Glennallen hotels
Glennallen is the Copper River basin service town where the Glenn Highway meets the Richardson Highway, 189 miles east of Anchorage and the closest fuel-and-groceries stop before you turn off to McCarthy or continue to Valdez. Nothing here is fancy. What Glennallen and neighbouring Copper Center offer is a functional overnight with genuine dark skies and, on clear days, a view straight into Wrangell-St Elias, the largest US national park.
Three Glennallen and Copper Center picks
Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge. 85 rooms above the Copper River, 10 miles south of Glennallen in Copper Center, Wrangell Range views from most rooms. Best pick for a proper lodge stop. Rate band: $290 to $440.
Caribou Hotel. Downtown Glennallen roadhouse motel, no-frills but clean, restaurant on site open late. Best pick for a straightforward highway overnight. Rate band: $170 to $250.
Tolsona Wilderness Campground and cabins. Six creek-side cabins 10 miles west of Glennallen, mud volcanoes on the property, dark-sky camp. Best pick for shoulder-season aurora with a vehicle. Rate band: $130 to $200.
Practical planning notes
- The McCarthy Road turnoff is 33 miles south of Glennallen at Chitina; the 59 mile gravel road takes 2 hours 30 minutes at 30 mph and rental agreements usually forbid it, most travellers park at Chitina and shuttle in.
- Aurora season here runs September through March; the Copper River Valley sits under the auroral oval on active nights with almost no light pollution.
- Restaurants thin out fast after 8pm even in summer, plan food accordingly or stay at a lodge with an on-site kitchen.