Best itinerary for Alaska
We had a whole summer repeat trip planned for Oregon and now wife seems to have decided to go to Alaska instead. We have July, August and Sept. Can someone guide me in a few campsite stops, best r...
Forum Discussion
X 3 on the current boondocking status in Alaska these days....
Upon my analysis of the past few years speaking for someone like me equipped with a cabover camper, small travel trailer or equivalent of 20 to 30 feet of space - if one included the Dalton and Denali Highways in the entire Alaska road system, I'd say one would be lucky to find between 150 to 200 places total to freely "roadside boondock" entirely in Alaska nowadays....
Although I have not visited Canada since 2019, I doubt there are much changes between Delta Junction and the border at Port Alcan on the Alaska Highway for free boondocking spots that still exist, however I can clearly speak for the status of the Parks Highway and all the significant changes since 2016.
PA12DRVR is spot on with the posted comment pertaining to all the major road construction and remote roadside properties getting bought up as most of the access trails and gravel pit yards off the highways now have metal gates, concrete slab pylons, large boulders and other barriers blocking access to these areas that used to be available for boondocking because people abused these spots as mentioned leaving trash, junk vehicles, dead bodies, animal carcasses etc, and whatever else unimaginable....
Most day use waysides along the Parks Hwy. now have metal gates they secure at night to eliminate overnighters....
Even in Anchorage now, most former permitted overnight sites that now prohibit overnight parking have 24 hour security patrols to ensure no one violates overnighting stays....I had to resort to Cabelas in south Anchorage the past two years that permits overnight parking, as they still patrol pretty heavy there too - I witnessed security escorting someone off of the property after they observed their camper there for three days (while I stayed for two nights and did not get bothered)
Since 2016, the Parks Highway between Nenana and Willow (mile 300 and mile 74) now has 15 intermittent stretches of extra passing lanes in both directions ranging one half mile to 2 mile length intervals, which removed a handful of boondocking spots and turnouts....
Not to mention the major 2015-2017 projects of the Broad Pass mile 194 Chulitna River and rail under bypass, Goose Creek mile 91 rail under bypass, and Sunshine Creek mile 100 rail under bypass that were way overdue.
The reason I say they were overdue :
A friend of mine that works for the Alaska Railroad back in 2000 told me of this 30 year planned project starting in 1985 of eliminating all rail "roadside" crossings along the Parks and Richardson Highways between Anchorage and Eielson AFB...
14 total rail- road, over and under crossings on the Parks Hwy....
My time in Alaska since 1982, 9 of the 14 rail crossings were "road", as 5 were already established over and under pass crossings.
7 of the 9 "road" crossings are now converted rail- "under" crossings thru 2017 with only two rail-"road" crossings remain on the Parks Hwy. now (mile 169 and mile 235).
The mile 45 North Wasilla rail- "under" pass construction started the 30 year planned project of eliminating the road crossings.
3 total rail- "road" crossings on the Richardson Hwy....
They only converted one of the three "road" crossings in 2014 (southbound) and 2015 (northbound) to rail "under" crossing at mile 345...
Two "road" rail crossings still remain on the Richardson Hwy (at mile 350 and mile 359).
So thru 2022, they have 4 more road crossings yet to convert - which was projected to get done seven years ago.
In 2016, the state started expanding the Parks Hwy. on extending a 4 lane divided highway badly needed from mile 45 to mile 49 and got the squatters out of that area....
In 2021 and 2022, the state even expanded further north converting the 4 lane divided highway thru mile 52 at Big Lake Junction.
The state had more highway improvement projects in 2021 and 2022 at Chulitna Pass in a 5 mile stretch (mile 188 to 193), and (mile 229 thru 233), Montana Creek (mile 96) and Sheep Creek (mile 87) areas.
As noted - all of their infrastructure, materials and machinery were staged along any turnout and clearing they could use which were places that others used to boondock.
Pretty similar to the Cassiar Hwy. with the power transmission intertie project during 2013 where the south corridor between Bob Quinn and Tatogga Lodge at the time hoarded up every single turnout, space or clearing to use to where I could not boondock anywhere - staging their infrastructure, materials, atco buildings, machinery, etc.
With all the more road projects and added infrastructure, there will be even less roadside access boondocking within the highways of Alaska - it ain't what it used to be.
