Alaska costs
Tis the season for researchin & plannin. What are you budgeted/estimated daily costs for your Alaskan trip? Fuel, campgrounds, food, tours & stuff?
Forum Discussion
Just a few more thoughts on campground costs for an Alaska trip.
Staying in Alaska stste parks and Canadian provincial campgrounds can get expensive. In 2013, Alaska state parks were $15-20/night without hookups and often without a sanidump (and those with a dump charged $10 extra for the privilege). BC provincial parks were $16-25/night (Canadian $), also without sanidumps and many without water. And those provincial parks with a dump also charged $10 extra. So, you may pay as much as $30-35/night for a state or provincial park without hookups. Staying multiple nights and dumping once slightly reduces that rate. But, if you have a generator, don't forget the fuel cost for providing your own nightly power.
For that reason, many RVers willingly pay $30-35/night for a private RV "park" (ie., a gravel parking lot) that comes with full (meaning 30A electric) hookups or W/E + sanidump.
Using the few US campgrounds in Alaska (National Park, Forest Service, Fish & Wildlife Service, etc.) can reduce those nightly costs if you have a Senior Pass. For example, the Denali Park campgrounds were $22/night with free water and a paved, multilane dump station, but were $11/night with the pass. Kenai National Wildlife Refuge (Hidden Lake CG) was $10/night with water and a dump, but $5/night with the pass. The Tenderfoot Forest Service Campground on the Seward Highway was $18/night with hand-pumped water and no dump, but $9/night with the pass. And Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge (Lakeview CG near Northway) was free, with or without a pass, but it was completely dry camping (don't believe the Website that says it has water!).
A boondocker's best friends in Alaska are gas stations that offer a free dump with fill-up and the Fred Meyer stores with free water and dumps (and free parking lot camping in some towns).
Staying in Alaska stste parks and Canadian provincial campgrounds can get expensive. In 2013, Alaska state parks were $15-20/night without hookups and often without a sanidump (and those with a dump charged $10 extra for the privilege). BC provincial parks were $16-25/night (Canadian $), also without sanidumps and many without water. And those provincial parks with a dump also charged $10 extra. So, you may pay as much as $30-35/night for a state or provincial park without hookups. Staying multiple nights and dumping once slightly reduces that rate. But, if you have a generator, don't forget the fuel cost for providing your own nightly power.
For that reason, many RVers willingly pay $30-35/night for a private RV "park" (ie., a gravel parking lot) that comes with full (meaning 30A electric) hookups or W/E + sanidump.
Using the few US campgrounds in Alaska (National Park, Forest Service, Fish & Wildlife Service, etc.) can reduce those nightly costs if you have a Senior Pass. For example, the Denali Park campgrounds were $22/night with free water and a paved, multilane dump station, but were $11/night with the pass. Kenai National Wildlife Refuge (Hidden Lake CG) was $10/night with water and a dump, but $5/night with the pass. The Tenderfoot Forest Service Campground on the Seward Highway was $18/night with hand-pumped water and no dump, but $9/night with the pass. And Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge (Lakeview CG near Northway) was free, with or without a pass, but it was completely dry camping (don't believe the Website that says it has water!).
A boondocker's best friends in Alaska are gas stations that offer a free dump with fill-up and the Fred Meyer stores with free water and dumps (and free parking lot camping in some towns).
