Mel_in_wanderlust

Hello!

My partner and I are doing a 8 week road trip from Denver up to Alaska. We have allowed ourselves 13 days to get to Alaska (allowing us to enjoy Jackson hole, glacier national park, Banff etc etc) and 5 days to return to Denver. This leaves us just over 5 week to explore Alaska.


I would very much appreciate some advice regarding the rough itinerary I have put together for the Alaska component of the road trip! Also if you have some suggestions on places to visit, that would be very well received. We are outdoorsy people and love all things nature - hiking, camping, kayaking, sighting animals and enjoying in beautiful landscapes! Also we on a somewhat budget, like the simple things in life and are not oppossed to roughing it.


the itinerary


Leg one: Southeast islands (9 days)

Juneau: we have given ourselves 4 days + 1 day of travel (ferry to and from Skagway)
points of interest (Mehandell Glacier, Perseverance trail, Alaskan brewing co, drive around the island and enjoy the scenery)

4 days in admiralty island (looks absolutely stunning, I am still working out how we will get there / what we will do there, but i am very interested in the canoe route as well as exploring this amazing island.

we could add more time for the southeast islands, if anyone has any suggestions? Also is 5 days to long in Juneau?



leg two: Anchorage and Kenai Peninsula (18 days)

Anchorage: 2 days

Whittier / blackstone bay: 2 days
- 2 days in whittier (one day paddeling backstone bay / interested in staying in one of the USFS cabins)

Hope / Resurrection pass trail: 5 days
- 1 day to look around hope
- 4 days to backpack the resurrection pass trail (either this or Russian lake trail or we were thinking we can mountain bike the resurrection trail in a day and do the russian lakes trail as well)

if anyone has done these, I would love to hear some feedback


ninilchik / Homer / Kachemak bay: 5 days
- might stop in ninilshik to go clamming
- 2 days in homer (brewery, hikes, mountain biking, eating out, animals)
- 2 days in Kechmak bay (want to stay in a yurt and just relax and enjoy the surrounds)

Seward / Kenai Fjords national park (4 days)
- 2 days in Seward (hikes, canoe, might spoil ourselfs and stay in some nice accomodation)
- 2 days in Kenai Fjords national Park (boat tour, glaciers, animals, hiking)



leg three: Denali and Fairbanks (6 days)
- 4 days in Denali
- 2 days for fairbanks


I Have left out 5 days outm as this can account for the amount of driving we will be doing!!!! lucky I am from australia, and am very used to driving long distances


Let me know what you think! if we are spending to long is a town, or missing places. We do have the potenital to add up 10 more days onto the trip, so if you have any other suggestions?


Cheers, Mel

dfrostnh

I'd recommend a stop on the way to Denali at Independence Mine. We did not hike but there are trails. The restored mining town buildings are fascinating and the location so far from "civilization" might give you an idea of what life was like back then.

I think you should also include Talkeetna. Many of the buildings are original. Each town in AK seems to have its own personality.

You can stop at the Moose's Tooth in Anchorage for pizza and beer on your way north. It's right by the highway. I don't think you should skip Anchorage just because it's a big city. At least take a drive over to Lake Hood were the float planes are docked. There are a lot of private planes in AK and this is one place where you'll see a lot of them. Also the Earthquake Park will give you an idea of the upheaval that took place. I thought the visitors center at Portage Glacier has some sound recordings of people who experienced the earthquake. Portage sank 6' and the town was abandoned.

Eating out is expensive in AK and big grocery stores are only in large towns but you could save money making some of your own meals.

Start reading the local newspaper on-line to get an idea of what's happening and what events are scheduled. You'll notice a big change in amount of traffic on the Seward Hwy when salmon start running in late June.

Gardyloo

What's your time frame? It might make a difference in terms of accommodations, space on ferries, mosquitoes and no-see-ums, numerous people on cruise tours, etc.

...lucky I am from australia, and am very used to driving long distances

Just to be sure, I'm assuming this is in a car you own, and not a hire car...? If it's a hire car you might be in a world of bother with rental car company rules. Taking Lower 48 rental cars to Alaska overland and back, not to mention their use on gravel roads, gives the big companies fits. I'd hate for you to go to all this trouble only to find you can't do it without taking on giant financial risks.

So, some basic thoughts, none of them deal-breakers, but stuff to consider...

Southeast Alaska for car tourists is complicated and expensive, and personally I'd be looking at some alternatives that might make for a more efficient use of your time. Just my opinion, and while I like Juneau well enough, five days is four too many, maybe even five. Mendenhall Glacier is fine but it's packed with cruise ship visitors every day of the week, and there are many, many more glaciers that will be accessible to you on this trip. And there are plenty of breweries in Alaska nowadays.

Admiralty Island is enormous and rather hard to access. Again, given the presence of alternatives I'd question if your time allocation is best here. I'd suggest you do some research on options in Prince William Sound, such as Hinchenbrook or Montague Islands, or fly-in camping or kayaking alternatives using Cordova or Valdez as your base.

A note about Valdez: The Richardson Highway is glaring in its absence from your itinerary. The Richardson Hwy between Copper Center and Valdez is one of the most scenic highways in the world, and with all the time you have it would be a shame to miss it. You can easily do a loop that would give you terrific scenery, a couple of walk-up glaciers, kayaking opportunities, etc. by going from Anchorage up to Glennallen on the Glenn Highway, then south to Valdez on the Richardson, then back across PW Sound by ferry from Valdez to Whittier. To be honest, if it was me I'd swap all the Southeast days for this, given your priorities. You could detour off the Richardson up to McCarthy, go on glacier, kayaking, or wildlife excursions out of Valdez, maybe arrange a drop in one of the state marine parks or Forest Service cabins near Valdez, etc. I suspect this would present more opportunities than a comparable number of days in SE Alaska, and probably at lower cost.

Or you could integrate the Richardson into a bigger loop - Anchorage to Denali, Denali Highway across to the Richardson (again, not allowed with rental cars but if you're in a private car, no problem) then south on the Richardson to Valdez, and so on.

I've been on parts of the Resurrection trail and have flown into Upper Russian Lake, where I had my closest encounter ever with a brown bear (he/she bumped my arm through my tent wall - OMG) and they're fine, but again, timing can be an issue - lots of people or mosquitoes that will carry you off, not to mention Yogi and Boo Boo emerging from the willows.

Clamming at Ninilchik? Good luck and hope you're there (a) when the season is running and (b) when ADFG hasn't closed the whole fishery due to endangered stocks. (Sorry if I sound cynical; last time I went it took three days to get feeling back in my feet, and they're just clams. Really, depending on timing (again) the same day spent salmon fishing... oh well, just me.

Some other considerations... think about skipping some expensive ferry ride, parking the car in Anchorage and flying for a day or two up to the arctic. A return ticket to Kotzebue from ANC is around $300 and you can travel north of the arctic circle, see the midnight sun, learn about Eskimo culture and life on the tundra, stick a toe in the Arctic Ocean... time very well spent.

I'm rambling but you get the idea. Squeeze every bit out of your time.