Denali Highway & McCarthy Road
 

I've just returned from my first trip to Alaska. It was wonderful! Before I went, I read several posts about driving the Denali Highway and the McCarthy Road. Some people strongly advised against it and others recommended doing it. Perhaps my perception is colored by the fact that I have lived in and driven many back roads in both Montana and Idaho. At any rate, I found the Denali Highway to be wide and smooth, much better than many county highways in the afore-mentioned states. The McCarthy Road was fairly rough for the first 20 miles and it was narrow and winding, but it was better than a lot of forest service roads I've driven elsewhere. I only encountered an occasional pothole. If you carry a full-sized spare tire and know how to change it, don't hesitate to drive both of these routes.

It's great that they have started grading the Denali Hwy again.

Two years ago, they hadn't maintained it in two months and was horrible. I hope to go back and make it all the way. It's such a beautiful area and out of the crowds.

I too have been down lots of Montana back roads but nothing was ever like this.

It's great that they have started grading the Denali Hwy again.

Two years ago, they hadn't maintained it in two months and it was horrible. I too have been down lots of Montana back roads but nothing was ever like this.

I hope to go back and make it all the way. It's such a beautiful area and out of the crowds.

To be realistic, I suppose I should add one disclaimer to my endorsement of these roads. I imagine that they could become treacherous if heavy rain turns them to mud, particularly the McCarthy Road. Always check the road report and the weather report before driving on them.

Did you have your own car, or a rental that allowed driving on these roads?? I've encountered some very rough driving from the Paxson end in the past.

We had the luxury of our own car (my brother-in-law's). We drove from Seattle to Prince Rupert, put the car on the ferry all the way to Skagway, drove the Interior, put the car on the ferry from Valdez to Whittier, then drove the Kenai Peninsula. My dad and I flew back to Seattle from Anchorage. My sister flew to Anchorage to join her husband for the long drive home. (They're going east as far as the Canadian Rockies before turning south and west.)

We drove the Denali Hwy on July 13th. As someone who *doesn't* frequently drive back roads in Idaho, Montana or anywhere else, I'm not sure "smooth" is the term I'd use to describe it. We found no washouts or major potholes, but washboard was often a problem. The worst part seemed to be near Cantwell just after the pavement ends. Given what I've heard about the conditions in the recent past, I'd say this year is still probably good by comparison, so I don't want to discourage anyone from taking the trip--just be aware of what to expect. Although we didn't see any wildlife, the scenery was fabulous, so for us it was definitely worth the added time and hassle.

FYI, in our 4-wheel drive SUV (rented through Affordable New Car Rental in ANC, which is one of the only agencies that allows its vehicles to be driven on the Denali Hwy) we averaged about 30mph. On some short sections we sped up to as much as 45mph but there were others where we didn't feel comfortable with much over 10-15mph. Some did seem to be driving it faster than us--maybe those were the folks like TimS, who are more used to gravel roads. We didn't want to risk a chipped windshield or tire blow-out in our rental, so we were trying to be pretty careful. A woman working the gas station in Cantwell told us she'd had an RV come through the day before with 3 blown tires, so I'd think long and hard before taking a big camper down this road.

Julie, thanks for your report. I'm glad you got to enjoy the fabulous scenery. When we drove the Denali Highway on June 28, the smoke from forest fires in the northeast part of the state had spread so far to the south and west that we couldn't see the peaks on either side of the valley. However, I'm still glad we took that route just to experience the vastness of the wilderness there. About halfway across we came upon an abandoned car with out-of-state plates. It had a flat tire and a smashed rear window. When we stopped at the next lodge to report it, we learned that it had been there for a couple of days. The driver had been spotted running around naked, covered with bloody mosquito bites, and throwing rocks at cars. A search was underway.

Hello All:
How is the McCarthy road condition from Chitna this year. Will I be able to drive (dead) slowly in that road at the end of August..?? my dump question: Do I get flat tires even if I drive very slowly..? or follow one of the shuttle vans..? (I be prepared...but how can I avoid getting flat tires).

Thank you in advance.

The road is in poor shape per my contacts. Are you in your own car- pack an extra tire.

Be aware that most rentals do not allow driving in this road.

McCarthy road in the rain is terrible and if you checked weather.com you already know there is rain, rain and more rain.

Thank you very much. I am not driving to McCarthy..may be taking flight one way and van the other way...(if the weather is good).

Great idea and have fun while in Alaska

Denali Hwy. is not to be confused with Denali Park Road, correct ? How are the first 15 miles in Denali NP, condition-wise?

Correct. Within Denali National Park, it is the Park Road. First 16 miles paved and in the same condition as any other road. The Denali Highway, runs between Cantwell and Paxson.