Originally a flag stop along the Alaska Railroad in the 1920s, Cantwell helped supply the nearby Valdez Creek mining operations. It remains a stopover for travelers heading north to Denali National Park or south toward Anchorage. While the town is often passed through quickly, it holds its own appeal for those who pause to explore.

Cantwell is known for its peaceful scenery, local wind that always seems to whistle through the mountains, and proximity to nature without the bustle of nearby tourist hubs. One quirky roadside landmark is the abandoned Igloo Hotel—a domed structure that’s a memorable sight along the Parks Highway.

Visitors come here to enjoy easy access to hiking trails, wildlife photography, fishing, and berry picking in late summer. With fewer crowds than Denali but just as much wilderness beauty, Cantwell offers an authentic slice of life in interior Alaska.

Did you know?

• Cantwell was named after Lieutenant J.C. Cantwell, a U.S. Revenue Cutter Service explorer; the nearby Nenana River used to be called Cantwell River.

• The town got its start in the mid-1920s as a railroad construction camp and served as a flag stop along the Alaska Railroad, supplying mining areas like Valdez Creek.

• Cantwell is located at the north end of Broad Pass, a mountain gap that allows both the Parks Highway and Alaska Railroad to traverse the Alaska Range comfortably.

• The scenic Denali Highway, which stretches 135 miles east from Cantwell to Paxson, was the first vehicle route into Denali National Park when it opened in 1957.

• The abandoned “Igloo Hotel” or “Igloo City” near Cantwell is a famously quirky roadside landmark—visible from the highway and built in the 1970s, it never actually opened.

• In 2020, Cantwell’s population was just 200 people, making it a tiny but enduring community (it once had only 17 residents in 1940).

• Cantwell has stood in for itself in Hollywood: it appeared briefly in the 2007 film Into the Wild, among other movie cameos in the 1920s.