Kennecott Mill Town Tour Kennecott, Alaska

Explore Kennecott’s ghost town with exclusive access to historic buildings. Discover tales of fortune and tragedy on this 2-hour guided tour.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Kennecott Copper Mine - Explore the Kennecott townsite with a knowledgeable guide! Start on the edge of town with a scenic vista as you learn about how the site developed and what it was like to live there. Along the walk your guide will explain the historic buildings that you see. Your guide’s main goal is to give you access to the 14-story Kennecott Mill and Ammonia Leaching Buildings, which are only accessible on this tour. Once inside these buildings, your guide will show you the old machinery and explain how the copper oar was processed as well as what it was like to work here in the early 1900s. Please note that access to the mines is strictly prohibited by the NPS due to safety reasons. Some of the buildings that you see along the way are open to the public, so please make time to explore these buildings before or after the tour (buildings are open 9am-5pm).
What's Included
  • Hard Hat
Additional Information

Kennecott, Alaska is a ghost town frozen in time. When the Kennecott Copper Corporation abruptly abandoned the town in 1938, they left behind their equipment, buildings, and personal belongings; yet, their stories of discovery, perseverance, and ingenuity live on!

St. Elias Alpine Guides holds the exclusive concession with the National Park Service, and access to the 14-story Concentration Mill is only possible through this tour. Come see what it was like to live and work in this remote wilderness as you tour the town site with one of our knowledgeable guides. Listen to tales of lucky fortunes, tenacious frontiersmen, and tragic endings. Gain exclusive access to explore inside the 14-story mill building and several other historic buildings when you join our tour! Our 2-hour historic Mill Town Tour is a must-do for anyone visiting Kennecott, Alaska!

  • Infants are required to be in a hands free carrier.
  • Not recommended for travelers who have difficulty walking.
  • Not recommended for travelers who experience extreme knee pain.
Location
St. Elias Alpine Guides
Kennicott Millsite
Our office is the second building on the left as you enter the Kennecott Town Site. Please meet us there 10 minutes before the start of your tour time! If you are coming from McCarthy, please note that you will need to catch the shuttle that leaves an hour before the start of your tour.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
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(10 Ratings)
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159rhondar
Aug 10, 2024
Great tour! - This is a great tour! Our guide, Dana, was knowledgeable about the history of the area and answerd questions as we went along the tour. Dana was fun and engaging, making the tour even more enjoyable. We highly recommend this tour to better understand the history of the area!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Eric
Jul 24, 2024
A step back in time - We enjoyed our tour of the mine. It was an amazing experience. Our guide, Ji, was very knowledgeable. He did a great job explaining each part of the town and the mill.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
333markh333
Jul 21, 2024
Great Experiences and Great People - My wife and I used St Elias Alpine Guides services three times during our stay in Wrangell- St Elias Natl Park. We did the Mill tour, ice caves and full day glacier experiences. Both the activities and guides (Josh, Max and Tess, respectively) were great. The company and staff were consistently terrific and accommodating including allowing a very last minute reschedule due to a conflict of my own making. We are very comfortable recommending St Elias Alpine Guides for activities in and around Kennicott and would enthusiastically use them again if we returned.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Courtneysara3
Jul 14, 2024
Mill tour - We did the Kennecott Mill tour with our guide, Henry, during our honeymoon. Henry was AMAZING- he was so knowledgable about the history, the area, the geology, and more. My wife and I were both very impressed and would love to do more tours with St. Elias in the future!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lyse_r
Jul 11, 2024
Worth the price - Really cool piece of Alaskan History. Highly recommended as you get to see the inside of the mill and get amazing views.
Review provided by Viator