hour drive. Just make sure the rental car comes with a jack and spare tire.

Rental Car from Glenallen to McCarthy, or for day out of Glenallen
You can call Northwind Car Rental in Glenallen at 907-822-5600. They have a couple cars they'll let you drive to McCarthy for $70 a day or $400 a week, plus a 1-time $50 charge for driving the McCarthy Rd, and the optional $20 a day insurance.

Driving Yourself Directions

From Anchorage - 314 miles (7 hours)
Take the Glenn Highway out of the downtown area and into the Matanuska Valley. Pass the Parks Hi-way turnoff, continue through the town of Palmer (last stop light and grocery store) and follow it 130 more miles as it twists and turns between the northern boundary of the Chugach Mountains and the southern boundary of the Talkeetna Mountains. Turn south in Glenallen (fuel up), taking the Richadson Highway 33 miles through Copper Center, the Wrangell Mountains boldly presenting themselves in the East. Then turn east (left) on the Edgerton Highway, and cruise 33 more miles to Chitina and the bridge crossing the Copper River. From there it's 60 miles of dirt to McCarthy.

From Fairbanks - 374 miles (8 hours)
Take the Richardson Hi-way south through Delta Junction and Glenallen before taking a left on the Edgerton Hi-way to Chitina & McCarthy. A great side trip is taking the Denali Highway 14 miles out of Paxson and staying at Tangle Lakes. Beautiful alpine tundra, lakes, and Alaska Range monster peaks. There is camping and lodging at the end of the pavement.

From Valdez - 176 miles (5 hours)
Take the Richardson Hi-way north 100 miles, then head East (take a right) on the Edgerton Hi-way to Chitina & McCarthy. This is a gorgeous drive through the Chugach, some highlights including Thompson Pass and following the Tonsina River.

From Denali National Park - 359 miles (8 hours)
Head East from Caswell on the Denali Highway, which is a dirt road whose condition you should ask about before taking. This runs @120 miles. Once in Paxson, head south on the Richardson Highway through Glenallen, then left on Edgerton Highway to Chitina & McCarthy.

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Shuttles

Alaska Yukon Travel
Jen Titus
http://www.alaskayukontravel.com
Direct service from Anchorage to McCarthy, twice a week!

Anchorage to McCarthy
Wednesdays & Saturdays
Departs Anchorage at 9:00 am
Arrives McCarthy at 5:00 pm
$165 per person OW / $315 RT

McCarthy to Anchorage
Mondays & Fridays
Departs McCarthy at 1:00 pm
Departs Glennallen at 5:00 pm
Arrives Anchorage at 8:00 pm
$165 per person OW / $315 RT

Alaska Direct Bus: Anchorage to Glenallen: 907-277-6652
This bus leaves on Sunday, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 6 a.m. from the Days Inn in downtown Anchorage and arrives in Glenallen around 10:30 a.m.. You'll have to either hitch from there, or spend a day in Glenallen and catch Backcountry Connection the next morning. Another option is to rent a car in Glenallen for the day and explore on your own, there are raft trips on the Klutina River (Nova Rafting), King Salmon fishing charters, and other activities we can recommend for you.

BACKCOUNTRY CONNECTION: Shuttle from Glenallen to McCarthy
Backcountry Connection leaves Glenallen early in the morning and can pick you up anywhere between Glenallen and Chitina, arriving in McCarthy by 11 a.m.

Ed and Suzanne
P.O. Box 65, Glenallen, AK 99588
907-822-5292
bakcntry@alaksa.net
http://www.alaska-backcountry-tours.com

Depart Glennallen 7:00 AM / Through Chitina 8:30 AM /Arrive McCarthy 11:30 AM
Depart McCarthy 4:00 P.M. / Through Chitina 7:00 P.M. / Arrive Glenallen 8:00 P.M.

PRICING
Departing from Glennallen or Copper Center:
Round-trip $89 / One-way $70

Departing from Kenny Lake or Chitina:
Round-trip $79 / One-way $55

Shuttle from Valdez to Chitina
You can call Jack Johnson Shuttle Service at 907-835-3028 for a charter van from Valdez to Chitina. He'll either drive you out the night before, or early in the morning in time to hook up with the Wrangell Mtn Air flight from Chitina to McCarthy leaving at 8:55 a.m. He charges a $130 minimum, with an additional $20 charge per person. He can take up to 8 people.

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By Plane

You can charter a flight to McCarthy from Anchorage, Glennallen, or Valdez, or drive to the town of Chitina and take a scheduled flight from there. Flying from Chitina is an affordable way to skip the drive and get amazing views of Mt. Blackburn and surrounding area.

Chartering a flight to McCarthy (estimated prices for 5-person plane, one-way)
-From Glenallen: $500
-From Anchorage: $1000
-From Valdez: $600

Wrangell Mountain Air:
Kelly & Natalie Bay
800-478-1160
http://www.wrangellmountainair.com
*They fly from Chitina to McCarthy every day at 8:55 a.m., getting in at 9:30.
It's $195 per person round-trip or $95 one-way.
*Wrangell Mtn. Air also charters a 5-passenger Cessna from Glenallen to McCarthy for $450. They let each person have up to 40 pounds of gear. A charter from Valdez is $600.

Ellis Air Taxi
http://www.ellisair.com
907-822-3368
Anchorage to McCarthy; Wed & Friday mornings (mail plane) $500 r/t per person
Availability limited so contact early and plan ahead.

McCarthy Air
Gary Green
http://www.mccarthyair2.com
907-554-4440
Flightseeing & backcountry drops; Anchorage & Cordova charters
Pilatus Porter (7 passenger)

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By Train

Alaska Railroad
http://www.AlaskaRailroad.com
1-800-544-0552
You may choose to take the railroad from Anchorage (stops in Girdwood) to Whittier if you plan to travel through Prince William Sound to Valdez via boat.

By Boat

Alaska Marine Highway
http://www.ferryalaska.com
800-642-0066
800-382-9229 & www.akmhs.com (ticketing agent)
There are passenger & passenger/auto ferries that do operate in Prince William Sound, enabling you to get between Whittier, Valdez, and less frequently available Seward.