Best of Alaska with 4 to 6 weeks

Make sure you go to Laird Hot Springs. Try to get there early in the day. Soak for a few hours. It's well worth it.

If you end up in Soldotna, go to the visitor center. Behind it are original homesteader cabins. Interesting to check out.

Thanks for the additional input. I am printing all of the replies and am compiling a list.

Thanks again and keep them coming.

Ken

Sagecoachdriver, just sent you a PM with more information but the trip was very dog friendly and never too hot.

wanderingdawgs, I see you brought your dog with you. Was the trip dog friendly, or was the dog confined to the trailer most of the time? I would assume the trailer would be comfortable for the dog and not HOT! Did you have to take ferries?

All of the above are great suggestions. We made the trip this summer from Georgia and spent a total of 50 nights in Alaska and could have spent at least 50 more to see and do everything we wanted!

Our very favorite place was Oceanside RV Park in Haines, Alaska As someone else mentioned the drive to and from Haines and Skagway are spectacular. We spent a couple of days in Skagway and took the ferry to Haines which I would highly recommend. Actually, we loved everywhere we went.

Just to give you an idea of driving times, on our return trip we left Tok and after 15 days of mostly hard driving we were in Loveland, Colorado. We did spend 2 nights in 3 different places but all the rest were one night stops.

Wherever you decide to go you will not be disappointed! It will be the trip of a lifetime.

Check out our blog at Wandering Dawgs. You can click tabs at the top of the page to see maps of our journey and a list of all the campgrounds where we stayed.

I don't think anyone has mentioned Skagway and Haines, both interesting spots in Alaska. The drives to each are both very scenic. And there is a short ferry ride between the two so it is possible to drive into one, hop onto the ferry to the other, then drive out. For instance, drive Whitehorse YT to Skagway, ferry to Haines, then drive Haines to Haines Junction YT. Or vice versa on your way home.

The drive into McCarthy AK is also interesting and the old mine site is an interesting tour.

We like more remote areas so also drove the Nabesna Road. Very pleasant drive. Quiet. No services.

Denali Hwy worth the drive too, very scenic. Gravel road so try to pick good weather for it!

Top of the World Highway between Dawson City and Alaska Highway (near Tok) is also very scenic. Again, best to have dry weather for that trip.

The drive into Whittier AK is very interesting too. Driving through the railroad tunnel is an experience. I kept wondering what would happen if there was another Good Friday earthquake (as there was in Valdez 50 years ago).

It's hard to go wrong with any route in Alaska.

fanrgs wrote:

missnmountains wrote:
We are planning a trip to Alaska from Colorado late May 2014 to early July 2014. Ken

Ken,

Take a look at the sticky under "Alaska" on this forum for Janet Rupp's "Helpful Ideas for Alaskan Travels". This was based on a lot of effort by those in the Roll Call Alaska 2013 group and well worth spending some time reading.

This past summer we left Denver for Alaska in mid-June and got back shortly before the flood hit in September. There was so much to see along the way that it took us 19 days to travel via western Wyoming, southern Idaho, northeastern Washington, and central British Columbia through Prince George, Stewart-Hyder, and Dease Lake just to get to Watson Lake. Our actual time in Alaska, from Skagway through Valdez, Anchorage, the Kenai, Denali, and Fairbanks to Chicken was one month. The rest of the time was spent on the way home through Dawson City, Whitehorse, Dawson Creek, Jasper-Banff NP, Great Falls, and Billings to I-25. The Denver to Denver mileage towing our trailer (not counting any miles without the trailer for sightseeing or day trips) was nearly 9,000.

If you spent two weeks getting to Alaska from Colorado and two weeks coming home, you could do just about what we did in 8 weeks. A week each way would be 6 weeks, but you likely wouldn't have time for side trips to Stewart-Hyder, Skagway-Haines, or Chicken-Dawson City-Whitehorse. And any time you might spend in the Banff-Jasper area would also be very limited.

If you have been to the Canadian Rockies previously, the Banff-Jasper leg could be eliminated and that would help your schedule. But I don't see how you could do a Denver-Sacramento-Alaska-Denver trip in less than 6 weeks short of taking the AMHS ferry from Bellingham to Haines, then skipping Skagway, the Cassiar Highway, the Top-of-the-World Highway, Dawson City, and Banff-Jasper completely.

Assuming you have six weeks, you would have to drive an average of 225 miles every day just to get there and back. Although that doesn't sound like a lot of miles for someone driving from, say, Denver to Craig over Rabbit Ears Pass, you can drive 65-70 mph on very few roads in northwestern Canada and Alaska. That is because the highways of both Canada and Alaska have 100's of miles of frost-heaved pavement and intermittent, but interminable, road reconstruction projects. At one construction project, we were stopped for so long that we had time to eat lunch while we waited for the pilot car. And top speeds were often 45 mph or less over the frost heaves. Plus driving that long every day doesn't leave much time for sightseeing!

