The closest standard hotel rooms are in Copper Center (in the previous section). 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 one hike-in campground on the Kennecott-McCarthy side of the Kennicott River footbridge, on the Root Glacier trail. The park service allows camping anywhere in the park without a permit, but there are few handy spots on public land (much of the land along the roads is private), except on the Nabesna Road, which is most of a day's drive from the historic zone.

At the end of the McCarthy Road you'll find a couple of private campgrounds and a hostel. Glacier View Campground (www.glacierviewcampground.com; tel. 907/554-4490, or 243-6677 off season) charges $24 a night for camping and has a cabin for rent. The owners also rent mountain bikes and offer showers. Their cafe offers barbecue for lunch and dinner and serves beer and wine. Kennicott River Lodge and Hostel (www.kennicottriverlodge.com; tel. 907/554-4441 summer, or 941/447-4252 winter), located at the end of the road 400 feet from the footbridge, offers bunks for $30 per person. Sheets and pillows are included; other bedding is extra. The lodge also rents rooms for two for $100 to $150 a night and cabins for $100 to $150 double, plus $25 for each additional person. They have a common kitchen, lounge, sauna, and showers.

There are several campgrounds along the Edgerton Highway and McCarthy Road on the way to the footbridge area. The most attractive is 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 $15 per vehicle; the day-use fee is $1. There are pit toilets and no running water.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.