Traveling from Seattle to Alaska Early Spring

I'll be going the opposite direction in mid April (leaving Whitehorse, headed down the Alaska Highway with Ontario the ultimate destination). I'll be prepared for anything, though, including carrying chains.

Mid-May is about right. Some places aren't open yet but there are still plenty of options.

I don't think you'd enjoy starting your trip in mid-April. The lakes will still be frozen and you could possibly hit snow. A lot of things will not be open for travelers either.

We left the 3rd week of May and everything was open and we had great weather. We returned mid-Sept and some campgrounds were closed but enough were open and there are plenty of boondocking spots.

I've driven the Al-Can several times in the past but not with an RV. You would be pushing your luck on both ends, weather-wise. Could be fine or could have several inches of snow. 2-3 weeks shorter on each end would improve your chances. The other issue to consider is that many campgrounds and services (gas, groceries and repairs) will not be open that early and late in the year.

(EDIT): Ooops, I see Bill snuck his post in before mine. He knows! Familiar pics - including the snow.

We bought our MH (used) in Boulder, CO in early spring, 2012 and took it to my brother's place in Vancouver where it sat until mid May. Then we flew down and the three of us drove it from Vancouver, WA to Anchorage, AK in 99 hours - basically driving around the clock, no toad, and nothing else much except something to make sandwiches out of.

The trip was good, with very little traffic. Because of little traffic, we found a lot of the places weren't open in the middle of the night to get fuel, so we stretched it awful thin sometimes. And due to lack of tourist trade early in the year, you won't find a lot of camp grounds open. Be sure to make some phone calls as part of your planning.

One night at Chetwynd we had to give it up at about midnight because it was snowing too hard. I had about two inches on the front of the MH and they had just paved the road so there weren't any reflective lines on it yet.

I'm not sure how you're defining "early spring" but considering that you're planning on taking all summer for the trip, if it snows, pull over and wait. The roads will usually clear up, but watch driving early in the morning or at late evening when the water on the road from the melting snow is frozen and slick.

I'd watch the weather rather closly in Sept. Moose hunting usually runs around Sept 1 - 20th and we almost always have snow, and sometimes it doesn't leave like with the spring snows. As you travel south from either Glennallen or Fbks, you're going to go up in elevation which means more snow that doesn't melt.








Bill