rv to alaska----- campground reservations

[cfin1964]

My wife and I plan to rv to Alaska this summer. I have questions about making campground reservations. How do I make reservations if I am not sure exactly what day I might arrive? Driving from Houston, TX and not exactly sure of the trip length and considering possible emergencies that might arise. We plan to allow 10 days travel time to get there but could be off by a day or so. I would appreciate any advise from others who have made the trip.

Thanks, cfin1964

[jnharley]

We only made a couple of reservations. One was for Denali as we have a big rig and we also made a reservation in Homer but we decided to stay longer and we had to move to another camoground d and we did not make reservations there. We did not make any reservations on the Canada portion of our trip. Only once did we get to a campground and it was full and that was in Dawson Creek. We just found another campground in the area and all was fine. We stayed at a variety of campgrounds: military, Canadian govt, BLM, USFS, natl parks, and commercial. We also dry camped in a couple of commercial campgrounds for a lot less money. We even stayed in a turnout on the Alaska Highway. The first time, no one even came into the turnout while we were there (about 18 hours) and on the return trip, a truck and another RV stopped for a short period right after we arrived and again, no one else came into the turnout. We felt perfectly safe. If you have military privileges, you will be very happy to use the Commissaries as grocery prices are much like those in the lower 48. Had a great time. Driving more than a couple hundred miles a day will be very tiring. It took us 2 weeks to get to Dawson Creek, BC from the border since we did not travel every day. The long daylight hours lull people into driving much longer than they should.

[mockturtle]

I'm planning an Alaska trip this summer, too, and don't intend to make any reservations.

[cfin1964]

Thanks for all the comments and help. Maybe I am too excited to get there being my first trip there. Taking a slower pace coming back. Knowing that I may not make as many miles on certain days prompted me to question whether to make or not worry about reservations. I think most comments I received did not think reservations were absolutely necessary. We plan to take about 2 months total travel. Should arrive there ( Tok) in mid June and leave at the end of Aug. We will travel in a class c on a Sprinter Chassis. Thank you all very much.

[2gypsies1]

First, if you can, please allow a lot more time to get to Alaska. There is so much to see in Canada and the Yukon before Alaska. Three months is the normal time folks take for this trip. It's a biggy and it's slow driving. Sometimes we only drove 50 miles or so.

The only reservations we made were for the July 4 weekend (Alaskans like to camp, too), and for Teklanika campground in Denali Nat'l Park - the farthest campground you can take your RV. For those we made them about 3 weeks prior when we could better judge where we'd be.

As it turned out, we got near Denali early so we boondocked nearby and at 9am the next morning we drove into Denali and easily secured a spot in Denali's front campground - Riley Creek. This was with a 40' motorhome.

You'll have a much more relaxed trip without reservations. Sitesee and stop at attractions as you drive and pull into a campground early afternoon to relax. There are numerous awesome boondocking spots along the highway, too.

Get a copy of the Milepost, Mike and Terri Church's book, 'Alaskan Camping' and the TourSaver 2/1 coupon book. One glacier cruise (a must) will pay for the book. All can be ordered online.

On this site, there's a 'Clicky' at the very top of the page for Hints on what to do, what to take, etc. on your Alaskan trip. Have a good one!

[jmckelvy]

We have made the trip twice now. Only reservations we made were for Teklanika CG in Denali.

For our first trip in 2009 I was still fully employed so had some time constraints. We made it from Huntsville, Alabama area to Tok, Alaska on the eighth day. Will not and did not do that on our second trip this past year. Way too many long days and not nearly enough time to see the multitude of neat places along the way.

It's a great trip. Take your time if at all possible and enjoy.

I'm ready to go again just have to work on the wife (a little).:)

[tonymull]

Yeah don't worry about the campgrounds, but unless you plan to drive 16 hour days you need longer than 10 days. 10 days will get you from Anchorage to Seattle OK with a rest day somewhere, but those are 8-10 hour days of driving on roads that you really have to pay attention to. Exhausting. Take two weeks from the border and enjoy the trip.

[EEWally]

In our 8 weeks (mid-May to mid-July), we only found one campground or RV park that was full. It was the one near downtown Talkeetna, a pretty popular RV park. We went to the very nice Susitna Landing State Park and enjoyed watching 2 guys spey casting for jack king salmon instead.

