McCarthy Road
Encyclopedia
The McCarthy Road is a road that runs from the end of the Edgerton Highway
in Chitina
, Alaska, to about 1 miles (1.6 km) outside of McCarthy, Alaska
.
and sharp turns. The route follows the railbed of the defunct Copper River and Northwestern Railway
, and utilizes the spectacular Kuskulana Bridge, built in 1910, spanning 238 feet (72.5 m) high above the Kuskulana River at mile 17. It is one of two roads leading to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
, though it is not part of the park, and gives access to the abandoned copper
mines
at Kennecott.
The road does not actually lead all the way to Kennecott; visitors must cross the Kennecott River by a footbridge
built in the 1990s. Historically, one had to cross the river on a self-propelled tram. Visitors can walk to McCarthy in about 15 minutes, although shuttle vans and busses are available during the tourist season from the bridge to both McCarthy and Kennecott. The road is not maintained during winter.
The road was the inspiration for the 2004
book The Road to McCarthy: Around the World in Search of Ireland by Pete McCarthy
.
Edgerton Highway
The Edgerton Highway is a minor highway in the U.S. state of Alaska that extends 33 miles from the Richardson Highway near Copper Center to the town of Chitina. The McCarthy Road, within the Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve, is a 58-mile extension from Chitina to McCarthy.The...
in Chitina
Chitina, Alaska
Chitina is a census-designated place in Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 123.-Geography:Chitina is located at ....
, Alaska, to about 1 miles (1.6 km) outside of McCarthy, Alaska
McCarthy, Alaska
McCarthy is a census-designated place in Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 42 at the 2000 census.- Geography and location:...
.
Route description
McCarthy Road starts at the end of the Edgerton Highway in Chitina. The road is gravel-surfaced, and often very rough with many washboardsWashboarding
Washboarding is the name of the process which results in unmetalled roads developing a series of regular bumps with short spacing in the road surface...
and sharp turns. The route follows the railbed of the defunct Copper River and Northwestern Railway
Copper River and Northwestern Railway
The Copper River and Northwestern Railway was a railroad built by the Kennecott Corporation between 1907 and 1911 to take copper ore from Kennicott, Alaska to Cordova, Alaska, a distance of . The railroad was built by thousands of workers, who laid tracks around glaciers, across canyons and...
, and utilizes the spectacular Kuskulana Bridge, built in 1910, spanning 238 feet (72.5 m) high above the Kuskulana River at mile 17. It is one of two roads leading to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve is a United States National Park in southeastern Alaska. It was established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. The park area is included in an International Biosphere Reserve and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site...
, though it is not part of the park, and gives access to the abandoned copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
mines
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
at Kennecott.
The road does not actually lead all the way to Kennecott; visitors must cross the Kennecott River by a footbridge
Footbridge
A footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cyclists, animal traffic and horse riders, rather than vehicular traffic. Footbridges complement the landscape and can be used decoratively to visually link two distinct areas or to signal a transaction...
built in the 1990s. Historically, one had to cross the river on a self-propelled tram. Visitors can walk to McCarthy in about 15 minutes, although shuttle vans and busses are available during the tourist season from the bridge to both McCarthy and Kennecott. The road is not maintained during winter.
The road was the inspiration for the 2004
2004 in literature
The year 2004 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Canada Reads selects Guy Vanderhaeghe's The Last Crossing to be read across the nation....
book The Road to McCarthy: Around the World in Search of Ireland by Pete McCarthy
Pete McCarthy
Pete McCarthy , was a British broadcaster and successful travel writer, noted for his books McCarthy's Bar and The Road to McCarthy.-Biography:...
.