Map Not Drawn To Scale 

Trail distance to mines from town: 

Bonanza Mine - 4.5 mi one-way 

Jumbo Mine - 5 mi one-way 

Concentration 

Mill 

(Accessible via

Private Concession’s Tour) 

Home 

Private 

Home 

Top of the Mill 

hiking trail loop 

1.5 mi 

*Some trail restrictions 

may apply due to 

stabilization efforts. 

General 

Manager’s 

Offce 

Hospital 

Private 

Homes 

Transformer 

Shop Private Train 

Assay Depot ruin 

Trail distance from Visitor Center 

to Root Glacier 2 mi one-way 

to Erie Mine tram cables 4.5 mi one-way 

NPS 

Cottage 

and ruin 

Power 

Plant Machine 

Shop 

North 

Sacking Shed 

& Flotation 

Leaching 

Plant 

(Accessible via 

Concession’s Tour) 

Saw 

mill 

ruin 

Kennicott Glacier 

and Moraine 

Jumbo Creek 

Campground 

& Root Glacier 

2 miles from 

Visitor Center 

Trail Head 

0.75 miles from 

Visitor Center 

Private 

Homes 

National Creek 

Private 

Homes Information 

Restaurant 

Accessible 

Outhouse 

National 

Creek 

Private 

Homes Private 

Homes 

Primitive 

Camping 

Ruins 

East 

Bunkhouse 

Silk Stocking 

Row 

National 

Creek 

Bunkhouse 

Private 

Homes 

Kennicott Glacier 

Lodge and Annex 

(Private) 

To McCarthy 

General Store, 

Warehouse, 

Historic Post Offce Refrigeration 

& Theater Plant 

National 

Creek 

Kennicott 

Wilderness 

Guides 

School Recreation 

Hall 

Food 

Truck 

West 

Bunkhouse 

Gift Shop 

St. Elias 

Alpine 

Guides 

Visitor Center & 

Bookstore/Old 

Blackburn School 

Private 

Homes 

Shuttle 

Turnaround 

Dairy Old Wagon Road Barn 

Trail to Kennecott Cemetery 1 mi 

Toe of the Glacier area 4.5 mi 

McCarthy 5 mi one-way 

Public Entry 

& Exhibits 

Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark 

Homes Self Guided Walking Tour 

National Park Service 

Department of the Interior

Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve 

Private 

Hiking Trail 

Welcome to Kennecott 

The Kennecott mill camp and mines 

are an extraordinary relic from 

America’s past. These impressive 

standing structures and artifacts tell 

stories of Alaskan exploration, 

westward expansion, technological 

modernization, World War I, expansion 

of multinational corporations, and the 

death of monopolies. More intimately, 

Kennecott provides insight into the 

lives of the people who took on the 

challenge of living and working here. 

Why Here?

The wild, remote, and isolated 

Kennicott Valley on the surface seems 

like an odd place for industry, but the 

rugged Alaskan landscape actually 

holds the key to the discovery and 

development of one of the world’s 

richest ore bodies. 

 

Generations of Ahtna people collected 

ative copper found in the Wrangell 

ountains, working it into art, utensils 

nd arrowheads. Prospectors fooding 

to the area in the wake of the ’98 

old Rush knew there was copper as 

ell as gold in these mountains, so it 

as no surprise when the Bonanza 

ine was discovered in 1900. 

rospectors Clarence Warner and 

arantula” Jack Smith looked up 

onanza Ridge and saw what 

ppeared to be green pastures, a 

ountainside stained with the 

merald hues of copper ore. 

eveloping the rich ore body would 

quire tremendous effort, ingenuity, 

nd money. During the early 1900’s, 

ne could not fnd bigger fnancial 

ackers than the Havemeyer, 

uggenheim, and J.P. Morgan families. 

