MxSmrs

My husband and I are starting to plan next year's trip and Alaska would be great but which month is the best. I don't want a cruise and I don't want hordes of people on shore when we're there and we'd like to go off the beaten path a little. We are in our 60's so hiking is out of the question. If the driving is pretty easy we could rent a car and drive from one place to another. We'll probably have two weeks and a bit. I'd like to see wild life, icebergs and beautiful scenery.

SpeedBuggy

MxSmrs, have you read any of the threads on Alaska yet? You can type a search word into the box above, and/or highlight the state name, Alaska, and search this forum. You will find tons of answers to all your questions. Good luck!

z

Come on Speed, it looks like you have an opinion on everything, suddenly you became an expert on Alaska after one trip and you don'thave an opinion for a couple in their 60s? What's up with your lately overwhelming posts on Alaska? Even if you don't know you already have a strong opinion. From your latest posts it looks like you have too much free time.

MxSmrs, fly to Anchorage, rent a car and spend there 2-3 nights
Drive to Denali for 2 nights, then to Fairbanks for two nights. Drive from Fairbanks to Chtina and take a flight to Chitna where you should stay overnight. From Chitina drive to Valdez for 2 nights. Take a ferry to Whittier and drive to Seward for 2 nights, from there go to Homer and spend there 4 nights. It is about 5 hours drive from Homer back to Anchorage where you return your your car and fly home.

You can hike as much or as little in Alaska as you want. Everywhere in Alaska where you can just take very short walks to enjoy Alaska. Driving is very easy you just need to be prepared for slow traffic due to weather, lots of stops for scenery and wildlife and also slow vehicles.

NatureGirl19317

Hi MxSmrs!

Disclaimer: Ive never been to Alaska!

That said, thee thing I want to see when I finally get the opportunity to go to Alaska are the Northern Lights-they seem like theyd be absolutely amazing...WOW!

According to the link below, March and September are the best times to see this awesome phenomenon!

http://tinyurl.com/zhtkf

Have a great trip!

dfrostnh

Mid-June is great. The wildflowers are blooming, salmon runs are starting and you can include one of the great 4th of July events. July is great. August is great. Driving is easy. Roads to most places are in great shape. Expect traffic on the Seward Hwy between Anchorage and Seward typical Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons when locals are headed out for the weekend as well as the tourists. Seward may have a lot of tourists during the day when cruise ships are in port but they disappear by evening. You won't notice them if you are on a Kenai Fjords trip to see glaciers and sealife.
We haven't been to Denali. On a Monday morning there was hardly anyone else at Independence Mine. Didn't see many people visiting Hope and we were the only ones in the museum. Homer was pretty active but not very many people at the Pratt Museum. Anchorage is a big city with wonderful things to see and you can expect heavy city traffic. It thins out as you depart unless it's commuting time. Except for the fishermen, we were the only ones wandering the beach on the Kenai River. The Russian River was pretty quiet in mid-June but was mobbed later in our visit because the salmon run had started. Get the Milepost and all the visitor guides. Except for Skagway/late July when cruise boats were in we've never seen crowds like you would see in popular New England tourist towns. There were plenty of times when we didn't see much traffic.

SpeedBuggy

Sorry, MxSmrs, but when I started here, I had to learn on my own how to search, etc, on my own. I was only trying to be helpful. Also, since the day you posted was a very busy one here, I did not want your thread to sink to the bottom. My wife and I are of an age, too, and have only been to Alaska once, I didn't feel confident to send you in a particular direction, as many on here will. I was trusting that keeping your post at the top would give experts like dfrostnh and BudgetQueen a chance to give you excellent advice. I apologize for any inconvenience I have caused you.

Z, if you will reread my posts, you will see that I advise based on what I know, nothing more. I find that you are unnecessarily harsh to me, also a senior, and I think your attack was quite unfounded.

BudgetQueen

If you want a little savings and somewhat less crowds, consider end of August into Sept. A great time in interior Alaska. Big savings on RV rentals, which give you plenty of freedom. Very easy to drive Alaska. With 2 weeks, you have plenty of time for some great activities and a nice routing. I suggest- round trip Anchorage flight. Anchorage, Talkeetna, Denali park 2 nights, Fairbanks 2 nights., Copper Center 1 night, Valdez 2 nights, ferry to Whittier (yes costly, but well worth it). Seward 2 nights. Homer 2 nights, Anchorage 1 night. Plenty of variations possible certainly.

Head to your library, and take out Alaska travel books, Fodor's Alaska and Frommers Alaska are especially good concise reading. Make a list of your interests and route from there.

happytourist

Another advantage to late August and early September is that the mosquitoes are gone.

marleneawe

Dh and I was in Alaska May 28th to June 21st. It was beautiful weather, only one day of rain the entire time. No mosquitoes. No long lines, very little traffic. We drove from Minnesota. We also liked quaint little places and found Nenana up near Fairbanks, and Ester. Outside of Anchorage off the Seward Highway we ran across Hope. We are both retired seniors and also not into the hiking or biking scene. You are planning a shorter stay than we, so I cannot really suggest time frame. But for wildlife we saw the most on our Denali Wonder Lake Tour. The Kenai Fjord or 26th Glacier tours are both excellent for icebergs. We took both. The scenery going down the Seward Highway is spectacular. Words cannot express. Around Fairbanks was also very beautiful with the different color and types of pine trees. The Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward also a excellent stop.

jorr

By Sept. the tourists are pretty much gone and so are the tourist shops. Good time to go but you might find it a little "dead", or you might find it a little more "authentic".

starrsville

Good grief z. SpeedBuggy didn't profess to be an "expert" on Alaska. He didn't even offer an Alaska specific answer - just a suggestion on how to use the resources on this site. I've been flamed for doing the same thing - but by the OP, never by another poster.

