After copper was first discovered in 1900, this mine, located in the heart of the Park, was developed at incredible cost and...

Abandoned Kennicott Copper Mine

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

After copper was first discovered in 1900, this mine, located in the heart of the Park, was developed at incredible cost and effort - nearly 200 miles of rail had to be built, with some 44 miles of bridges and trestles that were wiped out most springs. At its peak, the mine employed more than 500 and as of the time of its closing in 1938, more than half a million tons of ore valued at more than $200 million had been been extracted. Photo © copyright by Ed Fuhr.