Dogs Off-leash
Features
River/Creek · Views · Waterfall · Wildlife
There are no fees to enter Wrangell-St. Elias, but getting to Kennecott requires logistics (eg. variable parking fee at the end of McCarthy Road, $5 shuttle from McCarthy to Kennecott). While the park and roads are open year-round, McCarthy Road is not regularly maintained in the winter and Kennecott Visitor Center is only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Description
Kennecott used to be a small copper mining town in the early 1900s and
Bonanza Mine is currently the most accessible mine, requiring a lengthy, but straightforward, day hike. The trail begins near the beginning of the
Root Glacier Trail close to the end of Kennecott Road. Follow the switchbacks through the trees up to the tundra, where the views really open up. The Bonanza bowl is very picturesque with patches of snow, a stream and small waterfalls, and turning around, you see
Root Glacier and the Chugach Mountains.
Continuing through the bowl, remnants of mining operations are ever-present and the trail culminates at the mine bunkhouse ruins. Here, you can hike around and observe the historic artifacts, and if you are ambitious enough, you can continue up to
Bonanza Peak. The route to the summit is described in the
Bonanza Peak Hike.
The trail has an intermediate / difficult rating due to its grade and patches of snow along the trail.
Flora & Fauna
Bears are known to be present on and around the trail.
Contacts
Shared By:
Abe H
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Particularly Special Place
Difficult
Unknown
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