Alaska is the ultimate destination for long summer days, high mountain peaks, astonishing glaciers, untouched wilderness and dramatic scenery. It’s a destination which draws you in—so much so, that RVing to Alaska has become the most popular of all RV destinations.
A black bear catches salmon.
Only in Alaska can you meet such an array of wildlife; grizzly and black bears, wandering moose, the ever-elusive wolves, enormous whales, chatty sea lions, adorable seals and the always-magnificent bald eagles. Alaska is a land of diversity with historic gold rush towns, enormous glaciers, lush forests, meadows carpeted with plants of every shape and size, and fishing villages that grace this land we believe to be the Last Great American Frontier.
Coming from the “lower 48’ of the United States the journey to Alaska is one that is best when planned well and shared with other RVers. Don’t get me wrong, I like to enjoy the independence and freedom of the open road, but with the limited services, amenities and large open spaces we find that traveling with others provides comfort…a real peace of mind.
There are many different routes to take north thru Canada, one of our favorites is the route from Anacortes, WA through British Columbia, heading north toward Prince George [with beautiful stops and pull-outs along the way] before you get to “Mile Zero” of the AlCan (Alaskan) Highway in Dawson Creek, BC. This is a great place to begin learning about the road, the history, and the people of the north. As you continue along Hwy 97, you’ll come to Fort Nelson, BC, which is home to one of the greatest collections from the construction of the AlCan Hwy, it’s a good stop with an RV Park.
Touring Watson Lake’s legendary Sign-Post Forest.
Continuing north you’ll soon enter the Yukon Territories, with an excellent stop in Watson Lake, best known for the Sign-Post Forest. Here, you can wander among thousands of signs hung by travelers from around the world. There are many great stories here and the museum on property offers a lot of great insight to this mysterious forest and the road that brought you here. Before you leave the Yukon Territories you’ll find yourself in Whitehorse, a city offering pristine wilderness, hiking trails, a local brewery (one of my favorites) and some campy entertainment, plus you’ll find some Big Box stores if you need to restock. From Whitehorse you can continue northwest to make your way into Alaska. First stop, Tok, AK is a good crossroads where you can either turn north toward Fairbanks or head west toward Anchorage. We like to take the northern loop thru Fairbanks because it is one of the furthest north destinations to reach before the days get shorter and the weather changes.
The Riverboat Discovery in Fairbanks.
Fairbanks area is an Alaskan Metropolis, home to just over 100,000 hearty souls, making this region the second-largest population center in Alaska. The city features a university, an Army Base, an Air Force Base and is known for dog mushing, ice sculptures, the northern lights and its extremes of warmth and cold as well as long summer days and excruciating dark winter nights. Temperatures range as low as 62 degrees below zero to the common and comfortable 80s during the summer months. Fairbanks enjoys more than 22 hours of daylight when the solstice arrives each June 21st. Here you will find a wide range of activities from shopping the many boutiques and art galleries to fur shops and Alaska Native crafts and jewelry; rafting or kayaking is available along the meandering Chena River; as is golfing, fishing, guided tours and city attractions like Pioneer Park (an ongoing celebration of the town’s gold history and pioneering days); you can find wildlife viewing; take a soak in local hot springs; or even enjoying a locally brewed beer. Fairbanks is also one of the best places to catch a flight to the Arctic Circle to experience a whole new culture, climate, and way of life.
A ranger with Denali National Park.
After a few days and nights in Fairbanks, it becomes time to continue on to Denali National Park, home of North America’s tallest peak and one of the largest National Parks in the United States. Denali stands at 2,230 feet (formerly known as Mt. McKinley) and this wide expanse of tundra and rolling hills is the Denali National Park. The forests and fields are teeming with wildlife. Many visit for the bird life while others come to spot the formidable grizzly or stately herds of caribou. One of the common finds is the state bird, the Willow Ptarmigan which turns from a speckled pheasant to a pure white bird for camouflage in the winter months. You’ll see moose and coyotes, but keep any eye out for the mysterious wolves which usually linger in the distance.
