Frequently Asked Questions
Where are we located?
You can find us deep within the Wrangell St-Elias National Park at Mile 58 of the McCarthy Road. Upon approaching Mile 58 from Chitina, you will see our sign on the right-hand side of the road. It’s tall, white and has a blue border and blue writing. If you arrived by air, we are half a mile west of the ever-famous McCarthy Footbridge.
How do I make a reservation?
To check availability or book call us on 907-554-4433 or email mccarthybedandbreakfast@gmail.com
Via our website you can connect with us on our chat tool or fill out the contact form. We hope to have booking via the website live soon, this function is still under construction.
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You can also find 5 of our cabins listed on Airbnb where you can book immediately.
How are we different?
Every one of our cabins has its own indoor private bathroom complete with hot water, hand sink, flushing toilet & hot shower. 7 of our 8 cabins ALSO have a bathtub. In the morning you will also enjoy a continental breakfast included in your room rate and have access to tea/coffee and hot chocolate making facilities ALL day.
How do I get to McCarthy & Kennicott from our cabins?
You can walk or bike the half mile to the footbridge where the McCarthy Road ends. Or drive there and pay to park your car for the day. From there, cross over the footbridge making sure to admire the views as you cross and then either walk, bike, or shuttle your way to McCarthy (approximately 1 mile) and Kennicott (approximately 5 miles).
Shuttle Van’s between McCarthy footbridge and Kennicott!
The direct one to Kennicott is $5 each way, runs hourly starting at 8.30am and the last ride down for the day is at 7pm. Bikes & friendly dogs are welcome if there is room (Hours may vary during the season). Military, their families, and children up to 17 years are free. Pay on board.
The other one changes their schedule and pricing every year, so we will update this in May 2025.
Can I fly to McCarthy and still stay with you?
You can, but you will have to get in touch with us over the phone or email to talk about what transport options there are to get you from the McCarthy airport to our cabins. We also have our own airstrip right outside so if you are flying in on your own private plane/helicopter, by prior arrangement you could possibly land straight outside your cabin.
What time is Check In and Check Out?
Check in is at 3pm and check out is at 10am. If you plan to arrive before 3pm, with prior arrangement we may be able to have your cabin ready for you early but at the very least you can drop off your belongings and go off to enjoy the rest of your day adventuring.
Do you have rooms with private bathrooms?
All of our cabins have a private bathroom attached. The bathroom has a flushing toilet, hand basin with hot water and a hot shower over a bathtub. Our more accessible cabin does not have a bathtub and is a stand-alone hot shower stall for guests needing easier access to shower.
Is there a minimum stay requirement?
We DO NOT have a minimum stay requirement, however, we highly recommend staying two or more nights because there is so much to do in our area, and you have more than likely travelled so far and so long to get here. That way you are not rushed in your activities and do not have to sacrifice missing out on some amazing opportunities.
What happens to our trash?
We burn our cardboard and haul the rest of our trash to our nearest landfill which is a 7hr round trip drive.
If you felt like taking your trash with you when you leave, we would greatly appreciate this, but it is not expected of you.
Two exceptions to this…..
If you have littles with you, please take their dirty diapers upon departure.
And, if you have meat/fish carcasses/leftovers we would greatly appreciate you also taking these as sometimes it is many weeks between our trash runs! These can get very smelly and attract unwanted Bears to our area!
Can I bring my pet?
As much as we love animals, at this stage we cannot have them stay in our cabins. This also includes not being left in your vehicle or tied up outside. So, please DO NOT bring your pets on this adventure.
This may change in the future so please check back if you plan to come out here again.
Can we cook meals?
Yes, we have a fully kitted out communal kitchen for you to use, complete with a refrigerator and freezer to store small items of food in. In saying this, we are sure that your time may be precious so, bring ready-to-eat foods such as sandwiches, crackers, fruit, granola bars and cheese, etc. as these are the most time efficient foods. We also have a great selection of dining options in McCarthy and Kennicott.
How can our food be kept cold at the cabins?
NOT in your own cabin, but yes, in the fridge/freezer that can be found in the communal kitchen/dining building. Make sure your food is labelled with your name.
Can I drink the water from inside the cabins and kitchen?
YES! Sometimes the water may seem cloudy, don’t worry at all, that is just air in the water line and will disappear if you let the water settle. You can still drink the cloudy water with air bubbles in it.
How do I get to McCarthy?
There are many options to get to us. You can drive, fly, take a shuttle or a combination of these options. The nearest major airport to us is in Anchorage, there is a much smaller one in Valdez. From Anchorage you can rent a car and make the 8 hour drive to McCarthy. Car rental agencies that allow their cars on the McCarthy Road include Alaska 4×4, A1, Go North Car & RV Rental, Midnight Sun, Budget, Alaska Adventure, Alaska Express, or Levi. You could also have an even more exciting adventure and rent a motorcycle from Alaska Motorcycle Adventures. If you’d rather not drive yourself, you can take a shuttle bus with Overflow Transit or Copper Spike Transport. And at many stops in between Glennallen and Chitina you can book yourself a seat on the Kennicott Shuttle. If you would prefer not to drive or shuttle there are 4 options for flying in. These are with Kennicott Wilderness Guides, Reeve Air, Copper Valley Air on their bi-weekly (every Monday and Thursday) mail plane flights or you can charter a private flight with Wrangell Mountain Air. If you want to skip the final 60mile gravel road portion of your journey, Wrangell Mountain Air does also offer 30min flight options from Chitina daily.
