Chitina, AK

Chitina is a tiny, remote community in south-central Alaska, sitting right where the Copper and Chitina rivers meet. Home to around a hundred year-round residents, it is best known as the main gateway to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and the historic mining town of McCarthy. The paved Edgerton Highway ends here, giving way to the rugged, unpaved McCarthy Road. During the summer, the area hums with activity as Alaskans from across the state head to the riverbanks for the famous Copper River salmon dipnetting season.

ATTRilya_ktsn / CC BY 2.0

Long before it became a stop for park travelers and fishermen, the area served as a seasonal camp and travel route for the indigenous Ahtna people. In the early 1900s, Chitina boomed as a bustling railroad hub supporting the nearby Kennecott copper mines, though the town quieted down considerably once the rail line shut down in the late 1930s. Today, everyday life here is quiet, rustic, and deeply tied to the surrounding wilderness, making it a distinct corner of the state for anyone drawn to true small-town Alaska living.