One of the great treats of living in the Pacific Northwest is the abundance of fresh wild-caught salmon during the summer. Many fillets sold in Washington state and elsewhere as simply known as “Copper River salmon”. These are in reality sockeye salmon that have been commercially caught in the Copper River and shipped to markets on the mainland.
(Map showing an overview of the area, the Copper River running along the green border to the left of center)
It was fun to see this river from which I’ve enjoyed many great meals. Salmon are, in my opinion, best cooked in a barbeque grill on a water saturated cedar plank and seasoned to one’s taste. I usually baste ours with olive oil, then several bastings of lemon juice and finally season it with Old Bay spice.
The Copper River has long been known for its great sockeye and silver salmon fishing. The river originates in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and flows several hundred miles into the Gulf of Alaska. Much of the river is a delta, typical of the glacial rivers in Alaska. The Copper River Valley offers great camping, hiking, wildlife viewing, fishing, kayaking and rafting, and bird-watching opportunities.
The area has a rich mining history, best preserved at the Kennecott Mines National historic landmark, which we’ve previously discussed on this website. The Kennecott Mines site is reached over a very rough and primitive gravel road known as the McCarthy Road.