Please keep in mind that if you should choose flying in/out as part or all of your transportation here, please talk to us so we can advise you on how to get from the airport to us.
How long does it take to drive to McCarthy?
It’s a minimum of a 7-8-hour drive from Anchorage, 8-9 from Fairbanks, and 5 from Valdez. If you like to stop and enjoy the views and sights along the way, it will take you longer. The McCarthy Road is 60miles of gravel, it alone takes 2-4 hours from Chitina. Take it slow, drive to the conditions and not above the 35mph speed limit. Treat it like a 2-lane road and be careful if you chose to overtake, ideally wait for the person in front of you to pull over. The road has soft shoulders and will suck you down. Always make sure you have a spare tyre and a jack with necessary tools to change if you do get a flat! (These are quite common)
Is there cell service in McCarthy/Kennicott?
Currently the only providers for cell service in the McCarthy/Kennicott area are a local provider Copper Valley Telecom and Verizon. Make sure you deal with all the necessities you need to, before coming into the area.
Is there WIFI at the cabins?
Yes, we provide WIFI through Copper Valley Telecom (CVT) but the signal is not that strong inside the cabins. If you have any major downloading/uploading to do, we would recommend doing that before you leave a major center.
McCarthy and Kennicott have WiFi hotspots provided by Copper Valley Telephone (CVT). Also, if you have CVT or Verizon cell service, your data plan should work well in the area. CVT and Verizon are the only cell providers that work in McCarthy and Kennicott.
Be prepared that sometimes on bad weather days or for random reasons there is NO internet/cell service in the whole valley!
In this case the only form of communication would be via an inReach or satellite phones.
Can we drive to our cabin?
Yes, you can drive right up to the front door of 2 of our cabins. The other 6 cabins you will park in our carpark and walk between 10 - 30 yards to the front door of your home away from home.
Can we check in late?
Yes, you can check in late by prior arrangement. If you are checking in late though, please be mindful of the other guests on site and walk quietly around the property.
Can I book last minute?
If we have availability, you are more than welcome to book last minute. Any bookings made after 5pm for that same day will incur an additional one time $50 fee.
Can I fill up gas in my vehicle?
YES! But, we highly recommend filling up in Glennallen, Kenny Lake or in Chitina. It is the end of the road, you know, things aren’t always as advertised!
What does the communal kitchen/dining building include?
It is fully kitted out so that you can cook/bake/serve almost any meal that you could need!
But, NO microwave, these draw too much power for our power system, we are an off-grid Bed & Breakfast.
We have a fridge/freezer you can store your food in (labelled), kettle, toaster, cook-top and oven, crockery, cutlery, chopping boards, can opener, grater, trays, mixing bowls & utensils.
We also have tea, hot chocolate and coffee making supplies available all day in here.
PLEASE clean up after yourselves and dry and put away your washed dishes so they are ready for the next guest to use.
Do you have laundry facilities for Guests?
NO, we get almost all our power needs from the sun and so we time our laundry power needs for when guests are not on site.
Can I bring my Hairdryer? Hair straightener? Curling Iron? Travel Kettle? Travel Iron?
NO!!!!!! PLEASE leave ALL of these at home. These will blow our power system up!!! (We are not joking!)
Our power system is not able to cope with any appliance with a heating element, except for the kettle and coffee pots in the kitchen building.
Where can we grab a meal and a drink?
You are more than welcome to cook/prepare any of your meals in our communal kitchen/dining building, just PLEASE clean up after yourself.
If you would like to dine out, there are several options. In Kennicott you can find delicious food at the Meatza Wagon or sit down and dine at the Kennicott Glacier Lodge (KGL). In McCarthy we have the famous Potato that serves up a wholesome meal accompanied with a delicious beer/wine or cider (they are very good at pairing). There is also the Golden Saloon that serves up tasty pub meals along with a full drinks menu to wash it down with and for those of you wanting a little fancier dining, try out the Salmon & Bear restaurant, you will not be disappointed. Right next to us there is also the Glacier View Grill serving up burgers, sandwiches & hot dogs as well as beer, wine, and sodas.
Is there a store around?
There is a small general store in McCarthy that has the basics. But you should plan on bringing the supplies you need with you.
Can we use the firepit ring?
YES, as long as we are not in a FIRE BAN time of the season.
During fire ban times we put up signs asking you to not use any type of open flame throughout the whole region. During this time that also includes no campfires or fireworks anywhere. We only have a small volunteer fire service here and not very easy access points to fresh water, this combined with the very bumpy difficult roads here we cannot risk any fires starting. We only have one road in and out of our small remote precious community! So please respect fire bans. Thank you in advance.
What is the gun policy?
NO guns on site please, leave them in your car if YOU MUST bring them with you. There are sometimes children running around the property.