Just my opinion, for all that's worth!

Thanks for the input. There are very good comments and I will visit the Sticky.

We plan on heading straight up from Sacramento after visiting my son. My plans are somewhat flexible, but we may be having some friends start the trip with us but leave after a few weeks. I will probably take our time returning, but want to spend at least the four weeks up in Alaska if not five.

Thanks.

Ken

missnmountains wrote:
We are planning a trip to Alaska from Colorado late May 2014 to early July 2014. Ken

Ken,

Take a look at the sticky under "Alaska" on this forum for Janet Rupp's "Helpful Ideas for Alaskan Travels". This was based on a lot of effort by those in the Roll Call Alaska 2013 group and well worth spending some time reading.

This past summer we left Denver for Alaska in mid-June and got back shortly before the flood hit in September. There was so much to see along the way that it took us 19 days to travel via western Wyoming, southern Idaho, northeastern Washington, and central British Columbia through Prince George, Stewart-Hyder, and Dease Lake just to get to Watson Lake. Our actual time in Alaska, from Skagway through Valdez, Anchorage, the Kenai, Denali, and Fairbanks to Chicken was one month. The rest of the time was spent on the way home through Dawson City, Whitehorse, Dawson Creek, Jasper-Banff NP, Great Falls, and Billings to I-25. The Denver to Denver mileage towing our trailer (not counting any miles without the trailer for sightseeing or day trips) was nearly 9,000.

If you spent two weeks getting to Alaska from Colorado and two weeks coming home, you could do just about what we did in 8 weeks. A week each way would be 6 weeks, but you likely wouldn't have time for side trips to Stewart-Hyder, Skagway-Haines, or Chicken-Dawson City-Whitehorse. And any time you might spend in the Banff-Jasper area would also be very limited.

If you have been to the Canadian Rockies previously, the Banff-Jasper leg could be eliminated and that would help your schedule. But I don't see how you could do a Denver-Sacramento-Alaska-Denver trip in less than 6 weeks short of taking the AMHS ferry from Bellingham to Haines, then skipping Skagway, the Cassiar Highway, the Top-of-the-World Highway, Dawson City, and Banff-Jasper completely.

Assuming you have six weeks, you would have to drive an average of 225 miles every day just to get there and back. Although that doesn't sound like a lot of miles for someone driving from, say, Denver to Craig over Rabbit Ears Pass, you can drive 65-70 mph on very few roads in northwestern Canada and Alaska. That is because the highways of both Canada and Alaska have 100's of miles of frost-heaved pavement and intermittent, but interminable, road reconstruction projects. At one construction project, we were stopped for so long that we had time to eat lunch while we waited for the pilot car. And top speeds were often 45 mph or less over the frost heaves. Plus driving that long every day doesn't leave much time for sightseeing!

Just my opinion, for all that's worth!

Look up Fantasy Tours and other caravan operators and check their itineraries. You may not want to do it their way, but it is a place to start.

The bears at Hyder will be more active later in the year, so do the Cassiar on the way back home. Also, be aware that fire or flood can close any highway at any time.

Alaska is usually done in a circle from Tok. When you get to Tok, check the weather forecast for Valdez. If it looks like nice weather, go there first, else Fairbanks.

The Ferry from Valdez to Whittier is a great option to see part of Alaska from the sea-ward side. It may look $pendy, but the alternative is a 10 to 12 hour drive to get to the same place.

Go down to the beach at Ninilchik or Deep Creek to get a close-up look at the inlet, and watch the 30' charter boats launched and recovered with a log skidder.

If you are near Kenai on July 20 have a look at the dipnet fishery at the mouth of the river.

Seward on July 4 has the Marathon Mountain race, but getting an RV spot may be tough.

The Denali Highway is a good drive, and so is Hatcher Pass out of Palmer and Wasilla. Inquire locally.

From Sacramento take I-5 to Bellingham, then East to any other border crossing. Hwy 1 and then the Cocquihalla Hwy over the Cascades to Merritt and north to Hwy 16, east thru Jasper to Hinton, then north to Grand Praire and on to Dawson Creek and Alsaka.. Returning on the Cassiar, go thru Prince George and continue east to Jasper, then take the Icefields Parkway south. When you hit 1 go east and then south to Radium Hot Springs, then south to Missoula.

Enjoy the trip.

As Joe b said include the the Cassiar HWY in the route. Probably work best for you on the way to Alaska, take the side trip to Hyder. Then take Alaska HWY on way back and go through Ice Field Parkway. Great trip