COPPER
BASIN, ALASKA
RV PARKS
AND CAMPGROUNDS
The Copper Basin tourism area was defined by nature thousands of years ago. At the end of the Ice Age, as glaciers that had covered the interior retreated, the Copper River drainage was blocked by ice. Impounded water formed huge glacial Lake Atna. To the north waters were confined by the Alaska Range, with drainage at Mentasta Pass, and to the west at the Copper-Susitna River divide (Tahneta Pass on the Glenn Highway). The legacy of this glaciation and lake is a road system built on permanently frozen sediments, resulting in severe frost heaves for about fifty miles around Glennallen. The Richardson Highway south, towards Valdez, is mostly smooth. To the north, from Glennallen to Isabel Pass, the former roller coaster ride has been somewhat tamed by extensive improvements during the last few summers. The Tok Cutoff from Gakona Junction to Mentasta Pass was completely torn up and repaved in 1998, making for much easier going, for a while. The 2002 earthquake severely damaged the road where it goes through the Slana Slough, south of the pass. The berm has been rebuilt, but plans are to let it settle for a year or two before repaving. Many stretches of the Glenn Highway to the west have also been improved, especially in the mountains near Matanuska Glacier.
Four scenic mountain passes provide outlets from the basin. To the south, on the way to Valedez, Thompson Pass is one of the snowiest road passes in the state. Look for Worthington Glacier, and stop to photograph the pipeline and the Keystone Canyon waterfalls. Heading northeast, the Mentasta Pass cuts through the eastern end of the Alaska Range, the same mountains that boast Mount McKinley. This pass is best viewed driving from north to south, letting the magnificent Wrangell Volcanos come into view ahead as the mountains are left behind.
North of Glennallen is one of the most scenic stretches of highway in Alaska. The road enters foothills, with Paxson Lake to the west and white mountian peaks ahead. North of Paxson the road enters the Isabel Pass. The road north of the pass to Delta Junction is smooth and straight.
Finally, west of Glennallen, the Tahetna Pass area divides the Copper River and Matanuska/Susitna basins, with a magnificent panorama of mountains to the south.
Copper Valley salmon are regarded by many as the tastiest in the world. You will notice many visitors from Europe, especially Germany, trying their luck in the Copper River and its tributaries. Try to save a day to drive out to McCarthy, ninety miles from the Richardson Highway at the end of a rough gravel road. Check at Glennallen, Kenny Lake, or Chitina for road conditions and suitability of your rig. Van tours are available. The National Park Service took over the area around the mine and added it to the Wrangell-St. Elias N.P. in 1998, and there have been recent improvements.
At Valdez, the pipeline terminal tours have been suspended. Cruise or fly to see Columbia Glacier, a top tourist destination, and explore the many hiking trails. Ferry connections are available to Whittier, Cordova, Seward, and Homer. The new ocean-going ferry that entered service in 1998 occasionally calls at Valdez. A new fast ferry is supposed to be assigned to Prince William Sound in July, 2005. There have been delays due to labor negotiations, and the ferry may be returned to Juneau in the fall.
Use buttons at top of page to navigavte Copper Basin highways.