McCarthy is a census-designated place (CDP) in Copper River Census Area, Alaska, United States. It is in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. The population was 107 at the 2020 census, up from 28 in 2010.
Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve is a United States national park and preserve in south central Alaska. The park, the largest in the United States, covers the Wrangell Mountains and a large portion of the Saint Elias Mountains, which include most of the highest peaks in the United States and Canada, yet are within 10 miles (16 km) of tidewater, one of the highest reliefs in the world. The park's high point is Mount Saint Elias at 18,008 feet (5,489 m), the second tallest mountain in both the United States and Canada. The park has been shaped by the competing forces of volcanism and glaciation, with its tall mountains uplifted by plate tectonics. Mount Wrangell and Mount Churchill are among major volcanos in these ranges. The park's glacial features include Malaspina Glacier, the largest piedmont glacier in North America, Hubbard Glacier, the longest tidewater glacier in Alaska, and Nabesna Glacier, the world's longest valley glacier. The Bagley Icefield covers much of the park's interior, which includes 60% of the permanently ice-covered terrain in Alaska. At the center of the park and preserve, the boomtown of Kennecott exploited one of the world's richest deposits of copper from 1903 to 1938. The abandoned mine buildings and mills comprise a National Historic Landmark district.
Kennecott, also known as Kennicott and Kennecott Mines, is an abandoned mining camp in the Copper River Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska that was the center of activity for several copper mines. It is located beside the Kennicott Glacier, northeast of Valdez, inside Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. The camp and mines are now a National Historic Landmark District administered by the National Park Service.
The Copper River and Northwestern Railway (CR&NW) consisted of two rail lines, the Copper River line and the Northwestern line. Michael James Heney had secured the right-of-way up the Copper River in 1904. He started building the railway from Cordova, Alaska in 1906. The town of Cordova, Alaska, was actually named by Heney on March 13, 1906, based on the original name given by Salvador Fidalgo. Both these railroads were abandoned and little remains of them. A 0-4-0 locomotive, "Ole", located near Goose City on a siding of the Alaska Anthracite Railroad Company is the only equipment left. Many of the holdings of the CR&NW railroad including Ole were acquired for this railroad by Mr. Clark Davis and his partners in 1908 after a major storm destroyed the Katalla area facilities in 1907. The town of Cordova would like to move Ole to a memorial site in Cordova to celebrate its role in these railroads. Ole was declared eligible for the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Mount Blackburn is the highest peak in the Wrangell Mountains of Alaska in the United States. It is the fifth-highest peak in the United States and the twelfth-highest peak in North America. The mountain is an old, eroded shield volcano, the second-highest volcano in the U.S. behind Mount Bona and the fifth-highest in North America. It was named in 1885 by Lt. Henry T. Allen of the U.S. Army after Joseph Clay Stiles Blackburn, a U.S. senator from Kentucky. It is located in the heart of Wrangell – St. Elias National Park, the largest national park in the country.
Atna Peaks is an eroded stratovolcano or shield volcano in the Wrangell Mountains of eastern Alaska. It is located in Wrangell–Saint Elias National Park about 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Mount Blackburn, the second-highest volcano in the United States, and just south of the massive Nabesna Glacier. Because the mountain is almost entirely covered in glaciers, no geological studies have been done, but published references state and the geological map shows that the mountain is an old eroded volcanic edifice.
Regal Mountain is an eroded stratovolcano or shield volcano in the Wrangell Mountains of eastern Alaska. It is located in Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park about 19 mi (31 km) east of Mount Blackburn, the second highest volcano in the United States, and southeast of the massive Nabesna Glacier. Regal Mountain is the third highest thirteener in Alaska, ranking just behind its neighbor, Atna Peaks. Because the mountain is almost entirely covered in glaciers, no geological studies have been done, but published references state and the geological map shows that the mountain is an old eroded volcanic edifice.
Mount Jarvis is an eroded shield volcano and stratovolcano in the Wrangell Mountains of eastern Alaska. It is located in Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park about 10 miles (16 km) east of the summit of Mount Wrangell. The mountain sits at the northeastern edge of the massive ice-covered shield of Wrangell, rising nearly 5,000 feet (1,500 m) above it in a spectacular series of cliffs and icefalls.
In the United States, copper mining has been a major industry since the rise of the northern Michigan copper district in the 1840s. In 2017, the US produced 1.27 million metric tonnes of copper, worth $8 billion, making it the world's fourth largest copper producer, after Chile, China, and Peru. Copper was produced from 23 mines in the US. Top copper producing states in 2014 were Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, and Montana. Minor production also came from Idaho and Missouri. As of 2014, the US had 45 million tonnes of known remaining reserves of copper, the fifth largest known copper reserves in the world, after Chile, Australia, Peru, and Mexico.
The Juneau gold belt is located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Alaska. This belt is approximately 100 miles (160 km) in length, north/northwest-trending, and extends from Berners Bay southeastward to Windham Bay, 60 miles (97 km) southeast of Juneau, and includes Douglas Island. The belt contains over 200 gold-quartz-vein deposits with production nearing 7,000,000 ounces (200,000,000 g) of gold. More than three-quarters of Alaska's lode gold was mined from the Juneau gold belt.
