SmilingIrishEyes

My husband and I are trying to decide which summer month is the best for an Alaskan vacation. We will be with a tour group traveling from Anchorage to Denali to Fairbanks to Whitehorse and ending with an Inside Passage cruise?

My husband loves critter watching, I love flowers and we both hate Mosquitos.

We welcome any suggestions. Thanks!

Gardyloo

...to Denali...and we both hate Mosquitos.

August.

emalloy

The advantage of late August is few mosquito, the advantage of earlier in the summer is longer daylight hours.

sunbum1944

We were there end of June and 1st 2 weeks of Jul- no mosquitoes when we were there- it was actually quite warm, especially in Fairbanks. Loved the long hours of daylight.

LindainOhio

Gardyloo has the best suggestion if you really don't like mosquitoes. You can use bug spray with DEET to keep the buggers away. You need to avoid, or wear bug spray and headnets at Wonder Lake in Denali though, if you go in June.

The advice I have read
#1 Plan for rain everyday. It doesn't rain everyday but you need to plan for it.
June--least rain, most mosquitoes
July--warmer than June, salmon are running, good time to see bears, beautiful fireweed is blooming everywhere on the Kenai Peninsula
August--rainier than June and July, fewer mosquitoes, beautiful tundra colors in Denali

#2 Pray for a repeat of this past summer's weather.
We spent 2 weeks in Alaska last July and had amazing weather, just a few sprinkles of rain, few mosquitoes. We were prepared with rain gear and bug spray.

schmerl

We were there the first week of August several years ago. The weather was perfect and we didn't have any issues with mosquitos.

spirobulldog

I still remember standing on a small glacier at the top of Alyeska Ski lift with mosquitos around me. Didn't really have a problem with them in Alaska though.
We had a great time around the 1st week of July and loved it.

Frankly, the long daylight made it somewhat hard for me to sleep in a couple of places that we stayed that didn't really have good window shade coverage. Saw a ton of wildlife in Kenai Fjords.

If you can, take the time and money to go on a bushplane in a place or two. It's really the best way to see Alaska I think.

dfrostnh

I would go without a tour group over the 4th of July holiday. There's a big 4th of July parade in Kenai and the Forest Faire in Girdwood/Alyeska has a great craft fair. Without a tour group, we even stopped at a greenhouse. On another trip we happened to be there the same time as a garden tour in an Anchorage neighborhood. We saw more moose in the Kenai area. In fact, a mother moose and her baby were showing up every day to graze next door to where we were staying (last two weeks of June/first week of July). Almost saw a bear at the forest Faire. Hear people hollering and the bushes moving. The bear was attracted by smells from the food vendors!

In late July/early August you have a good chance of seeing some vivid fireweed in bloom.

The sea life you see on a Kenai Fjords trip is incredible - like orcas swimming and diving in unison.

SmilingIrishEyes

Thanks to all of you for your responses and stories.....we will definitely include bug spray & rain gear! Sounds wonderful no matter when we go! I'm voting for early Auagust!

Connie

Been twice in July. Never had mosquitoes and we were RV camping and staying outside a lot. One year was great weather--warm and dry and one year was rainy and cooler. We were told the time it was warm and dry how lucky we were several times.

It was much drier in the Denali area. Seward and the Inside Passage are in a rainforest climate.

Flightseeing out of Talkeetna was a highlight of our travels and we have been to a lot of places and done a lot of things. It's expensive but worth it. The Alaskan coupon book made it half price which really helped.

Take the longest boat ride out of Seward to see the best glaciers and the most chances for wildlife.

I loved all the daylight--very energizing but it made it hard to sleep. Even with curtains you couldn't keep it all out. The 2nd year I took good eye covers and that did the trick.

volcanogirl

Bookmarking.

Kevin1

2 years back i went there with my family but the weather was very good and i didn't find any mosquito

HappyTrvlr

We had perfect weather in July., Denali, Talkeetna, Homer, Seward and SE Alaska. Sunny days.

POlson

To repeat what others have said - We really enjoyed the July 4th parade in Seward (and Mount Marathon Run - just watching) and Girdwood Forest Fair near Alyeska Resort. Weather was gorgeous. No problem with Mosquitos and I usually get eaten alive. We've also done an Inside Passage cruise over 4th of July another summer and the weather was perfect for the cruise week too (though I heard it rained the whole week before).

panecott

I went in late August. No mosquitoes, chilly mornings and evenings and warm afternoons. Occasional rain, but nothing major.

It was perfect for me and I'd go back again during that same time period.