Top 12 Activities for the Copper River Basin

 In News
  1. Go on a rafting trip! There are several outdoor adventure guides that offer rafting trips in the Copper River basin.

    View of Kennicott Glacier from the start of the Mill Tour.

    McCarthy River Tours and Outfitters and Copper Oar are based in McCarthy, Alaska while New Skies Rafting is based in Gakona, Alaska. They all offer a range of activities from guided Copper River salmon fishing trips to kayaking and stand up paddle boarding tours.

  2. Take a flight-seeing tour with Copper Valley Air.
  3. Drive the McCarthy Road, giving yourself plenty of time to explore the history along the way and affording time for the unexpected.
  4. Immerse yourself in history in McCarthy/Kennicott, and take the Mill Tour offered by Elias Alpine Guides.
  5. Visit the Tolsona Mud Volcanos! This rare geologic phenomenon is good messy fun for all ages. The hike is 1 mile each way, leaving from the Tolsona Wilderness Campground at Mile 173 Glenn Highway.
  6. Fish for King Salmon in the Klutina River or fish for grayling or rainbow trout in countless lakes and rivers.
  7. Hike into an old volcano on the Skookum Volcano Trail off the Nabesna Road.
  8. Stay in one of the park service cabins that are a short hike from the Nabesna Road.
  9. Camp and hike at Liberty Falls. Located at Mile 23.5 of the Edgerton Highway, there is a nice state campground, spectacular falls for viewing and wading, and a beautiful 1.5 mile hike up a nearby ridge.
  10. Drive the “Great Circle” around the Wrangell Mountains, from Kenny Lake to Slana, and see all their sides.
  11. Check out the fishwheels and dip-netters at the Copper River Bridge near Chitina or if you are an Alaskan resident dipnet for salmon yourself (you must obtain a permit from the Alaska Department of Fish & Game). AK Expeditions provides dipnet charters on the Copper River and the Chitina.
  12. Enjoy a weekend at the Kenny Lake Fair. With a taco feed, square dance, 5-k fun run, farm animals, and arts and crafts, it’s everything a small-town fair should be!