Due to wildfires it looks like our long-planned trip to Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Tetons NPs isn’t going to happen. I’m wondering if it might be a better idea to fly to Alaska instead and just drive around for 10 days or so.

Here’s the deal. We’re currently scheduled to fly into Seattle on August 23 for a couple of days visiting with family. We were going to head out on August 26 with a rental car and visit the NPs before heading home. So now I am considering flying from Seattle to Anchorage on the 26th and renting a car and driving around until Sep 7 or so.

Since I've done ZERO planning for an Alaskan trip, I was wondering if this is a good idea. Would it be hard to find accommodations a day or two in advance? Would the tours be all booked up? Would the weather then really be bad? Ok, I know nobody can answer the weather question but what about the rest of it? Is it a bad idea to go freewheeling in Alaska the week before and after Labor Day?

for that matter, are the main tourist areas of Alaska smoky too? Like Denali, Anchorage, and Kenzie?

btw, we did the Vancouver-Seward cruise a few years ago and although it was an awesome cruise we’d rather spend the time seeing more of the state.

Thanks for any advice.

I'll give a shot at both your current posts.

Air quality - there are no current air quality notices from the AK DEC - Air Quality Advisories/Episodes A quick look at some of the tourist-area webcams also doesn't show any problems with smoke or haze. Clouds, yes, smoke, no. https://avcams.faa.gov/

Re last minute plans. The biggest issue (and not a killer) is going to be accommodation in the Denali area. I just had a glance at Expedia, and the week before Labor Day (including the weekend) things are pretty booked up, unless you're willing to drive 50 miles just to get to the park visitor center from which the shuttle buses run into the interior (no private cars allowed.) However, the following week things appear to be quite a lot more open, particularly on weekdays. I wouldn't book any organized tours; you can do this easily with a rental car.

In Anchorage and areas like Girdwood or Seward, availability appears fine, with Seward being a little tight on the weekends, probably because of cruise passengers taking an extra day or two.

Weather: Well, it's Alaska. You'll almost certainly have a variety of conditions - sunny, wet, partly cloudy... and then the next five hours will be different. But it won't be in the 80s or in the 30s; maybe a little chilly at night in the interior, sweater weather at most elsewhere.

Early September is flat out my favorite time to travel around Southcentral Alaska. The roads are uncrowded, the air is clear and clean, and in places like Denali you'll start seeing autumn color on the tundra, which starts suddenly and can turn downright awesome at the drop of a hat. The critters are also very active, getting ready for winter.



Depending on how long you have and when you'd actually arrive, I'd look at a tour that includes the following:

Kenai Fjords cruise from Seward OR glacier cruise from Whittier.

Alyeska Resort gondola in Girdwood. Maybe stay the night there.

Visit to Hope, Alaska - old mining village in a spectacular setting

Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage

Flightseeing trip on float plane from Lake Hood in Anchorage (Denali, Prince William Sound, Chugach Mts. and Knik Glacier... whatever suits.) If you can manage the cost, there might also be some late-season bear watching flights.

Denali Park (requires 3 day commitment - one to get there, one to see the park, one to get back.)

Alaska State Fair in Palmer

Hatcher Pass and Independence Mine excursion (near Palmer)

Eklutna Historical Park and cemetery - in Eklutna native village, between Anchorage and Palmer

If you have more time, heading down to Homer at the bottom of the Kenai Peninsula would be fab - one of the world's most beautiful places IMO. Maybe take the ferry across Kachemak Bay to Seldovia. This is a day's drive from Anchorage in each direction.



Here's a map showing the location of these various places, not necessarily the order to visit them. https://goo.gl/maps/QP7tN7CRpzN2 Google the places shown.

I think you'd have a terrific time.

If i had the chance to spend 10 days driving around Alaska, I would go for it. I can't imagine you'll regret it.

Visit Denali after Labor Day.