The journey continues southwest to Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage – found between the mountains and the sea —and is no stranger to the vast, surrounding wilderness. There is no other urban area like it in all of Alaska. It’s a city with every amenity – fine restaurants, museums, theaters and music, but within a short drive from downtown are dozens of wilderness adventures. The perfect backdrop to this bustling city are the salmon-rich waters of the Cook Inlet and the 5,000 foot peaks of Chugach State Park. This is a good stop for those who are in need of a rest and a step back into civilization.
Next stop is Homer, with its truly incredible panoramic views of mountains, ocean, glaciers and your home-on-wheels as you make camp on the infamous Homer Spit. This long strip of land stretches into the beautiful blue Kachemak Bay and is loaded with fishing shops, excursion companies, fishing charters, a packing facility and the most famous saloon in all of Alaska—the Salty Dawg. This is an area that tempts many to stay for a while with a moderate climate and charming atmosphere. This is clearly one of the best places for a chartered fishing trip for halibut, as well as salmon during the seasonal run. Many find the Homer Spit Lagoon to be a satisfying spot to drop a line just to see what’s biting. Regardless of your fishing passion, many visitors leave Homer with freezers full of freshly caught treats from the sea.
Scattered throughout Homer’s commercial district (downtown) are a wide range of restaurants and numerous art galleries. Few small towns have the culinary variety of Homer, where there is a coffee bar on nearly every corner next to a gourmet sandwich shop and a fine dining restaurant. The art galleries, museums, culinary experiences, theater and music venues lend credence to Homer’s reputation as the cultural capital of Southcentral Alaska.
Taking a glacier cruise near Valdez.
Circling along this loop from Anchorage to Homer you can visit the well-known towns and villages of Kenai and Seward, and before heading back toward Tok, this is a good time to visit the port town of Valdez – where the terminus of the Alyeska (aka, Alaska) Pipeline is. In Valdez you can take a boat ride into the famous Prince William Sound for whale watching and an extended trip out to see a calving glacier.
After returning to Tok, our favorite stops are due south and include Haines, where you will find an Eagle Sanctuary, and Skagway, which was the starting point for more than 40,000 gold-rush stampeders headed to the Yukon in the late 1800s. Today, Skagway thrives on tourism, Good Sam members will find plenty to do to enjoy the town’s colorful history and attractions. National Park Service Rangers lead a free, 45-minute walking tour of the historic district.
For the adventurous, Skagway has an excellent trail system that begins just blocks from the downtown area and allows hikers to trek to alpine lakes, waterfalls, even the graves of Skagway’s most notorious residents. The historic White Pass & Yukon Railroad provides a round trip to the top of the mountain pass. Seated in parlor cars, passengers travel through the most spectacular segments viewing scenery and grand vistas.
Driving the Cassair Highway.
Our journey continues south along the Cassiar Highway with outstanding scenery and wildlife around every turn. For the ultimate in bear viewing we recommend a stay in either Stewart, BC or Hyder, AK – there is a bear viewing platform over a salmon packed creek where both Grizzlies and Black Bears come to feast… as do the Bald Eagles, much to the surprise of the bears. It’s a two day drive from Stewart, BC to return to Prince George, where you can decide to head east across Canada or south to return to the lower 48 states.
If you are one who enjoys RVing ‘Your Way’—Good Sam Members can now experience the Great Alaskan Frontier on a member only RV vacation… “Alaska Your Way” RV Caravan is a unique way to see Alaska the way you’d like. And what’s more, as a Good Sam member, you will receive a sizeable savings on this amazing tour for 2016 bookings!
This 62-day journey departs from Anacortes, WA on June 20, 2016. The savings is a Club Member Benefit offered through Fantasy RV Tours. Having all of the camping arrangements pre-planned and secured, the comfort of traveling with a group led by professionals, as well as a safe route that will take you to the best stops along the way makes this a very good choice. The itinerary is mostly up to you! The WagonMaster will help you discover and plan the activities you are interested in. The caravan spends 35 days in Alaska, the longest of any organized RV caravan. The time is yours to enjoy with just a few pre-arranged meals and excursions: bus transportation into Denali National Park, and five special dinners (including a real Alaskan salmon bake!) are included. For more information click here or call the Good Sam Club Travel Hotline at: 800-453-9511.