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With a young east coast mining 

ngineer named Stephen Birch 

anaging, the three families formed 

e Alaska Syndicate, which quickly 

ained a monopoly over the area’s 

ining operation. When copper from 

ennecott reached the world’s markets 

nd the Syndicate became proftable, 

e group reorganized as the 

ennecott Copper Corporation, which 

ill operates other mines around the 

orld today. 

he Corporation supplied the world 

ith copper for electrifcation, utilities, 

dustrial development, and munitions 

r the World War I effort. Kennecott 

opper Corporation managed all 

spects of their operation with 

reativity, skill, and at times a heavy 

and. 

 

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Kennecott’s Story 

Kennecott, established in 1900, 

expanded in stages until the mid-20’s. 

As mining increased, camp needs grew. 

Waste rock from the ore, called 

tailings, helped level the land for 

building on the valley’s steep hillsides. 

By 1938, there were more than 100 

buildings in camp. But with a limited 

supply of ore and dropping prices, 

Kennecott closed that year after 

producing 200-300 million dollars 

worth of copper and silver. After 

closing, the camp endured many 

different eras: private mining, resort 

development, tourism, and 

homesteading. Now the area’s rich 

history is celebrated as Kennecott 

Mines National Historic Landmark and 

has been part of the National Park 

Service system since 1998. We 

encourage you to explore with a sense 

of discovery!

Things to do in Kennecott 

*Walk through the town *Explore 

open park buildings & exhibits *Hike 

to the historic mines or the Root 

Glacier *Camp at Jumbo Creek *Walk 

the historic wagon road to McCarthy 

*Explore the Kennecott Cemetery on 

the way to the toe of the Kennicott 

Glacier *Have a picnic *Join a National 

Park Ranger for a talk or evening 

program *View the Kennecott flm at 

the General Store *Find the offcial 

NPS Mobile App wherever you 

download your apps *Join local guides 

or our park concessionaire for town 

tours and/or hikes on the glacier and 

beyond. 

Safety 

For the safety of visitors and staff, 

please follow CDC guidance and 

current federal requirements to reduce 

the spread of COVID-19. 

Masks may be required and occupancy 

limits may be in place in federal 

buildings based on severity levels. 

Please practice social distancing, wash 

your hands often with soap and water, 

and come back another day if you are 

feeling sick. 

Explore Safely 

Kennecott is a former industrial site 

and has many hazards. Respect 

closures. Be aware of your 

surroundings and stay alert for quickly 

changing weather and the presence of 

wildlife, such as bears. Be aware that 

portions of the Kennecott Mines 

National Historic Landmark are private 

property, please confne your 

exploration to public lands. Do not 

disturb or remove artifacts from the 

site. 
Exploring Kennecott 

Kennicott & Root Glaciers East and West Bunkhouses 

Kennecott was generally a community 

of transient men. Some worked for just 

three months in order to pay off their 

train fare; others stayed several years. 

Men lived two to a room and paid 

around 1.25 a day for room and board. 

There were several bunkhouses 

scattered throughout the mill and mine 

sites. Kennecott hosted multinational 

crews including workers from 

traditional mining backgrounds such as 

Norwegians, Swedes, and Irish workers. 

Japanese cooks provided meals and 

other camp services. Single women 

who worked in camp lived separately 

on the third foor of the Staff House, 

called “No Man’s Land”. 

Refrigeration Plant 

Why would a community with a glacier 

in their backyard need a refrigerator? 

They didn’t. However the innovative 

corporation always experimented and 

took advantage of the latest 

technology and materials they had 

available, in this case the cooling ability 

of compressed ammonia. As you enter 

the building, check out the compressor, 

the access to the railway that helped to 

move food supplies in and out of the 

building, and the still- hanging meat 

hooks. 

General Store and U.S. Post Offce 

This building connected the remote 

residents of Kennecott to the outside 

world. Families could purchase just 

about anything that could be found in 

the “lower 48.” If the store didn’t have 

it, an order could be placed through 

popular catalogs. However, they would 

have to be prepared to wait a month or 

more for a special order to arrive. 

