Alaska road trip...Any tips?

Question

I will be having a trip to Alaska in late August. I'm planning to rent a car and just hit the road. Here's my plan: Anchorage -Denali NP - Fairbanks -Arctic Circle - Circle hot springs -Valdez-Seward.

Anybody who has had a road trip like that before? Can you give me some tips and suggestions before I go? Thx.

Answer 1

This will be long but 1) I've done it many times, 2) enjoyed it a ton, and 3) have a lot of ideas about it.

First, your general itinerary is a good one IF you've checked the mileage and are comfortable doing that many miles in a day (in two weeks? It's too much for one, for sure). But I'd skip Valdez. It's beautiful and in a lovely fjord and all that, but so is Seward and Seward has the Sea Life Center and day cruises into Kenai Fjords National Park and it on the Kenai Peninsula which also lets you see Homer which is also on the water but in a very different setting.

Have I done a trip like that? Last month, I took my kindergartener from Kenai through Anchorage,past Denali NP, up the Pipeline Haul Road to Deadhorse and the Arctic Ocean. 4 days, but he and I are way above average road warriors and we didn't look around in Anchorage or Denali having already been there many times. And I've bopped around the state for the last 25 years getting to almost every place the road system connects with.

Point by point:

Car rental: Even on the Haul Road, you can do it with a sedan. (slow WAY down where they're wetting the road down with calcium chloride to regrade it, but that's true with 4WD too). So I'd skip the SUV and save money on gas. They'll tell you not to take on dirt roads but a car wash back in Anchorage only costs $8. And they'll try to sell you collision damage waiver, windshield chip insurance, etc. IF I got a chip (5% chance over those miles), I'd just go to a glass shop for a $35 epoxy repair.

Anchorage: The history and art museum is good, the Native Cultural Center is very good.

Denali: Make your reservations for the park bus on line. If you have time, do it twice (day1: bus, day two hike near the entrance and/or raft the Nenana, day 3: first bus that day and then leave). You have to take the bus to get into most of the park but it is the best way to see critters - 40 pairs of eyes all looking and the bus stops to look at anything furry.

Fairbanks Alaskaland/Pioneer park is worth 1/2 a day. Not as tacky as the name sounds. It has some nice historical displays. There are some good exhibits and small museums on the UAF campus.

Arcitic Circle, Haul Road: There's gas at the Yukon River and Coldfoot and Deadhorse - always within 200-250 miles. Driving through the night and you might need to overnight at a gas station until it opens. If you go ALL the way, reserve a oil-field tour in advance (they run your ID through the feds in advance) $35 but you've come that far, you might as well get to the Arctic Ocean itself. Google "Caribou Inn Deadhorse".

Come south via Tok if you want to see more of the state. Not many tourist attractions, but lots of lots of mountains, forests, etc.

Then Seward as mentioned above. In Homer: art galleries, good restaurants, go on a halibut charter if you want fish in your freezer this winter. The silver salmon are running then in the Kenai River. There's great, absolutely fantastic wilderness canoeing in the Swanson River Canoe Trails north of Sterling (some local places rent canoes). Amazon.com for the guidebook The Kenai Canoe Trails (Paperback) by Daniel L. Quick

Everywhere, but especially north of Anchorage: pay attention to the aurora forecasts (on line or in the newspaper). Stick your head out more at night if the forecast is good. Doing that, and going so far north, you've got 70-80% chance of seeing some good ones.

Squitter repellent containing DEET (duh!). Consider a mosquito headnet. I like to camp/sleep in the car 1 or 2 nights then spring for a hotel room. You can buy showers at campgrounds, roadhouses and laundromats for $3 or 5 as you go.

Layers! Fleece and a Goretex shell. Warm hat. Light gloves. Pants that dry as you wear them (i.e. nylon). Two pair of comfortable shoes so you'll have dry ones when you return from a hike.

Man, is that 10 points or what!?

Answer 2

Fill up as much as you can! Not many gas stations or Travel Plaza's in Alaska except near towns and Anchorage. Travelling in between is very decilate especially in the northern part.

I found a website about a group of people who went on a long road trip through Alaska, and they have made a website dedicated to it. Provides alot of good information from a travellers point of view.
http://www.xmission.com/~pab/index.html

I would also suggest picking up an AAA/CAA tourbook of Alaska. Provides loads of information on Alaska, everything from dineing to attractions, gas stations and hotels aswell as maps of the state, reigions, and cities and towns. It costs about $23, but if your an AAA member it's free.

Answer 3

Yay! road trips are fun, I just drove cross country wt my friends. Just make sure that you have some one to take turns driving cauz u don't want to do all of the driving! Oh! And don't get to many snacks, because then you just sit there and eat and eat and eat then you get really sick and fat!!

Answer 4

Don't take any illegal drugs with you they frown on that pretty hard.

Answer 5

great place.bring a fishing rod,the fishing is excellent