Lakina River is a tributary of the Chitina River in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located in the Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
In an effort to thwart statehood and Alaskan home rule from Washington D.C., the Alaska Syndicate, was formed in 1906 by J. P. Morgan and Simon Guggenheim. The Syndicate purchased the Kennicott-Bonanza copper mine and had majority control of the Alaskan steamship and rail transportation. The syndicate also was in charge of a large part of the salmon industry.
Sourdough Peak is a 6,201-foot mountain summit located at the southern edge of the Wrangell Mountains, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, 7 mi (11 km) east-southeast of McCarthy, on the north bank of the Nizina River. The peak is notable for a rock glacier on its south slope. The peak's name was used by early prospectors as reported in 1908 by the USGS. A "sourdough" is defined as an experienced prospector or an old-timer in the western US or Canada, because they always carried sourdough starter with them. Sourdough Peak's nearest higher neighbor is Porphyry Mountain, 5.1 miles to the northwest.
Donoho Peak is a 6,696-foot-elevation mountain summit located in the Wrangell Mountains, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, 6 mi (10 km) north-northwest of Kennecott, and 9 mi (14 km) north of McCarthy, at the confluence of the Kennicott Glacier and Root Glacier. The peak's name was reported in 1931 by the United States Geological Survey. The mountain lies within the Copper River drainage basin. Bears frequent the Donoho Peak and Donoho Lakes area. An ascent of the mountain involves 14 miles round-trip from Kennecott to the summit, including crossing the Root Glacier and gully scramble via the south aspect of the mountain. Ruins of the Regal Mine remain at an elevation of 5,440 feet on the south slope of the mountain. Only small amounts of copper ore were ever produced, however. On a clear day the summit of Donoho Peak offers views of Mount Blackburn to the northwest and the Stairway Icefall on Regal Mountain to the north-northeast.
Fireweed Mountain is a prominent 6,956-foot mountain summit located in the Wrangell Mountains, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, immediately west of the terminus of the Kennicott Glacier, and 5 mi (8 km) west-northwest of McCarthy. Precipitation runoff from the eight-mile-long by five-mile-wide mountain drains into tributaries of the Chitina River, which in turn is part of the Copper River drainage basin. The mountain's name was given in the 1920s by Molly Gilmore, a lifelong resident of the McCarthy area, who at age 17, named the mountain for the abundance of fireweed which grew on the mountain following forest fires. Although fireweed is the most common and well-known flower in Alaska, it is not commemorated on any other Alaskan mountain. The mountain's name was officially adopted in 1966 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. On a clear day the summit of Fireweed Mountain offers views of Mount Blackburn to the northwest, and Regal Mountain to the northeast.
Porphyry Mountain is a prominent 6,375-foot mountain summit located in the Wrangell Mountains, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, immediately southeast of Kennecott, 4 mi (6 km) northeast of McCarthy, and, 5 mi (8 km) northwest of Sourdough Peak. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Nizina River, which in turn is part of the Copper River drainage basin. The peak is notable for a rock glacier on its north slope. The mountain was so named because it is largely composed of porphyry, which is a very hard igneous rock. The mountain's local name was reported in 1908 by the U.S. Geological Survey. On a clear day the summit of Porphyry Mountain offers views of Donoho Peak, Kennicott Glacier, and Mount Blackburn to the northwest, and Fireweed Mountain to the west.
Joshua Green Peak is a 7,135-foot mountain summit located at the western edge of the Saint Elias Mountains, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve at the head of Dan Creek, 18 mi (29 km) east-southeast of McCarthy, and 4 mi (6 km) east-northeast of Williams Peak. The peak is named after Joshua Green (1869-1975), a Seattle businessman who through his financial backing of mining ventures was instrumental in mineral development in the Dan Creek area. The peak's name was officially adopted in 1975 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into Dan Creek which is a tributary of the Nizina River, which in turn is part of the Copper River drainage basin.
Williams Peak is a 7,431-foot mountain summit located at the western edge of the Saint Elias Mountains, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, 15 mi (24 km) east-southeast of McCarthy, and 4 mi (6 km) west-southwest of Joshua Green Peak in the Dan Creek area. Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains into tributaries of the Nizina River, which in turn is part of the Copper River drainage basin.
Chitistone Mountain is a 6,844-foot (2,086-meter) mountain summit located at the southeastern edge of the Wrangell Mountains, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, 15 mi (24 km) east-northeast of McCarthy, 13 mi (21 km) east of Bonanza Peak, and 12 mi (19 km) north of Williams Peak, where it is wedged between the confluence of the Nizina River and Chitistone River.
Castle Mountain is a remote 8,620-foot (2,630-meter) mountain summit located at the southeastern edge of the Wrangell Mountains, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated 35 mi (56 km) northeast of McCarthy at Skolai Pass in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. Although modest in elevation, relief is significant as the south face rises 4,000 feet above the terminus of the Russell Glacier in less than one mile. Precipitation runoff from the peak drains east via the White River, and west to the Nizina River via Skolai Creek. The mountain's descriptive name was reported in 1914 by the United States Geological Survey.
