Okay we are going to make the trip to Alaska in 2019. We are trying to decide whether to go Spring ( May & June) or Fall (August & September). I have heard pros and cons for both. Pros Spring- more wildlife viewing, snow on Mountains for prettier scenery, not as crowded etc. biggest cons- bugs, mosquitoes, black flies, bad roads left over from winter, crowded with kids out of school. Fall pros- less crowded, very few bugs, better roads. Cons- scenery not as good, cold weather moving in quick in September. Places closing up season etcSo with that said I’d like to ask you veterans who have done it several times when is the best time to go? We plan on doing it 8-10 weeks. Thanks!!”

Middle of September, 2018. 3 inches of wet snow flattening everything green in Grande Prairie. Always a gamble up here.

Check the dates when Sue did her photos and blogs and you can get an idea of what it's like.http://yukonsights.ca/By the way.... haven't heard from Sue in a while. Hope everything is o.k.

Also more daylight in the spring. Maybe too much.

2oldman wrote:Best time AKGoing thru that makes Aug/September as rainy and buggy but lots of fall color. But the seasonal closings is a bummer too. Spring starting to look better

Best time to go | Good Sam Community

PA12DRVR
Explorer
Sep 17, 2018
" Fall color was pretty sparse this year when we left September 1st. "

FWIW, fall colors have really kicked in the past 6-7 days: Alaska doesn't get much tree leaf change (except to yellow), but the ground cover is really changing and most of the trees in Los Anchorage and environs are decidedly yellowing.
jacketsbum
Explorer
Sep 17, 2018
lakeside013104 wrote:
jacketsbum wrote:
Okay we are going to make the trip to Alaska in 2019. We are trying to decide whether to go Spring ( May & June) or Fall (August & September). I have heard pros and cons for both. Pros Spring- more wildlife viewing, snow on Mountains for prettier scenery, not as crowded etc. biggest cons- bugs, mosquitoes, black flies, bad roads left over from winter, crowded with kids out of school. Thanks!!”

We were in Alaska from early May until July. The mosquitoes were amazing, for we saw only two the whole time we were in AK or on the Alaska highway in Canada. I never once used the fly dope I carried up there. We saw more buffalo, bear, moose, Stone Sheep, elk going to and coming home from Alaska then we saw bugs of any kind. Never noticed an over abundance of rug rats either or crowds of any kind accept on the Russian / Kenai rivers. We spent most of our awake hours out of doors. Beautiful country.

If I go again it will be within the same May to the end of July or August time frame.

Enjoy.
Lakeside

That's what I like hearing! I really am leaning toward Spring because I can stretch the time if needed.. Where as in the Fall I need to leave by October to beat the snow!
2gypsies1
Explorer III
Sep 17, 2018
jacketsbum wrote:

That's what I like hearing! I really am leaning toward Spring because I can stretch the time if needed.. Where as in the Fall I need to leave by October to beat the snow!

Why one or the other? Plan to cross the Canadian border by May 20 and leave Alaska in Sept. or whenever. Spending all summer is the way to do it. It's an expensive and long trip. How often will you do it? Might as well take your time and enjoy it.
lakeside013104
Explorer
Sep 17, 2018
2gypsies wrote:
jacketsbum wrote:

That's what I like hearing! I really am leaning toward Spring because I can stretch the time if needed.. Where as in the Fall I need to leave by October to beat the snow!

Why one or the other? Plan to cross the Canadian border by May 20 and leave Alaska in Sept. or whenever. Spending all summer is the way to do it. It's an expensive and long trip. How often will you do it? Might as well take your time and enjoy it.

2gypsies makes a very good point. Plan to go early and stay late. Be flexible and let the adventure go one day or one week at a time. You will know when you have had enough. When you have seen enough incredible beauty, enough wildlife sightings, caught enough fish, gazed across mountains rising out of vast openness of the waters, hiked enough trails, seen enough glaciers, breathed enough clean air, and immersed yourselves in enough tranquility, you will make the choice to return to you normal everyday life.

Enjoy this adventure and if you are like us, you will be longing for the next return visit.

Lakeside
jacketsbum
Explorer
Sep 17, 2018
lakeside013104 wrote:
2gypsies wrote:
jacketsbum wrote:

That's what I like hearing! I really am leaning toward Spring because I can stretch the time if needed.. Where as in the Fall I need to leave by October to beat the snow!

Why one or the other? Plan to cross the Canadian border by May 20 and leave Alaska in Sept. or whenever. Spending all summer is the way to do it. It's an expensive and long trip. How often will you do it? Might as well take your time and enjoy it.

2gypsies makes a very good point. Plan to go early and stay late. Be flexible and let the adventure go one day or one week at a time. You will know when you have had enough. When you have seen enough incredible beauty, enough wildlife sightings, caught enough fish, gazed across mountains rising out of vast openness of the waters, hiked enough trails, seen enough glaciers, breathed enough clean air, and immersed yourselves in enough tranquility, you will make the choice to return to you normal everyday life.

Enjoy this adventure and if you are like us, you will be longing for the next return visit.

Lakeside

What fabulous answers! That pretty much settles it Spring it is! We'll head out early May with no time limit and take in Gods beauty! Whether we ever get enough of it remains to be seen! We have been all over this country and eastern Canada. What we have seen defies descriptions! But we never get enough! Thanks to all for your input! Fellow travelers and campers are the best!!

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