Situated within America’s largest national park and privy to sweeping mountainous views and meticulously carved glacial valleys, the Kennicott Glacier Lodge is the only lodge located in historic Kennecott, Alaska. If you’re searching for room service, television, Wi-Fi, and a good cell connection, keep looking. But if you’re in for a real getaway within close proximity of historic mines, glacial hiking, berry picking, and more, consider booking a room at the lodge.
Built in 1986, this family-owned lodge is still run by those who originally purchased the land and constructed the first building on the premises: Rich and Jody Kirkwood. Be sure to plan your trip as early as possible—the lodge is only open seasonally between May and September, and rooms fill up quickly.
Most visitors use the lodge as a base camp for two of the area’s most popular attractions: The Kennecott Copper Mines National Historic Landmark and the Root Glacier Trail. If you’re interested in learning more or getting an extreme perspective of the surrounding area, there are several tour guide and expedition services in town that are equipped to take visitors rafting, sightseeing, ice climbing, and more.
The Wrangell Mountains, visible from almost all vantage points around the lodge, are almost exclusively of volcanic origin and sweep through Alaska’s eastern edge. This range boasts the second and third largest volcanoes in the United States, Mount Blackburn (16,390 feet) and Mount Sanford (16,237 feet), which are still active—the last reported eruption happened in 1900. The surrounding peaks and valleys offer an interesting insight into glacial activity and how climate change has asserted its power on delicate ecosystems. Keep an eye out for wildlife activity on the premises—the most recognizable include caribou, black and brown bear, lynx, fox, moose, dall sheep, and mountain goats
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