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Family owned
and
operated since 1948

Your hosts are,
Tom and Kim Huddleston

Phone
907-822-3245

Toll Free
866-330-3245

Toll Free Fax
866-347-9565

Copper Center is located between Mile 100 and 105 of the Old Richardson Highway. This "loop" was created when the Richardson Highway was straightened in 1988. Copper Center is located at the confluence of the Klutina and Copper Rivers.

Copper Center is a very historic area. Like most of the communities in the Copper Basin, it began as a native village with a large population.

Copper Center - one of the first "tent cities" located in the Copper River Region was built by miners looking for a short cut to the Klondike. Around 1896, Ringwald Blix built a roadhouse where the Copper Center Lodge is presently standing. Blix was well-known throughout south-central Alaska. One local newspaper reporter commented, "Ringwald Blix is known as the Poo-Bah of Copper Center, in the Copper River Valley. He's the whole thing in that region. Besides being U.S. Commissioner, he is postmaster, notary public, hotel proprietor, farmer and miner..." Travelers on the Valdez-Fairbanks trail often stated that the roadhouse offered outstanding services in comparison to many other. In 1932, the original roadhouse was destroyed in order to build the Copper Center Lodge. This lodge is on the National Register of Historic Roadhouses and is now considered the jewel of Alaskan roadhouses.

Another historic building, the Chapel on the Hill, was the first church in the Copper River Region; Vince Joy built it in 1942 with the assistance of the US Army volunteers stationed in the area. Mr. Joy then built other churches and a bible college in the area. The Chapel on the Hill and the Copper Valley Historical Society Museum, located next to the Copper Center Lodge, both have displays which depict much of the history of the valley.

Copper Center offers visitors campgrounds, fishing charters and guides, cafe, hotel, liquor stores, bar, convenience store, post office, bed and breakfast, fast food drive in, gas station, museums and veterinary services.

Currently located in Copper Center is the Wrangell-St.Elias National Park and Preserve Headquarters, with a Visitor Center and Bookstore.