A qualifier for my response to the question - I've been to Alaska twice. Both times were in winter. Nov. and Feb. The driving is plenty easy. One of my favorite parts was riding the ferry. Beautiful views - the same as the cruise ships, but far less expensive. We even took the car up the Alcan to the Yukon territory. As we departed the ferry it was announced "Excellent road conditions", and they cited the number of inches of snowpack Kind of freaked out this Georgia girl - but what an experience!

TheWeasel

As I said on the other thread, at least SpeedBuggy tried to help OP. All of z's "expert" advice did nothing to answer the OP's question (what is the best month to visit Alaska).

MxSmrs

OK people. Firstly, I want to thank everyone for responding to my question. I have used Fodor's for many years. I checked peoples' responses to Alaska and found every month possible as an answer. That's why I asked the question again and it looks like there are numerous months where Alaska is doable. I'm trying to see the icebergs mainly because I've been all around the world and have seen beautiful scenery in parks, etc. but never icebergs. I'm trying also to stay away from glitzy cruises that feed you but don't get in to the nitty gritty of the State. Your itinerarys are perfect but I'm still questioning the month. I have not read Alaskan books as yet because I usually count on this website to guide me. Thanks to everyone for their input and if you have more specific info on the months, please let me know.

nkd

Every month except November and April

marleneawe

Check this web site:

http://www.alaska.org/when-to-visit.jsp

nkd

Alaska in March is spectacular. More beautiful than in the summer. It is crowded though

caligirl56

Hi MxSmrs,
We just got back from Alaska--and I can give you an idea of the process we went through when we were trying to decide what month to go. Maybe that can help you to consider which factors are important to you.

We've only been the one time--so some more seasoned members of this forum should be able to give you much better actual details.

I basically considered what I had heard about weather, mosquitos and wildlife as I was making my decision.

I was worried about going in July and August because I'd heard that it rains the most then. June I think was supposed to have less rain and September more (not sure that is true though).

Early June looked good, until we realized that we really wanted to go to Brooks Camp and see the bears. For that we needed to wait until late June or July. Then, we decided that by late June the mosquitos would be in full force. For this reason, we opted for late July--and it turned out to be perfect for us.

Other things to consider--I've seen beautiful photos on this forum of dall sheep right on the road in Denali. Apparently if you want to see them close up, you need to go in early June--that's when the animals tend to be around the park road (heard this from a ranger). We did see them--but they were white dots on the hillside. Of course if you go that early--you can't go all the way into the park!

On the other hand, everywhere we went in July, we saw fields and fields of the most amazing wildflowers. Also the berries were turning red. Someone else will have to tell you whether the flowers/berries would be out in early June.

Another thing, apparently in Denali,the mosquito season does not start until the second or third week of June. I'm not sure if it would be earlier farther south???

Late August is supposed to the beautiful in Denali, and I guess Alaska in general, because that is the Alaska fall. Beautiful colors.

And, I'm told that you can see bears all the way into September(just in different places).

Someone else will have to tell you if there is a best time to go on the glacier cruises to see the icebergs. We certainly needed all our layers of clothing in July--I don't know if the weather would be that much colder in June or September.

One other thing, coming from California, I was never too overwhelmed by the crowds--even in the busy places. Alaska seemed very peaceful even in the July busy season.

When we go back(and we will)--I think that we'll opt for late May/early June the first time and maybe fall the second time.

Alaska is so breathtakingly beautiful--scenery like that will be beautiful in any season.

Oh--one more thing. I know you said you don't plan to hike. But, if you plan to take small walks--you might want to find out how wet/marshy the ground is likely to be in the places you intend to go. In July, it was pretty dry--except when we got out on some tundra trails.

BudgetQueen

If you want icebergs, then be certain to get on a glacier boat tour. Columbia, has the biggest ice, but little access to the glacier. This is out of Valdez. Out of Whittier is your best option as the tours sail one glacier after another.

These tours run from May into Sept. so your timing isn't critical.

You are NOT going to get an ideal time. Plan your trip when it fits your schedule - and go.

dwooddon

I've been to Alaska at all times of the year except winter. For me, early July to mid August is best. I'm very partial to the huge, vibrant fields of fireweed that can be seen during this period all over south central. Because I like to fish, this is also a good time for salmon fishing.

I just returned a couple of days ago from a week in Hyder. The fireweed in that area was not as wide spread or as colorful as it is in the south central area but it was still there. In compensation, there were bears all over the place.

I'll follow with a trip report in a few days when I can get my notes and photos organized.

Shea

I live in Anchorage, Alaska & there is no better place to be during the summer months. Don't plan on March or April. That period is considered breakup which sometimes goes into the 1st part of May. Usually nothing has greened up until May & everything is pretty dull - all the trash coming up from under the winter snow. June & July are, in my opinion the best months to travel to Alaska. The game is out & about, the salmon are running, everything is green, & the trash is picked up. You can get lucky with the weather in August & September but a person can definitely feel a change in the weather-usually much cooler. August & September also tends to have more rain. I have indicated "usually" a couple of times because Mother Nature is not always predicable. Sometimes August can be dry as a bone & early May can be green.

Since you primarily desire to see icebergs late May until mid-September will be fine with June & July being the best months.