Donaho House
The space
Our home is situated on 1 1/2 acres in the historic town of McCarthy with spectacular views of the Kennicott Glacier and the Wrangell Mountains. Enjoy all the comforts of home in this spacious, modern home with 3 bedrooms, a loft, 2 bathrooms, a full kitchen, sunroom, and a deck with a view. Our solar electric system provides the power for radiant in floor heat, lighting, washer and dryer, refrigerator, and dishwasher. The perfect place for family (kids under 12 no extra guest fee) and friends to experience all that Wrangell-St. Elias National Park has to offer.
Attractions
It’s a short walk to “downtown” McCarthy where you’ll find great restaurants/bars, guide services, flightseeing tours, a general store and a scheduled shuttle service. Enjoy a stroll around town to get a feel for this historic town and while your at it, stop by the local museum to learn the history and see all of the photos from the early days. You can sign up for a day rafting trip, a fly out day trip to a remote airstrip, or take one of many flightseeing trips available. Hop on the shuttle to visit the nearby (5 miles) town of Kennicott. Spend the day exploring the National Historic Landmark on your own or book a guided glacier hike or ice climbing. You can take a mine building tour or enjoy a great lunch at one of the restaurants in Kennicott. Visit the gift shop or just grab a beer or coffee and take in the spectacular views.
How to get here
If arriving by road, you will park at the fee based parking lot at the end of the McCarthy Road next to the west end of the footbridge. It is a short walk to the east end of the bridge where we will meet you and transport you and your gear the 1/2 mile to Donaho House. There is a luggage cart at the bridge for public use. We ask that you call from Chitina to let us know you are on schedule. That will ensure a timely pickup at the footbridge. At checkout you will be transported back to the footbridge for departure.
Drive times to McCarthy from:
Anchorage - 7-8 hours (307 miles)
Valdez -5-6 hours (180 miles)
Fairbanks -8-9 hours (370 miles)
Glennallen - 3-4 hours (127 miles)
Chitina - 2-3 hours (*60 mile gravel road. Conditions vary. Take your time).
There are typically 2 lane highways in Alaska so drive times may be longer than you’re used to. Be aware that Moose and Caribou can create a driving hazard along roads in Alaska.
If arriving by air we will pick you up at the McCarthy Airport. Wrangell Mountain Air offers air transportation from Anchorage and scheduled flights from Chitina which includes flightseeing. (Flying from Chitina allows you to avoid the 2+ hour drive on the McCarthy Road and get some spectacular views of the park from the air).
House Rules
Check-in 3-6pm. Check-out between 8 and 10am
No smoking.
We please ask that you remove your shoes in the entry
No pets.
Events by prior arrangement
Minimum age to rent 21
House is available from June 1 to September 15.
**It is important to note that check-in is from 3-6 pm. There is a $75 call out fee for arrivals after 6 pm. 6-7pm will be charged $100. Anyone arriving after 7pm will not be provided a ride from the footbridge. Check-out between 8 and 10 am.
Trash: Pack it in-pack it out. There are no landfills within 130 miles of McCarthy so we ask that guests take their trash with them upon departure. If you prefer not to there is a disposal fee that starts at $25 per 13 gallon trash bag.
Other things to note
Verizon and Copper Valley Telephone Cooperative are the only cell providers once you drive past Chitina. The signal is usually quite good for either in the area. Wifi is available at the house. Log-in information is provided at check-in.
The house has a full kitchen including a refrigerator/freezer, a 5 burner gas stove with oven, a dishwasher, pots and pans, dishes, silverware and knives. Everything you need to cook a great meal. If you don’t care to cook there is a fine dining establishment and 2 restaurants/bars in McCarthy and two in Kennicott. There are also 2 espresso shops in town. They all offer great food and dynamite coffee.
McCarthy Mercantile is a short walk from the house and stocks basic food including fresh veggies and frozen meats. They also offer a limited selection of beer, wine and spirits. Stop by for some ice cream on one of our hot summer days!
There are shuttle services available that run from the footbridge, Kennicott and the airport from 8:30am to 7pm. Check for current rates and schedules.
Wrangell Mountain Air has an office in town where you can book air transportation, flightseeing of the park and fly-in backcountry adventures. They can fly you from Chitina on their scheduled flight which includes flightseeing along the way. We highly recommend this as a way to arrive. It’s a great value for the money and avoids the drive on the McCarthy road. See their website for info and pricing.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact us. We look forward to providing you a great place to stay in an amazing place.
