SR 8 (Denali Highway)
I'm planning to take the Denali Highway (SR8) from south of Paxson over to Denali NP this summer rather than going through Fairbanks. What is your experience with it? I also understand there are a c...
Forum Discussion
Everyone that posted on this topic about the Denali Highway is spot on, as I will also add a couple of pointers...
1 - I would wait out on travelling thru there during real potential bad rain and stormy weather particularly on the east half portion, as upon my experiences along the entire route thru there during May 1993 (perfect cloudless no wind for 2 days), and in the camper during June 1996 and July 2001, the east half of the route seems to always be the windiest and weatherfront magnet areas.
In 2001 I got fogged in so fast while I was driving thru the Maclaren Summit portion it wasn't funny and never saw it coming...this weather day started out drivable with the intermittent hard rain, gusty winds and high clouds from Tangle Lakes-westbound, to all of a sudden wham-o zero visibility at Maclaren Summit upon getting fogged in with no warning while raining even harder as I was so glad to see Maclaren Lodge (also fogged in) a few miles later when I arrived and waited there for the storm to pass on the following day.
2 - Since mentioned upon travelling westbound via Paxson to Cantwell : During times while the sun is out I would avoid travel on the road between the hours of give or take 700pm thru 1000pm during June thru the first week of August as the sun could be potentially staring at you making it much harder to see.
Brushkana Creek and Tangle Lakes are nice campgrounds with a handful of nice boondocking spots in between, as I would also avoid Tangle Lakes campground during 4th of July holiday unless you like confined dense crowds and an overfull campground.
The Denali Highway route is generally a peaceful route as well as taking your sweet time thru there for a minimum of two days is the way to do it.
1 - I would wait out on travelling thru there during real potential bad rain and stormy weather particularly on the east half portion, as upon my experiences along the entire route thru there during May 1993 (perfect cloudless no wind for 2 days), and in the camper during June 1996 and July 2001, the east half of the route seems to always be the windiest and weatherfront magnet areas.
In 2001 I got fogged in so fast while I was driving thru the Maclaren Summit portion it wasn't funny and never saw it coming...this weather day started out drivable with the intermittent hard rain, gusty winds and high clouds from Tangle Lakes-westbound, to all of a sudden wham-o zero visibility at Maclaren Summit upon getting fogged in with no warning while raining even harder as I was so glad to see Maclaren Lodge (also fogged in) a few miles later when I arrived and waited there for the storm to pass on the following day.
2 - Since mentioned upon travelling westbound via Paxson to Cantwell : During times while the sun is out I would avoid travel on the road between the hours of give or take 700pm thru 1000pm during June thru the first week of August as the sun could be potentially staring at you making it much harder to see.
Brushkana Creek and Tangle Lakes are nice campgrounds with a handful of nice boondocking spots in between, as I would also avoid Tangle Lakes campground during 4th of July holiday unless you like confined dense crowds and an overfull campground.
The Denali Highway route is generally a peaceful route as well as taking your sweet time thru there for a minimum of two days is the way to do it.