Sawmill Ruin -next to the General Store 

This was one of the frst buildings to be 

constructed on the mill site. Through 

1910, the sawmill was busy processing 

local wood as a 40-man work crew 

built the camp and mine infrastructure. 

The gravity concentrator mill, rocker 

tables, jigs, and the sacking area were 

all framed before the site was 

connected to the outside world by the 

Copper River & Northwestern Railway 

in 1911. 

Depot, Trestle, and Rails 

To be proftable, the operation needed 

railway transportation to the coast so 

ore could be shipped to be processed in 

Tacoma, Washington. The Copper River 

& Northwestern Railway, nicknamed 

Can’t Run and Never Will,” was built 

between 1907 and 1911. At 196 miles 

long, with 30 miles of bridges and 

trestles, it took 6,000 men, and $23 

million to build. Within days of 

completion, the frst trainload of ore, 

worth $250,000, rolled down to 

Cordova. Kennecott’s future success was 

insured, and the large eastern fnancial

investment justifed.

National Creek 

To operate a mill and camp without a 

reliable supply of water is impossible. 

Dams upstream on National Creek and 

Bonanza Creek were able to supply 

most of the camp’s water needs for ore 

processing, fre suppression, and 

drinking water. In the winter when 

creek levels were low, it was said 

Kennecott could “wear out water” by 

reusing it over and over again. At 

other times high water and foods 

damaged buildings. As recently as 

October 2006, foodwaters wiped out 

the Assay Offce and nearly took out 

the Hospital and the East Bunkhouse. 

Stream dynamics and fuctuating water 

levels constantly changed the look of 

the National Creek corridor. 

General Management Offce (GMO) 

The GMO was the hub of corporate 

activity throughout mining operations. 

In 1915 Kennecott became a publicly 

traded company with its most 

productive years to follow. The 

corporation restructured its operations 

and enhanced town life by adding 

several services, such as the General 

Store and Recreational Hall. However, 

these niceties were not enough to keep 

the entire workforce happy and in 

1917, the workers went on strike. With 

hard tactics by the corporation, the 

strike was busted 45 days later, and the 

workers signed a pledge not to join a 

union. 

Hospital 

In 1915 Kennecott also added a 

hospital. The hospital not only treated 

the miners and mill workers, but also 

became a mecca for medical care in the 

surrounding community. It housed 

Alaska’s frst X-ray machine. A dentist 

would visit the remote outpost once a 

month for check-ups and other work. 

Each employee’s pay was charged eight 

cents a day to cover medical expenses. 

Today, that sounds like a bargain! 

Concentration Mill 

Shipping ore to Tacoma was expensive 

and required the copper ore to be

concentrated for maximal proftability. 

The most economical process for rich

ore was gravity concentration. Ore and 

waste rock were delivered to the Mill 

from the fve remote mine sites via 

tramway at a rate of up to 1,200 tons 

of ore per day. Once in the Mill, ore 

went through a series of crushers and 

sorters using gravity and water to move 

the rock from one process to the next. 

Once waste was removed, ore was 

loaded into burlap bags and stacked on 

open rail cars and shipped to the coast. 

Construction of the Mill evolved over 

20 years as new mining processes were 

developed. Over time, deteriorating ore

quality demanded different processing 

techniques, continual equipment

modifcations, and additions to the mill

structure, resulting in the current

unusual roof line and jumbled

appearance of the iconic red building. 

