Road Trip Guide

Markdown files from this repository, rendered on the server and linked by their source paths.

Phase 7 — Alaska Highway#

Home Base: Salt Lake City, UT
Best Season: June–August (only viable window — May and September possible but risky for road conditions and daylight)
Avoid: October–April (Alaska Highway partially closed or dangerous; Alaska interior inaccessible)
Estimated Duration: 3–4 weeks minimum one-way; 6–8 weeks round trip driving
Estimated Miles: ~9,000–11,000 miles round trip from SLC

The Reality of This Phase#

Alaska is not a casual add-on. The Alaska Highway (ALCAN) from Dawson Creek, BC to Fairbanks, AK is 1,387 miles of often rough, sometimes gravel road through remote wilderness. The total drive from Salt Lake City to Anchorage is approximately 3,200 miles one way — 50+ hours of driving without stops.

This is the adventure of a lifetime. Plan it properly.

Minimum recommendation: 3–4 weeks in Alaska itself. Add 4–5 days each way for the drive through Canada (BC, Yukon).

Salt Lake City, UT
  ↓  (I-15 N / I-90 W — through Montana and Idaho ~10 hrs to Spokane)
Spokane, WA
  ↓  (I-90 W / BC-3 E — or I-15 N to Lethbridge AB ~4 hrs)
  — Border crossing: Osoyoos, BC (US-97) or Sweet Grass, MT (I-15) —
Fort St. John, BC → Dawson Creek, BC
  ↓  (BC-97 N / Alaska Highway begins at Mile 0 Dawson Creek)

=== THE ALASKA HIGHWAY (ALCAN) ===
Mile 0: Dawson Creek, BC
  ↓  (BC-97 N ~6 hrs)
Fort Nelson, BC — last major stop for supplies
  ↓  (BC-97 N / Liard Hwy ~3 hrs)
Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park, BC — STOP HERE (free with BC Parks fee)
  ↓  (BC-97 N / YT-1 ~3 hrs)
Watson Lake, YT — Sign Post Forest (historical landmark, tens of thousands of signs)
  ↓  (YT-1 W ~4.5 hrs)
Whitehorse, YT — Capital of Yukon, major resupply
  ↓  (YT-1 W / US-2 S ~4 hrs, crossing into AK at Beaver Creek / Tok)
  — Border crossing: Little Gold Creek or Beaver Creek (YT) / Port Alcan (AK) —
Tok, AK — gateway junction
  ↓  (AK-1 W ~3 hrs)
Glennallen, AK → Wrangell-St. Elias NP (largest NP in the US — 13 million acres)
  ↓  (AK-1 W ~2.5 hrs)
Anchorage, AK — primary base for Alaska exploration
  ↓  (AK-1 S ~1.5 hrs)
Kenai Peninsula — Homer, Seward, Kenai Fjords NP
  ↓  (AK-3 N — Parks Highway ~4 hrs)
Denali National Park — Mt. Denali (highest peak in North America, 20,310 ft)
  ↓  (AK-3 N ~2 hrs)
Fairbanks, AK — Northern terminus, Aurora Borealis viewing in late Aug/September
  ↓  (Return same route or loop through Tok and Dawson City YT)

=== RETURN — Optional Dawson City Loop ===
  ↓  (AK-2 E / YT-9 N — Top of the World Highway — GRAVEL, 4WD recommended)
Dawson City, YT — Klondike Gold Rush history
  ↓  (YT-2 S / YT-1 W ~5 hrs to Whitehorse, then south)
Whitehorse → Watson Lake → Fort Nelson → Dawson Creek
  ↓  (Reverse ALCAN to BC and south)
  ↓  (~2.5 days driving south through BC / MT / ID)
Salt Lake City, UT

What to See in Alaska#

Anchorage Area#

  • Tony Knowles Coastal Trail (biking/walking along Cook Inlet with Denali views on clear days)
  • Earthquake Park (site of the 1964 Good Friday earthquake, magnitude 9.2 — most powerful ever recorded in North America)
  • Anchorage Museum (Alaska Native culture, art, science — world-class)
  • Alaska Native Heritage Center (essential — living cultural experience)
  • Flattop Mountain trailhead (accessible hike with panoramic views)

Kenai Peninsula#

  • Kenai Fjords National Park — Exit Glacier (walk to the glacier face), boat tours of the fjords (sea otters, orcas, puffins, glaciers calving)
  • Homer Spit — land's end, fishing village, halibut fishing, galleries, the Salty Dawg Saloon (historic dive bar on the ocean)
  • Seward — charming fishing town, Alaska SeaLife Center (marine education), sea kayaking
  • Russian River / Kenai River — legendary sockeye salmon run (July–August); bears fish alongside humans

Denali Area#

  • Denali National Park — only one road, 92 miles into the park. No private vehicles beyond Mile 15 (Savage River) without a bus pass. Bus system takes you deep into the park. Wildlife: grizzly bears, wolves, moose, caribou, Dall sheep. The mountain is only visible ~30% of the time — low clouds are common. When it's out, it's transcendent.
  • Talkeetna — small historic town at the base of the Alaska Range; glacier fly-in tours available (expensive but unforgettable)

Fairbanks Area#

  • Aurora Borealis: Fairbanks is one of the best places on Earth to see the Northern Lights. Late August through early September you can start seeing them even in summer. Peak is February–March (but extremely cold).
  • Chena Hot Springs (~60 miles from Fairbanks) — natural hot springs, year-round, affordable. Ice Museum onsite.
  • University of Alaska Museum of the North (Fairbanks) — exceptional Alaska natural history and indigenous art

The Alaska Highway Corridor#

  • Liard River Hot Springs (BC): One of the best free natural hot springs in Canada — two pools, surrounded by wilderness, year-round.
  • Sign Post Forest, Watson Lake (YT): Started in 1942 during ALCAN construction — now over 100,000 signs from everywhere in the world. Bring your own sign.
  • Kluane National Park (YT): World Heritage Site, massive glaciers and peaks. No park fees for most activities. Excellent hiking near Haines Junction.
  • Wrangell-St. Elias NP (AK): Largest national park in the US (bigger than many countries). McCarthy and Kennecott copper mine ruins are one of the most unique industrial history sites in America. Dirt road to get there.

