Lodging at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park clusters in two areas. The McCarthy and Kennicott side has the widest range of accommodations, from full-service lodges to dry cabins and campgrounds. The Nabesna Road on the north side has a smaller, quieter set of options, including some excellent campgrounds and a couple of well-regarded lodges. Both sides require booking ahead in summer. The park interior has no developed lodging.
McCarthy and Kennicott
This is where most visitors stay. Booking 4 to 6 months out is recommended for July and August.
Kennicott Glacier Lodge
Sits up at Kennicott, two miles up the hill from McCarthy, with a porch facing across the valley to the Wrangell peaks and Root Glacier. Lodge rooms, dining room, full service. It’s the closest thing the park has to a traditional national park lodge experience. Books out by spring for peak summer.
Ma Johnson’s Hotel
Is the historic option, right in McCarthy. Originally built in 1917 as a boarding house and renovated to keep its character. Small rooms, real plumbing, classic small-town hotel feel.
Kennicott River Lodge
(formerly Kennicott River Cabins) sits near the McCarthy footbridge. A quieter, smaller-scale alternative to the two big-name properties. Cabin-style accommodations with attentive hosts.
Currant Ridge Cabins
Are a few miles outside town along the McCarthy Road. Cabins with kitchens, valley views.
Dry cabins
Are scattered along the McCarthy Road and around town. No running water, communal bathhouse or outhouse, off the grid in many cases. Cheap and clean. Suits travelers who plan to spend their daylight hours outside anyway.
Vacation rentals
Book through the standard online platforms (Vrbo, Airbnb). Properties along the McCarthy Road and in town. Read reviews and pay attention to whatever the host says about road access and power.
McCarthy campground
Sits at the end of the McCarthy Road, on the west bank of the Kennicott River next to the footbridge. First come, first served, basic facilities, walking distance to town.
The Nabesna Road side
Less infrastructure, fewer visitors, more solitude. Worth considering for travelers who want quieter country or who are routing toward the Yukon.
Twin Lakes Campground
Along the Nabesna Road is excellent. Lakeside sites, primitive but well-maintained, almost always available even in summer.
Paradise Lodge
Is a recently renovated lodge on the Nabesna Road. Comfortable, well-run, a solid base for exploring the north side of the park.
Devil’s Mountain Lodge
Sits near the end of the Nabesna Road. A long-running operation in a great location, with access to country most park visitors never see.
Jack Creek campground
At around mile 36 of the Nabesna Road is a quiet, scenic option for self-sufficient travelers. Very few people use it.
Slana and the start of the Nabesna Road
Have a handful of additional B&Bs and small lodges, mostly serving fly-in hunters and anglers but available to general visitors in summer.
Dispersed camping
On public land is allowed almost everywhere along the Nabesna Road outside developed sites.
Outside the park boundary
If you can’t get a McCarthy-side room or you’re using Wrangell-St. Elias as a side trip from a broader Alaska itinerary, the Copper River Valley towns work as a base.
Copper Center
Has motel-style lodging and a national chain or two. About 95 miles from McCarthy.
Glennallen
Has more standard motel options at the highway junction. About 145 miles from McCarthy.
Chitina
Has a couple of small operations right where the pavement ends. Useful as a launching point if you’re planning to drive the McCarthy Road early in the morning.
Camping in the park
Both road systems allow camping. The McCarthy-side campground at the end of the McCarthy Road is the main developed site on the south side. Along the Nabesna Road, BLM and state-land campgrounds dot the corridor, most free or nearly so. The park’s wilderness backcountry allows dispersed camping with some basic regulations around bear-resistant food storage and Leave No Trace practices.
Booking timing
For McCarthy-side accommodations in peak July and August, plan to book 4 to 6 months ahead. For June or late August trips, two to three months out is usually enough. For Nabesna-side lodges, calling the lodge directly often works on shorter notice. After Labor Day, most McCarthy operations close within a week, so late-September trips need earlier confirmation on what’s still open.