The few turnouts along the Nenana River and the Broad Pass turnouts are still permitted overnight parking along the Parks Hwy.
Upon my analysis of the past few years speaking for someone like me equipped with a cabover camper, small travel trailer or equivalent of 20 to 30 feet of space - if one included the Dalton and Denali Highways in the entire Alaska road system, I'd say one would be lucky to find between 150 to 200 places total to freely "roadside boondock" entirely in Alaska nowadays....
Although I have not visited Canada since 2019, I doubt there are much changes between Delta Junction and the border at Port Alcan on the Alaska Highway for free boondocking spots that still exist, however I can clearly speak for the status of the Parks Highway and all the significant changes since 2016.
PA12DRVR is spot on with the posted comment pertaining to all the major road construction and remote roadside properties getting bought up as most of the access trails and gravel pit yards off the highways now have metal gates, concrete slab pylons, large boulders and other barriers blocking access to these areas that used to be available for boondocking because people abused these spots as mentioned leaving trash, junk vehicles, dead bodies, animal carcasses etc, and whatever else unimaginable....
Most day use waysides along the Parks Hwy. now have metal gates they secure at night to eliminate overnighters....
Even in Anchorage now, most former permitted overnight sites that now prohibit overnight parking have 24 hour security patrols to ensure no one violates overnighting stays....I had to resort to Cabelas in south Anchorage the past two years that permits overnight parking, as they still patrol pretty heavy there too - I witnessed security escorting someone off of the property after they observed their camper there for three days (while I stayed for two nights and did not get bothered)
Since 2016, the Parks Highway between Nenana and Willow (mile 300 and mile 74) now has 15 intermittent stretches of extra passing lanes in both directions ranging one half mile to 2 mile length intervals, which removed a handful of boondocking spots and turnouts....
Not to mention the major 2015-2017 projects of the Broad Pass mile 194 Chulitna River and rail under bypass, Goose Creek mile 91 rail under bypass, and Sunshine Creek mile 100 rail under bypass that were way overdue.
The reason I say they were overdue :
A friend of mine that works for the Alaska Railroad back in 2000 told me of this 30 year planned project starting in 1985 of eliminating all rail "roadside" crossings along the Parks and Richardson Highways between Anchorage and Eielson AFB...
14 total rail- road, over and under crossings on the Parks Hwy....
My time in Alaska since 1982, 9 of the 14 rail crossings were "road", as 5 were already established over and under pass crossings.
7 of the 9 "road" crossings are now converted rail- "under" crossings thru 2017 with only two rail-"road" crossings remain on the Parks Hwy. now (mile 169 and mile 235).
The mile 45 North Wasilla rail- "under" pass construction started the 30 year planned project of eliminating the road crossings.
3 total rail- "road" crossings on the Richardson Hwy....
They only converted one of the three "road" crossings in 2014 (southbound) and 2015 (northbound) to rail "under" crossing at mile 345...
Two "road" rail crossings still remain on the Richardson Hwy (at mile 350 and mile 359).
So thru 2022, they have 4 more road crossings yet to convert - which was projected to get done seven years ago.
In 2016, the state started expanding the Parks Hwy. on extending a 4 lane divided highway badly needed from mile 45 to mile 49 and got the squatters out of that area....
In 2021 and 2022, the state even expanded further north converting the 4 lane divided highway thru mile 52 at Big Lake Junction.
The state had more highway improvement projects in 2021 and 2022 at Chulitna Pass in a 5 mile stretch (mile 188 to 193), and (mile 229 thru 233), Montana Creek (mile 96) and Sheep Creek (mile 87) areas.
As noted - all of their infrastructure, materials and machinery were staged along any turnout and clearing they could use which were places that others used to boondock.
Pretty similar to the Cassiar Hwy. with the power transmission intertie project during 2013 where the south corridor between Bob Quinn and Tatogga Lodge at the time hoarded up every single turnout, space or clearing to use to where I could not boondock anywhere - staging their infrastructure, materials, atco buildings, machinery, etc.
With all the more road projects and added infrastructure, there will be even less roadside access boondocking within the highways of Alaska - it ain't what it used to be.
The few turnouts along the Nenana River and the Broad Pass turnouts are still permitted overnight parking along the Parks Hwy.
