McCarthy Cabins, lodging in McCarthy, Alaska.
Why us?
“What an amazing stay! The cabins are the perfect mix of wilderness and comfort.” ”
Hello! My name is Denise, and I first came to McCarthy in 1993. Ever since, it’s been my favorite place on Earth. When I first arrived, I worked at the McCarthy Lodge doing everything and anything; housekeeping, bar tending, serving meals, unloading freight in the middle of the night, you name it! At the end of that summer, I bought my property at Swift Creek using the tips I had made as a down payment. A couple years later, in 1995, I co-founded a small eatery called Roadside Potatohead (aka The Potato). The original Potato was located at the end of the McCarthy Road near where start of the footbridge is today. I became sole owner a few years later, and with help from friends during the winter, moved The Potato across the Kennicott River to the “suburbs” of downtown McCarthy.
I sold The Potato in 2004, but it’s still “in the family” and going strong. Originally a food truck, it’s now a full-service restaurant with amazing fare (a definite must-stop!). While owning and operating The Potato, I had the two cabins at Swift Creek built as nightly rentals, one of the first to do so on the West Side.
Then, for several years, I (reluctantly) stepped away from summers in McCarthy to live and work year-round in Homer. Missing McCarthy terribly, I returned and started McCarthy Cabins, adding two of my neighbor’s cabins as rental options, Bluff Cabin and Meadow Cabin.
Since my return, I’ve also opened Camp McCarthy, offering amazing nature lodging (glamorous camping, aka glamping) on the bank of the Kennicott River. Camp’s official “soft opening” season was in 2022 and is located just a mile down river from the footbridge that accesses McCarthy and Kennicott.
The Cabins and Camp are both super special, and both are in fantastic locations. They offer cozy and unique accommodations while you’re visiting McCarthy and Kennicott. I would love to have you stay!
The McCarthy Cabins/Camp McCarthy team includes myself, awesome year-round resident Megan Rivard, and three furry family members; Mouse, Penny Peanut, and Ohney. We hope to share this special place with you!
Denise Jantz
Owner: Swift Creek Cabins and Camp McCarthy
Manager: Bluff and Meadow Cabins
Me with my sweet girl Mouse during a day trip to Valdez.
The awesome Megan Rivard with McCarthy Cabins’ furry family member, Penny Peanut. Megan is instrumental in helping take care of the cabins (and more!).
At 18 years old on July 22, 2023, Miss Mouse still loves an easy-going adventure.
Penny Peanut is a 4-year-old terrier mix and a 100% goofball.
Meet Ohney! After spending her first year scared and hungry on the streets of Mazatlan, Mexico, she’s super happy to have a new home and loving family in Alaska. Ohney was adopted in February 2023.
Roadside Potatohead on the west side of the Kennicott River, 1998
Me at the Cooper River cleaning a red salmon around 1997.