Itinerary For AK Loop

[CVD]

Help me plan an Alaska trip late this summer (approx. last week of Aug and first week of Sep).

First, we aren’t driving there. We will fly to Anchorage and rent a class C for 12 days. Maybe, someday we will set aside a couple months and do a true Alaska RV trip, but this will be a 1 1/2 week trip out of Anchorage.

Two, we’ve been to AK twice. Once via car/hotel (have been to Denali, saw lots of wildlife, have not been further north). The other time we rented an RV and focused on Kenai Peninsula.

Three, Our target activities will be scenery and wildlife viewing, with moderate walks. I prefer state parks, don’t care about hook ups, prefer to not make reservations (would rather have flexibility to adjust itinerary as we go)

Itinerary – only absolute is to go back to Denali and stay 2 or 3 days (may have to break my rule and make reservation for Denali NP CG). The question is what to do with the rest of our time? One idea is to do a Anchorage, Denali, Fairbanks, Tok, Glennallen, Anchorage loop. This would be about 900 miles, which should be doable in 12 days (is it a safe assumption that Route 2 from Fairbanks to Tok will be passable in first week of Sep?)

Bigger question, given we are looking for scenery and wildlife, does it make sense to go all the way to Fairbanks? Should we instead go east on Route 1 and down to Valdez? I like the idea of taking the ferry from Valdez to Whittier, but it’s very expensive (approx $700- for 4 people and RV)

Lot’s of options; suggestions?

Thanks,

[PA12DRVR]

For scenery, it's hard to beat the Glenn from Anchorage to Glennallen in either late spring or late fall. Fairly scenic in summer as well but for summer scenery, my personal favorites are the Richardson down to Valdez and the Denali Highway (Paxson to Cantwell) but the Denali is likely off limits in a rental.

Agree with the previous comment re: McCarthy: The Wrangells / Wrangell-St. Elias is spectacular, but save the time and wear and just book a flightseeing trip from Chitina. The drive to McCarthy is getting better, but is not terribly scenic.

I really like the drive to Seward (and/or short trip to Whittier) but, other than as a way to get to some fishing, the KP has never quite turned the crank for me. Similarly, my head knows that Hatcher's Pass is scenic, but I'd rather drive to Eureka and have a cuppa and a slice of pie.

There are some sights to see in Fairbanks, but perhaps not too much wildlife unless you head out of the city.

[Crazy4silvers]

If you go to Valdez the end of August plan on having a fair amount of company there. It is the end of Silver Salmon season and the fish will be close to the harbor so the campgrounds can be fairly full. After 20 some years fishing for silvers there I can tell you August and Valdez normally spells rain so yes check the weather. More than one year we have had snow in the Summit lake area bring the boat home from Valdez in late August.

I am probably biased since I live there but don't agree with skipping Fairbanks if you have never been in this area. Good recommendations above on what to see but also as pointed out the tourist destinations and campgrounds are shutting down rapidly by Labor Day. That time of year is fall here not summer, colors will be changing and areas around Fairbanks will probably have had a frost by then.

[fanrgs]

Your idea of flexibility is key for that short time period. In fact, you should be able to check the long-range forecast for each potential location you want to visit even before you leave home. You can use that to decide which direction to go first from Anchorage. Then go north, south, or east first, depending on which location has the clearest weather.

And, if its weather is clear, Valdez is definitely worth the time to get there and back, especially since you spent an entire trip on the Kenai. Even the drive over Thompson Pass and through Keystone Canyon is spectacular.

Can you take the rental RV on gravel roads? If not, you may still be able to go to McCarthy-Kennecott by a van tour (it starts in Glennallen and picks up in Kenny Lake and Chitina). It can be a very scenic day trip on your way to or from Valdez. We did it that way by staying two nights in Kenny Lake.

Your problem is time for the distance you would have to cover. So, I would definitely skip Fairbanks and the Kenai and just plan on the Parks Highway (Denali-Talkeetna) and Glenn-Richardson Highway (Valdez-Kennecott). I would only take the ferry from Valdez if you really want to go back to the Kenai. And, if the ferry is that expensive, a flightseeing tour around Mt. McKinley/Denali or a jetboat tour on the Susitna River into Devil's Canyon would, IMHO, be more worthwhile. Both the air and boat tour start in Talkeetna.

If you can use gravel roads, I would still avoid taking it on the McCarthy road. But, you might consider using the Denali Highway from Paxson to Cantwell or the Hatcher Pass road between Palmer and Willow. Both are very scenic and some of the best photos of Denali have been made from the Denali Highway (it was the only road to the park until the George Parks Highway opened in 1973--when I first drove it).

However, all those suggestions go out the window if Valdez is socked in by weather!

[2gypsies1]

The Teklanika campground in Denali and the buses run from May 20 to Sept 13.

https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm

[lucy6194]

Most of Alaska closes up labor day. We did similar trip similar time 2 years ago. Buses in Denali had stopped running many campgrounds closed or closed around us. Got the last tour of kennicot mine and everything closed in McCarthy. We were late for salmon. Saw very few animals. This was our third trip. However on plus side fewer tourists.

[stickdog]

I would skip Tok, not much there and the drive from Delta Junction is straight and not what would be listed scenic. Tok cutoff is a pleasant drive but with your time limit I would give it a pass till you do the Alaska Highway. The Richardson is the scenic route to Glennallen and Valdez

Fairbanks is worth a couple days. The Riverboat Discovery, Museum of the North, Pioneer Park, Chena River Walk. Then there is the pipeline view area north of town and few miles farther is Fox with the Turtle Club or my wife's favorite Silver Gulch Restaurant and Brewery.

If you haven't been to Valdez it would be worth great little museum and it's free. Hike up to Worthington Glacier, and if time allows McCarthy and the Kennacott Copper mine.

Enjoy your trip

[DrewE]

I might go to Fairbanks, but down the Richardson highway rather than going all the way to Tok. Route 2 to Tok, and the Tok cut-off, are not exceptionally scenic--though far from ugly. Tok is mostly a supply and small commercial center, not particularly a destination in its own right.

If you go to Fairbanks, the UAF LARS (Large Animal Research Station) is well worth a stop and the (inexpensive) tour. You get nice and close to muskoxen and caribou/reindeer, and at least when I was there a very informative presentation on those animals...almost too informative, really.

Route 2 is kept open year round. You shouldn't have any problems there, though I suppose a freak blizzard is not technically impossible (but would not stick around too long). A fair number of the touristy things will be closed or closing that time of year (no matter where you go). Reservations for campgrounds other than Denali Tek (or perhaps other Denali campgrounds) should not be necessary in the slightest.

[2gypsies1]

You won't need reservations at that time of year except if you want to reserve for Denali's Teklanika campground (highly recommended). Purchase the TEK bus pass and ride the bus as often as you want from the campground. Go out an hour or two in the morning and again late afternoon or go out all day. We've also gotten off the bus and just walked along the road until tired then caught the next bus coming by. They run regularly. You would not believe the absolute silence and awe you'd have!

I'd prefer your Valdez route rather than Fairbanks. If you have time do the Stan Stephens glacier tour out of Valdez. It's great. All the loop roads would be snow-free that time of year. It's a beautiful time to be there. If, by chance, it would snow it would be light and would melt fast but I highly doubt it.

Out of Anchorage on the way down the Kenai is an awesome national forest campground called Williwaw. You can walk to Bear Glacier - takes about 15 minutes and easy.

Have a great trip!