When You're Ready to Experience the Real Alaska

Let Us Be Your Host

Our historic town is in the very center of the largest protected wilderness on earth. McCarthy is surrounded by more mountains, glaciers and wildlife than anywhere else in Alaska! We have been actively restoring much of the town of McCarthy since 2001. McCarthy is where you will find the finest food, accommodation and entertainment in the park, just ask the locals! Our guest experience includes participation with the community and the people that actually live here all year. Our managers and many of our staff live here, our greenhouses provide fresh produce for our restaurants, our Copper River Red Salmon is wild-caught by locals. Best of all, the fully restored Ma Johnson's is the only authentic historic hotel in the park. Spend a few minutes in the Golden Saloon and make friends instantly. In addition to our accommodations, here you will find information on all there is to see and do inside Wrangell St. Elias, America’s largest National Park!

Alaskan Image

National Geographic Traveler Magazine's April 2009 cover story"129 Hotels We Love To Stay At" has this to say about the McCarthy Lodge & Ma Johnson's Hotel:

“The hotels on our Stay List 2009 don’t just reflect their surroundings—they help define them,” says Traveler Senior Editor Sheila Feldman Buckmaster. “What they all have in common is a transcendent vision that goes beyond traditional hotel-keeping. This mindset is what gives these hotels their sense of place. Make no mistake: you’ll sense the vibe at once. And after your stay, you’ll leave with the kind of insight only soulful places can provide.”

To find these hotels, National Geographic Traveler tapped into the collected experiences of veteran journalists, inveterate road warriors, and local experts. They based their nominations on key criteria. Is the hotel engaged with the local community? Does it subscribe to sustainable practices that respect the region? Does it truly capture the spirit of its setting? Further research and detailed questionnaires winnowed hundreds of submissions down to this sweet list of 129 hotels.

McCarthy Lodge & The Ma Johnson's Hotel: (One of four Alaskan properties to make the 2009 National Geographic Traveler Stay list)

A 1920s-frontier false-front hotel in a restored Alaskan ghost town, surrounded by enormous Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Home-off-the-range rooms: fabric-covered walls, handmade quilts, pedestal sinks. Saloon is a popular local hangout, with "open mike" evenings. Greenhouse supplies fresh produce; salmon caught wild. Playtime: Fly-in glacier trekking, alpine hiking, rafting.

For the full story, see the April 2009 National Geographic Traveler Magaine or visit National Geographic online.