McCarthy Road Drive in Alaska: How Hard Is it, Is It Worth It?

McCarthy Road Drive in Alaska: How Hard Is It, Is It Worth It?- To see the main sights in Wrangell St. Elias National Park you might be looking to drive the McCarthy Road. The McCarthy Road stretches 60 miles from the town of Chitina to McCarthy. This road can be intimidating to most as you hear many stories of it being a tough road to drive, I may think differently than others. I believe it is an easy drive as long as you plan ahead and drive smart and consciously. Read more on the McCarthy road drive, when to go, tips, how hard, where to stay, how long it takes and more in this article.

Stats

Length: 60 miles one way

Time: at least 2 hours one way

Difficulty: Moderate

Route: From Chitina to McCarthy

When: May to September

Overview

When To Go

Where To Stay

How Hard Is The Drive?

The Route

Tips For The Drive

What To Do In The Areas

When To Go

The McCarthy road typically opens in the middle of May and stays open until the middle of September. This is when the road is also maintained, don’t expect snow clearings in the middle of winter.

We went at the end of July 2021 so we did not have to worry about snow.

Where To Stay

There will be no cell service along most of the drive and in the town of McCarthy.

Since the drive will be long one way it is best to plan to stay at least one night in McCarthy to experience it all and not be in a rush.

We were in a Million Miles Adventure campervan so we stayed outside of Chitina at the Liberty Falls Recreation Campground. We got up in the morning to start our drive on McCarthy early in the morning.

Once at McCarthy we stayed at Glacier View Campground. You do not need reservations as they have tons of spots.

If not interested in camping there are just a few places to stay in McCarthy. The Kennicott Glacier Lodge comes highly recommended.

Booking.com

How Hard Is The Drive?

I am sure that the conditions of the roads vary depending on the season and recent maintenance. If there has been a recent rain storm I am sure there can be some big wash outs. But with that said I did not find the road super difficult to drive. We were in a campervan and took it very slowly.

If someone was speeding and not watching for potholes I can easily see how this road can be dangerous and cause flat tires and damage to a car.

Watch the road, go slow and maneuver around to the best sides of the road and you should do just fine.

We believed that the road near Chitina was the roughest part of the drive, after that the road flattened out and was an easier drive.

The Route

Start

The drive officially starts in the town of Chitina, Alaska. This is a super small town. There is not even a gas station, so please make sure you plan to fill your tank up ahead of time.

There is a Ranger Station where you can stop and learn about the area.

When entering the road there will be a narrow section of the road, there are large rocks on either side. Just big enough for one car, so make sure you take turns if another car is coming in the opposite direction.

Cooper River Bridge

Soon after around mile 1 you will cross the Cooper River Bridge. Here you might see some boats and fishermen catching Salmon. This section of the road was what we found to be the most difficult as it was slightly uphill and rocky.

Kuskulana Bridge

The next major milestone on the drive will be around mile 17, the Kuskulana Bridge. This bridge was built in 1910 to serve as a railroad bridge. It spans more than 250 feet above the river. This bridge is also one lane only, so take your time as you cross it and take turns. There is a place to stop to use the restrooms, pull off, stretch your legs and walk around.

Wildlife

Along the drive we saw lots of wildlife, birds, a black bear and a moose! We pulled over and watched this moose for a long time. So cool to see it up close and personal but safe from the inside of the campervan!

End of the McCarthy Road

At the end of the McCarthy Road you will be at your destination. I won’t lie, it has an interesting end to it. On the right will be daily and nightly parking and on the left will be the campground that we stayed at, Glacier view Campground. No cars can go any further unless you are a resident. There is a footbridge to get to the busing system and/or walk to the town of McCarthy, Alaska. Read more about what we did in McCarthy here.

Tips For The Drive

Fill up your gas tank

Make sure you have a full tank of gas. The town of Chitina does not have gas. I would fill up at the small towns of Glennallen or Kenny Lake.

Car Tools and Spares

Make sure you take a spare tire for your personal car, rental car or campervan. This would be a terrible area to not have a spare or the correct tools. Do not expect to have service while driving the McCarthy Road.

Have an emergency kit

I would have some items on hand incase of an emergency. A few times for emergency food, snacks and water. This is for if you break down or maybe hit some bad weather and need to stay a little longer than expected.

Check with your rental company

Most rental car companies will not let you take their vehicle on McCarthy road. We rented a campervan with Million Mile Adventures and we were allowed. If you can’t find a rental car that will allow you to drive on the road you can look into alternative ways to get to McCarthy. Through the Kennicott Shuttle, or even flying in with Wrangell Mountain Air or Copper Valley Air.