Our trip 2014.

[dbbls]

It is 4000 miles from Houston to Tok, Alaska. Tok is the first town you will come to after you enter the state. If you traveled 500 miles per day you could get there in 8 days. Traveling 500 miles per day is not realistic on the roads you will encounter. 300 is more realistic and this can be a long day. Also, there are things to see along the way and these stops might limit you to 200 miles a day. A trip to Alaska is not about the destination, it is about the sights along the way up and back. Take your time and enjoy the trip of a lifetime. I never had a reservation during my 12,000 mile trip and never had trouble finding a place to camp. However we stayed in very few campgrounds and those that we did were public campgrounds. There are limitless pull off's along the route through Canada and Alaska that one can stay the night.

[PA12DRVR]

10 days from Houston to Alaska? Driving? Suggest taking 9 days to drive to Seattle then fly up!

Just kidding....Have made the trip 2 - 3 times from Houston and 2 - 3 other times from near Dallas. The Dallas based trips were 20? 30? years ago and involved lots of hours behind the wheel and little sleeping time. Shortest IIRC was 6-7 days...and that was tag team driving with a college buddy. Most recent trip was at least 7 - 8 years ago and in the winter but IIRC it was a somewhat leisurely 7 days to Seattle (yes.....kind of sightseeing on the way) then 90 - 100 hours pushing pretty hard to Los Anchorage....all those trips were in everything except an RV.

In an RV if it's meant to be vacation, I'd suggest 2 weeks at a minimum and would not recommend any reservations unless you're going to be at a popular spot on a holiday....but full disclosure, other than a few weekend trips, I've not driven an RV much around Alaska.

[bobsallyh]

Were there for six weeks summer of 2014. Didn't have reservations on the way thru Canada, in Alaska, or on the way back down. We saw way too many people driving just "to get there" because we have reservations.

[beeman1]

10 days from Texas wow I am looking at 2 weeks to get to Dawson creek from NH. Slow down and enjoy the view.:E

[Two_Hands]

When we were young we never make reservations, and I mean never. But things are different now. Now I guess we just like the sense of security knowing we have a place to stay because we have a reservation. We have driven to Alaska twice and made reservations for each and every place along the way. That was difficult because many times the campgrounds were closed for the winter. But we were persistent with emails and phone calls and got it done. There was only once that we did not stay at a campground we had reserved but found a much better one nearby. As mentioned above you can get away without reservations most of the time, but not at Denali National Park or on the Kenai Peninsula during salmon runs.

[GordonThree]

10 days to where in Alaska? Hyder? (part of British Columbia, not part of main-land Alaska)

It took me 11 days from Michigan to Hyder, and another 3 days from there to Valdez... and that included some 16+ hour days of driving to cover the "flyover states"

As I crossed the Yukon in May, most of the private campgrounds had not opened yet or were permanently out of business. The public campgrounds were open; they require exact change in Canadian currency or pre-paid permits that you buy ahead of time.

The roads in the Yukon and British Columbia are like nothing we have here in the lower 48. The only vehicles that survive driving them at posted speed are semi-trucks.

[joe_b_]

If you have specific places you want to stay on specific dates, then make them. What most people will say is they don't make reservations very far ahead, but often do make them. Seems to be the same thing to me but to some it is obviously different. The salmon runs are somewhat predictable based upon historic runs. If I know I am going to fish the Valdez pink salmon run, the week or two after the 4th of July, I will call and make reservations a week or two ahead, same with the Kenai as Bob mentioned. Seward on the 4th, you will need them.

With all that verbiage, I have yet to talk to anyone that didn't find some place to park for a night, even though it may be box store pavement parking. I personally don't overnite at the big box stores, except in emergencies. Once in Alaska your cell phone will often work so I don't see it as a big deal to call a few days head to reserve a spot, especially in places like Fairbanks, Valdez, Homer, Seward as I know where we want to stay. Will at times turn my cell phone on in Canada to call for a place in Whitehorse or Dawson. This is all based upon what the RVers is comfortable with so far as a place to park. If you love parking at Wal Marts or Fred Meyer stores, then don't call as neither accept reservations that I am aware of. LOL