Location: At the end of the Edgerton Highway and beginning of the McCarthy Road, at the junction of the Copper and Chitina Rivers.
Chitina sprang to life in 1908 as a service point for trains traveling the 195 miles from the Kennicott copper mine to ships waiting for ore at the port of Cordova. The large Ahtna Native community in Chitina relies heavily on the world-class Copper River red salmon fishery, employing dip nets and fish wheels, which are fascinating to see in operation.
Wrangell St. Elias National Park provides panoramic scenery that is breathtakingly spectacular any time of the year. There are currently only two entrances allowing road access to the park, a northern route through Nebesna and the southern route through Chitina. Whether you plan to make the 4-hour drive to McCarthy and Kennicott or to fly, Chitina is the ideal stopover before beginning a leisurely journey into the Park in the morning.
Shops and services are available in Chitina, as well as comfortable accommodations, including the newly restored, historic Hotel Chitina.
