Christina Kirkwood

There’s a copper mining ghost town at the end of McCarthy road, well inside Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. But it’s not abandoned. The Kirkwood family ensured Kennicott’s survival in the mid-80s, when they rebuilt a mining era building and turned it into a remote lodge. It’s an improbable oasis in a land far removed from typical amenities.

Christina Kirkwood spent her childhood summers soaking up the mystique and majesty of this spot. Glaciers were her playground. Copper pebbles were her toys.

She now runs the business side-by-side with her family. It’s hard work at the end of the road. The chance to show off her magnificent backyard – which just happens to be the largest national park in the U.S. – makes it all worthwhile.

Q. What do you do? What’s unique about what you’ve created? What life experiences led you to where you are today?

My family owns and operates Kennicott Glacier Lodge in the historic town of Kennicott at the center of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. We are surrounded by over 13.2 million acres of wilderness.

In the early 1900s, Kennicott was home to a rich copper mine. It’s now a National Historic Landmark maintained by the National Park Service.

My dad, Rich Kirkwood, moved here in 1975, before any preservation efforts had begun.

He realized how unique and special the area is and decided to build a lodge so that he could share it with others. He did much of the construction himself and opened with 12 guest rooms in 1987.

Friends of his got permission to collect many historic artifacts left in the area. They decorated the walls of the lodge with black and white photos, letters, and invoices that tell the story of those early miners and their families.

I started working at the lodge in high school. When I graduated from college, it was an easy decision for me to join the family business and spend the summers in my favorite place in Alaska.

My dad, mom, sister, and I are all involved in the lodge and we employ dozens of staff members each year. We’ve expanded three times, and now offer 43 guest rooms. We also run a full-service dining room.

As in any family business, I have lots of responsibilities, but my most important job is to make sure our guests have an incredible visit to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.

Q. What makes Alaska special for you?

Alaska is my home and there is no place like it on earth.

It has Wrangell-St. Elias, the largest national park in the U.S. It has Denali, the tallest peak in North America.

We can see the Northern Lights in winter and have almost unlimited daylight in summer.

We see moose crossing the street, and in our backyard. We have vast areas of unspoiled wilderness, where we can hike for days without seeing another person.

Q. What are your favorite places and/or experiences in Alaska? What do you remember most about them? What have you learned from them?

My favorite place is Kennicott. I grew up in Anchorage but spent every summer weekend here. My summer memories were made here while growing up.

Flightseeing in the park is my favorite activity. Anytime you can get in the air, the view is just incredible. I also like to go play on the glaciers. I’ve got my own set of crampons. I like to explore and see the changes from year to year and watch people ice climbing.

Spending time here has taught me that there’s so much out there for us to see and experience. There’s more to life than commuting and crowds. You have to get out and enjoy these spaces.