Kennecott (also spelled Kennicott) is an abandoned copper-mining camp inside Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve in Alaska, managed by the National Park Service and designated a National Historic Landmark. Once home to a few hundred workers, the camp closed in 1938 and its red mill buildings have stood empty above the Kennicott Glacier ever since. For RV travelers it is one of the most remote and most striking preserved ghost towns in the country.
Field brief
Get your bearings
A quick, sourced snapshot before you plan the drive.
State
Alaska
Manager
National Park Service (Wrangell-St. Elias NP & Preserve)
Status
National Historic Landmark
Closed
Copper processing ceased in 1938
Landmark
14-story concentration mill
Trip timing
When to point the RV at Kennecott Mines Ghost Town
Summer (roughly June–early September), when the road and visitor services operate
The story
The story of Kennecott Mines Ghost Town
The Kennecott Copper Corporation processed nearly $200 million worth of copper here between 1911 and 1938, the National Park Service notes, before declining ore and rising costs ended operations and left the camp a ghost town. At its peak roughly 300 people lived in the town with 200 to 300 more in the mines.
After the mines closed the buildings stood empty for decades. In June 1998 the National Park Service acquired many of the significant buildings and lands of the historic mining town, and has worked to stabilize and restore them since, so that the mill, bunkhouses, depot, and power plant can still be seen.
This is true wilderness travel: the camp lies far inside Wrangell-St. Elias, the largest national park in the country. Check the National Park Service site for current directions, road conditions, the visitor center, and any guided-tour options before planning your route.
Official sources
- National Park Service — Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark National Park Service
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