Blackburn Cabins - McCarthy, Alaska

We loved this place! They had everything you need. It is remote Alaska - be prepared for outhouses and outdoor showers. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable.

We loved our 4 night stay at Blackburn cabins- from the easy shuttle pickup at the footbridge, to the many walks to see stunning views - this was a comfortable place to base our Wrangell-St. Elias NP adventures! We loved our flightsee over the awesome mountains and glaciers, the guided tour of Kennecott Mine, a hike to the Root glacier and delicious salmon meals in McCarthy at the Potato. We loved experiencing cabin life in the woods - it was the perfect time of year with fall colors and warm sunny days!

We could not have been treated better during our stay. The cabins are great. Keep in mind that you will be using an authentic Alaska outhouse with only a screen to keep the killer mosquitos out. During the summer, the mosquitos will swarm you like bees!! We didn't get to use the shower as they had an issue with the water lines so we had to rough it. The quality in the build of the cabins are top notch!

We went to the beautiful Blackburn cabins out of season, but it was serene and peaceful.The owners were lovely and tried to warn us that it would be isolating and snowy but my son and I were intrepid and adventurous despite the warning. The shower block was frozen but Mark left us enough water to cook and bird-bath by. The cabins are very cozy and well made. We were walking distance to the toe of the glaciers, McCarthy and the bus stop to Kennecott mine - though we were there early and before the shuttles started. We walked the 7 miles instead. I would suggest bringing mozzie spray, as the little monsters were already starting to hatch when we were there. Highly recommend for a peaceful and beautiful time in the Wrangell-St Elias.

I am not a camper and Blackburn is about as rustic as I get. That said, they make the cabins, outdoor showers and outhouse attractive and we were very comfortable. With some patience and timing, we were able to take advantage of the free shuttle both days we were there—you do have to flag down (they don’t stop) the “Copper Center” vans that come every hour on the half hour. Keep in mind that this is the only transportation to town (ends at 7pm), so you have to walk the mile+ if you want to go other times or enjoy the bar entertainment. There are few lodging choices in McCarthy and I believe this is a much better value than the others; service and communication (if you happen to have a Verizon cell) was excellent.

Stayed here on our way into a 1-week backcountry trip, and again on the way out. Will totally stay here again. Lovely comfortable, clean cabins, great hosts, easy walk into town, helpful & friendly staff, logistics were easy. Many thanks.