Leaching and Flotation Plant 

ravity concentration is only effcient 

r high grade ore. To process lower 

rade ore, new techniques were 

eeded. E. Tappen Stannard was hired 

 develop an industrial scale ammonia 

aching process. Large tanks were 

lled with gravel-sized pieces of low 

rade copper and an ammonia 

lution. The ammonia dissolved the 

pper in the ore. The copper-rich 

lution was then transferred to other 

nks known as evaporators. These 

nks were heated until the ammonia 

vaporated. The ammonia was recycled, 

aving behind a very concentrated

sidue, which was then bagged and

ipped to the smelter. Overall 25-30% 

f Kennecott’s ore was processed 

rough ammonia leaching, increasing

e proftability of the site.

s ore concentrations continued to 

ecline, a fotation process was 

stalled in 1923. Finely ground 

our-sized pieces of low-grade ore 

aken out during the gravity 

ncentration process were mixed with 

ine or eucalyptus oil and air to create 

 mineral rich foam. The heavier 

pper particles were trapped in the 

am, skimmed off, sacked, and 

ipped to the smelter; 10-12% of 

ennecott’s ore was processed this way. 

ith these processes, Kennecott was 

ble to extract up to 98% of the copper

om the ore.

Machine Shop 

To keep Kennecott operating effciently 

required skill, creativity and selfsuffciency. The men kept the machines 

functioning and the machines kept the 

mines and mill productive. Equipment 

in need of repair traveled from the 

north side of the Mill building on a 

narrow-gauge service tram and crossed 

the main railway via a drawbridge to 

the Machine Shop. Remnants of the 

drawbridge support are still standing 

just north of the Mill building. 

Power Plant 

Kennecott required power to support

both the mill town and the mines

several miles up the mountain. The

Power Plant, characterized by the four

towering smokestacks, was constructed

in three stages between 1911 and 1924. 

Disaster struck in August 1924 when 

the Plant burned down, but it was

quickly rebuilt and in operation again 

by October 1924. The Plant used two 

diesel generators, a Westinghouse 

steam turbine, and a Pelton 

waterwheel to provide power and

steam heat. Steam and electricity

traveled to outlying buildings and

homes through “utilidors”. The warm

utilidors were built under wooden 

walkways, which kept them free of

snow and ice in the winter. 

Cottages and Silk Stocking Row

Only 10% of Kennecott’s population 

lived in cottages with their families.

Middle and upper management level 

employees paid about 25% of their

income to the company to live in these 

small homes with their wives and 

children. Cottage position, plumbing, 

room size, and building colors all

refected status in the remote town; the

higher up the home, the higher up the

chain of command. 

Be Inspired 

Take nothing from Kennecott but 

inspiration for your soul, questions for

your mind, and photographs for your

memories.

Ver. 5/9/2022 jlh 

The 27-mile long Kennicott Glacier 

begins on the fanks of Mt. Blackburn 

(16,390 ft.), Rime, Atna, and Parka 

peaks. Wondering why you don’t see 

blue ice? The glacier’s ice is covered by 

rocks and dirt, called a moraine. The 

surface moraine comes from erosion of 

surrounding valley rock and not from 

the scattering of mine tailings onto the 

glacier. To hike to the Root Glacier, 

access is available via the Root Glacier 

Trail. 

Dairy Barn 

Think about this-- except for ore and 

water, Kennecott’s workers had to 

bring in everything from the outside in 

order to survive. To relieve the cost of 

shipping in all food for the camp, a 

simple barn held a few cows which 

supplied fresh milk. Local families 

raised chickens for eggs, and 

community and private gardens were 

planted around the mill site. 

Recreation Hall 

The Kennecott Copper Corporation 

valued a happy and safe workforce. 

They developed wholesome activities in 

the Recreation Hall, such as movie 

night, dances, and Christmas parties. 

Outdoor recreation happened on the 

company ice rink, baseball feld, 

handball, and tennis courts. When the 

miners and mill workers wanted to 

experience a less wholesome type of 

recreation, they traveled fve miles 

down the hill to McCarthy, where 

women, dance halls and saloons 

replaced tennis and movies. 

Old School and New School 

Imagine attending class next to a 

towering glacier and an extremely loud 

copper mill. It was certainly a unique 

learning environment, but education in 

Kennecott was different in another way 

as well; students included both 

youngsters and adults. In the evenings 

the corporation taught English and 

citizenship courses. By 1920, the night 

school had 126 adult students from 23 

countries, while the largest children’s 

school class had only 20. 

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