The closest standard hotel rooms are in Copper Center. In the Kennecott-McCarthy area itself there are several attractive places to stay, all thick with the history the towns represent, but not ordinary American lodgings.
Camping & Hostelling
There is no campground on the Kennecott-McCarthy side of the Kennicott River footbridge. The park service allows camping anywhere in the park without a permit, but there are few handy spots on public land (remember, much of the land along the roads is private), except on the Nabesna Road, which is several hours away from the historic zone.
A couple of primitive private campgrounds, and a hostel, are at the end of the McCarthy Road. Glacier View Campground (tel. 907/554-4490, 907/243-6677 off season; www.glacierviewcampground.com) charges $18 a night for camping and has a cabin for rent. The owners also rent mountain bikes and offer showers and free day parking. Their cafe offers barbecue for lunch and dinner and serves beer and wine.
There is the backpacker's hotel mentioned at the McCarthy Lodge, as well as Kennicott River Lodge and Hostel (tel. 907/554-4441 summer, 941/447-4252 winter; www.kennicottriverlodge.com), located at the end of the road 400 feet from the footbridge, offers bunks for $28 per person. Sheets and pillows are included; other bedding is extra. The lodge also rents cabins for $100 double plus $25 for each additional person. They have a common kitchen, lounge, sauna, and showers.
There are three campgrounds on the way to the footbridge. The most attractive is the state parks' Liberty Falls Campground, at mile 23 on the Edgerton Highway, which is set among big trees at the foot of a crashing waterfall. Many of the sites are walk-ins, with wooden tent platforms and lots of privacy. The self-service camping fee is $10 per vehicle; the day-use fee is $1. There are pit toilets and no running water.