Phase 7 Camping Strategy#

Alaska dispersed camping:

  • Nearly unlimited BLM land in Alaska — contact local BLM offices for maps
  • Chugach National Forest (surrounds Anchorage, Kenai Peninsula) — free dispersed
  • Denali State Park (buffer around national park) — free camping areas
  • Anchor River State Recreation Area (Homer area) — free, beach camping

Alaska paid sites:

  • Denali NP campgrounds: Reserve via Recreation.gov — book in early January when permits open. Teklanika River Campground is the deepest you can drive (Mile 29).
  • Kenai Fjords NP: Exit Glacier Campground (free with America the Beautiful Pass, walk-in only)

Yukon/BC highway camping:

  • Alaska Highway has government campgrounds (Yukon government) every 50–100 miles — very affordable ($10–20 CAD/night), basic but clean
  • Liard River Hot Springs: Book EARLY at albertaparks.ca equivalent — fills up daily in summer

Practical van camping note: Alaska mosquitoes are legendary. Window screens are essential. Buy magnetic window screens or sew mesh inserts before this phase.

Phase 7 Shower Plan#

  • Anchorage: Planet Fitness (yes, there is one), Sullivan Arena public rec center
  • Fairbanks: Chena Hot Springs (soak + rinse), Fairbanks Rec Center
  • Along ALCAN: Truck stop showers at Watson Lake YT, Fort Nelson BC, Whitehorse YT (Whitehorse has a good recreation center)
  • Liard Hot Springs: The pools count as a bath

Phase 7 Practical Notes#

  • Vehicle prep: Before this phase, do a full mechanical inspection. Alaska Highway can be rough on tires. Carry 2 spare tires if possible. Carry extra fuel — gaps of 100+ miles between gas stations are real, especially in Yukon and rural Alaska.
  • Windshield: Gravel roads and truck traffic kick up rocks constantly. A cracked windshield is almost a rite of passage on the ALCAN. Consider a quality windshield repair kit.
  • Supplies: Grocery prices in Alaska are 30–50% higher than the Lower 48. Stock up in Whitehorse before crossing into Alaska. Fort Nelson, BC (before entering YT) is your last Canadian affordable resupply.
  • Wildlife driving: Moose on the road at night are extraordinarily dangerous — a moose's legs are at headlight height, so your lights illuminate below them, making them nearly invisible. Drive slowly after dark. Bears frequently cross highways.
  • Midnight sun: In June–July, it barely gets dark in Fairbanks (~22 hours of daylight). Bring your best blackout window covers. Your sleep schedule will need adjustment.
  • Aurora viewing: Late August in Fairbanks you can start seeing aurora. It requires dark skies — drive out of town 20+ miles. Check the NOAA Space Weather Center for KP index forecasts.
  • Timing Denali view: Best weather statistically is early June. Still cold at night but the mountain is most likely to be visible.
  • Bears: All of Alaska is bear country. Brown/grizzly bears are common in the interior. Black bears on the coast. Bear spray is essential. Never leave food in your van while camping in the backcountry — in town it's less critical but still good practice.
  • Fishing licenses: Alaska fishing licenses available online (adfg.alaska.gov). Worth getting — fishing in Alaska is extraordinary. Sockeye and king salmon, halibut, rainbow trout.
  • SPOT or InReach satellite communicator: Strongly recommended for Alaska. Cell coverage essentially doesn't exist outside Anchorage/Fairbanks. A satellite communicator is your lifeline if something goes wrong in the backcountry.

Phase 7 Drone Overview#

  • FAA registration applies in Alaska (it's a US state)
  • No-fly: Denali NP, Kenai Fjords NP, Wrangell-St. Elias NP, Katmai NP (all NPS no-fly)
  • Vast legal territory: Alaska has more BLM and National Forest land than any state by far. The vast majority of Alaska's landscapes are legally flyable. Chugach State Park (check AK state rules), Chugach National Forest (generally open), BLM lands throughout the interior.
  • Yukon/BC: Crown Land = generally legal. Check Nav Canada DSST for all Canadian flights.
  • The shots: Columbia Icefield (from outside Jasper NP boundary in BC), Kluane NP (fly from Crown Land just outside — massive glaciers and peaks), Matanuska Glacier (accessible from highway in AK, state land), Kenai River valley (from National Forest land), tundra and taiga vastness of interior Alaska
  • Wildlife rule: Do not fly over or near wildlife. In Alaska this applies especially to bears, moose, and nesting birds. BLM guidance says maintain 1,000 ft distance from large wildlife. A spooked grizzly running toward your landing point is a bad day.
  • Midnight sun photography: 24-hour golden light in late June — the drone photography opportunities in Alaska in summer are unparalleled. Soft, warm light essentially all day long.