Discover the role that Copper Center played in Alaska’s famous 19th-century gold rush. Step back 5,000 years to a time when native people called this region home. Enjoy magnificent fishing in icy rivers as you prepare to visit North America’s largest national park.
Set at the confluence of the Klutina and Copper rivers, the town was once the center of a busy mining community, with both gold and copper extracted from the ground near here. These industries have long since ended. Today, use the town as a gateway to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
Visit the George I. Ashby Memorial Museum just north of town to learn more about the area’s enthralling back story. Set in two traditional log cabins, the museum holds various artifacts dating back to the gold rushes of the late 19th century when the town was a lodging point used by miners seeking their fortune. It also has relics from the copper mines once common in the area and basketwork from the native Athabascans who lived here thousands of years ago.
Within easy reach of town, find fantastic fishing in the two rivers. Fishermen visiting during the summer can expect to catch king salmon making their way upstream while the sockeye salmon run continues until late September. If you’re hoping to devote some serious time to fishing while here, sign up for one of the riverside charters to make sure you’re in the right place to make the perfect catch.
Copper Center is in Southcentral Alaska, 200 miles (320 kilometers) northeast of Anchorage. The town is approximately an hour’s drive north of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, although the park visitor center is just a short drive south. Here, get information about the park and purchase maps and guidebooks. Select from a handful of lodges and other accommodations in town along with a few small restaurants.
Escape to stunning Alaska and combine your national park trip with a visit to the charming town of Copper Center.
