Finding a strange spot in Alaska is hardly difficult. After all, we’re talking about a place where colorful lights regularly shimmer and dance in the night sky, a place where the sun doesn’t set for months at a time and people live in eternal daylight during the summer. Alaska is a strange place! But some places inside the state are really strange, even for Alaska.
One such place is Kennicott Copper Mine. Kennicott was once a profitable, thriving town all thanks to the copper mine that powered it. The town was founded in 1900, and people moved to work in the mine, and then of course more people moved to run businesses for the copper miners, and so on. All good, right? But then the copper ran out… and everyone was forced to abandon the town. By the 1950s, Kennicott was dead. But now you can visit and explore Kennicott, an actual ghost town that will have you shivering.
Kennicott was once one of the richest towns in Alaska, and it was all thanks to the copper mill seen here. But once the copper ran out, so did everyone else. Now it’s essentially a ghost town.
TripAdvisor/CrowdAvoidance
It’s a haunting, eerie experience to wander the once-thriving town and see it completely empty.
TripAdvisor/g10002016
Guided tours are available so you can learn more about the history of the area and understand what a booming town this once was.
TripAdvisor/Jorn
All around you are signs of a vibrant town just… abandoned. Dead.
TripAdvisor/g10002016
Are there actual ghosts in this ghost town? Who’s to say? It certainly feels spooky in this area.
TripAdvisor/MountainMama
Kennicott also has some really beautiful views of the nature surrounding it, and there is some great hiking in the area, too.
TripAdvisor/Robert H
And the town isn’t completely dead. Thanks to the tourism, there are overnight lodgings and operational restaurants.
TripAdvisor/Gina C
Still, Kennicott is a shadow of its thriving self… and exploring this ghost town easily ranks as one of the strangest activities possible during your Alaska travels.
TripAdvisor/MountainMama
Just make sure you do some research on weather before visiting! Kennicott is only accessible by foot or shuttle.
TripAdvisor/CrowdAvoidance
TripAdvisor/g10002016
TripAdvisor/Jorn
TripAdvisor/MountainMama
TripAdvisor/Robert H
TripAdvisor/Gina C
So, what do you think? Have you spent any time exploring Kennicott? We’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments! Do you have a different favorite ghost town here in our state? We’d love to hear about it on our nomination page.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
Address: Bingham Copper Mine, Utah 84006, USA
