The Blackburn Cabins was established in 2015 by the current owner of the lodge, Mark. Livvi, Mark's wife, is also one of the owners and was brought on by Mark. She helped complete the finishing touches of the cabins and then began managing them. The property is located between the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark and a town called McCarthy in southeastern Alaska. Blackburn Cabins, though close to both of these locations, is surrounded by trees and woodland landscapes. It is also close to Root Glacier, which is a nearby glacier that has a trail up to it. Hiking the trail is recommended by the owners as a "great activity."
Blackburn Cabins is a lodge surrounded by trees. The property is on 2.25 acres of land near McCarthy, Alaska. The units available on the property consist of 8 studio-like cabins that are about 200 square feet each. Six of the eight cabins have two full-size beds in them, while the other two have one queen-size bed each. A kitchenette is provided in each cabin for patrons to use, along with a sink and a drinking water filtrating system. Shared camp grills are also provided on the premises, which guests are free to use for any outdoor meals that they desire to have. The property has four shared outhouses and two shower houses, each of which has two stalls inside.
Bicycles are provided by the owners for their visitors to allow them to travel to nearby locations with a more nature-focused mode of transportation. Guests often use said bikes to ride over to the city of McCarthy to dine at one of the selections of restaurants there. Mark and Livvi personally recommend The Potato, where they serve burgers, fries, salmon, and other specials. Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark is the other location that guests are encouraged to visit. While there, they can tour the landmark and learn more about how 20th-century mines operated. Mark also recommends going up to Kennecott to eat at the Meatza Wagon, which is a professional food truck. If they desire, visitors can also visit the glacier that is in the area, Root Glacier. Root Glacier is part of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, which is the largest national park in the United States, covering over 13 million acres. Mark and Livvi offer a guided hike with their guests to this glacier for an additional cost. The owners tailor the hike in order to accommodate the desires of their visitors. The hike varies from a 4 to 8-hours, depending on the requests of those participating.
When Mark, one of the owners of Blackburn Cabins, established his business, he wanted to provide experiences to his guests that were common in older Alaskan times. Years ago, roadhouses were constructed in Alaska in order to provide for travelers and passersby. Such people could stop at a roadhouse for food, drinks, and/or a living space for a time. With that in mind, Mark, and now Livvi (the other owner of the property), have strived to create and provide that type of experience to those who choose to stay on their property. The owners recognize that those who visit are on vacation, so they want guests to enjoy their stay while providing a traditional Alaskan experience.
All cabins have antique dishes and silverware. All of the furniture that is provided is also older, providing the old-fashioned feeling that the owners are striving to give off. Many of the guests who stay at Blackburn Cabins enjoy being outdoors, so there are many activities which can appeal to them, such as walking to the glacier, ice climbing, white water rafting, hiking up to the old mine, and other adventures. Mark and Livvi strive to power most of the property through the sun, which further increases the outdoor emphasis of the establishment. They use natural lighting where they can, such as clear roofs on the shower houses and solar panels with a backup generator to provide any other energy for lights and other needed resources. There are also fire pits provided on the property of Blackburn Cabins, at which guests are encouraged to spend time with anyone there and sit by the fire.
Mark, one of the owners of Blackburn Cabins, has always loved nature. He moved to McCarthy because of this love, and quickly bought some land, building a cabin on it. Mark worked for the National Park Service. He worked with the historical building restoration project, specifically on Kennecott. In 2012, after working there for over 15 years with the National Park Service, he bought 2.5 acres of land, hoping to someday build cabins for people to rent out while visiting the various historical sites around.
Livvi, the other owner of Blackburn Cabins, went to McCarthy originally to be a ziplining guide but was eventually convinced by Mark to help him with his cabins. She came on and helped Mark add some things to the property and then started managing cabins. They started in 2015 with only 2 cabins, then added a couple of more in 2016, and have since grown to the current 8 cabins that they have for rent. The area itself has some history as well. Blackburn was a town that supported the mining town of Kennecott. There were a lot of people that moved there hoping to get work, and after a couple of years of great success, there was an economic downturns. Blackburn didn't last through the disaster, and it quickly faded from the map.
Mile 1 Kennicott Wagon Rd
McCarthy, Alaska 99588
United States
Campground
Mark & Livvi
