Alaska travel vacations give you the opportunity to take your RV, camper or tent, vacation at your own pace and in your own time frame. You don't have to be on someone else's schedule! This is particularly convenient if you have children and are planning a family vacation.
First, I'll tell you how to get to the general area you want to visit on your Alaska travel vacation. (Section A below) Second, I'll tell you a few of the towns and features in those particular areas that might interest you on your Alaska travel vacation. (Section B below) You'll also find a section below that tells you about other ways to travel around Alaska, and a section to locate public campgrounds and cabin rentals for your Alaska travel vacation. A. DRIVING AROUND CENTRAL ALASKA ON YOUR ALASKA TRAVEL VACATION: The following are the major paved highways to use for your Alaska travel vacations. They are kept well-maintained summer and winter, though there can be damage from frost heaves and some sections might be under repair. 1. Destination: Northern Alaska and FAIRBANKS - Once you cross the border into Alaska on the Alcan, it becomes the Alaska Highway. If you continue north on this Highway, it connects with the Richardson Highway at Delta Junction and leads straight into Fairbanks. The Richardson Highway goes north to Fairbanks, or south where it connects with the Tok Cutoff. Total distance from the Border to Fairbanks is about 298 miles (479.5 km). 2. Destination: Southcentral Alaska to ANCHORAGE -
It is about 92 miles (148 km) from the Canadian border to Tok. At Tok, take a left onto the Tok Cutoff Highway. The Tok Cutoff which becomes the Glenn Highway (Hwy 1), runs along the west side of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. It is about 125 miles (201 km) to the junction with the Richardson Highway (Hwy 4). They are the same highway (1 and 4) for about 14 miles (22.5 km), then the Richardson Highway continues south, ending at Valdez and the Glenn Highway goes westerly, ending at Anchorage. Total distance from the Canadian border to Anchorage is about 417 miles (671 km). 3. Destination: Southcentral Alaska to VALDEZ -
Starting from Tok, turn left onto the Tok Cutoff. Follow it for 125 miles (201 km) to the Richardson Highway junction. Then turn left and take the Richardson Highway all the way south to Valdez. Total distance from the Canadian border to Valdez is about 342 miles (550.5 km). Alaska travel vacations on the KENAI PENINSULA: 4. Destination: to SEWARD -
Follow instruction # 2 above to get to Anchorage. If you follow the Glenn Highway all the way in, you'll end up on 5th Avenue, right in the heart of Anchorage. If you go into Anchorage, you get to the Seward Highway by going south on Gambell Street (one way street) which becomes the New Seward Highway. However, if you want to by-pass the downtown area, use the right exit lane to turn left onto Muldoon Road, which is a short ways past Fort Richardson. Follow Muldoon Road around the curve where it turns into East Tudor Road and continue on East Tudor until you reach the New Seward Highway. Then you turn left, or south, onto the New Seward Highway. If you happen to turn on the Old Seward Highway, you'll end up in the same place, just by a more "scenic" route. To go to Seward, just follow that highway and you'll get there. The Seward Highway follows along the edge of Cook Inlet until you get around the end of Turnagain Arm, then it cuts into the middle of the Kenai Peninsula and heads easterly, ending in Seward. Total distance from Anchorage to Seward is 127 miles (204 km). 5. Destination: to HOMER -
If you are going to Homer, follow the Seward Highway to its junction with the Sterling Highway about 90 miles (144 km) from Anchorage. The Sterling Highway takes you over to the west coast of the Kenai Peninsula and through all of its little towns, ending at Homer. Total distance from Anchorage to Homer is about 221 miles (355 km). Alaska travel vacations - West Central Alaska 6. Destination: George Parks Highway connecting Fairbanks and Anchorage -
There are three ways to get there. You can go to Fairbanks (# 1 above) or Anchorage (# 2 above), and then take the (George) Parks Highway which connects these two cities and travels along the east side of Denali National Park. This is the best way to get there by road in the winter. If you go south but don't want to go into Anchorage, the Parks Highway connects with the Glenn Highway just south of Palmer (about 40 miles/64 km north of Anchorage). It goes through Wasilla and is about 325 miles (523 km) long from the Palmer Junction to Fairbanks. 7. In the summer, you can also take the Denali Highway which cuts through the middle of the state, is 134 miles (215.5 km) long, and ends at Cantwell on the Parks Highway (south of Denali Park entrance). Though maintained, it is a gravel road most of the way and might not be open in winter. Denali Highway can be accessed from the Richardson Highway by going north on the Richardson Highway from its junction with the Tok Cutoff about 54 miles (87 km), or going south on the Richardson Highway from Delta Junction, about 88 miles (141.5 km). B. A FEW OF THE FEATURES AND PLACES ON THE WAY, FOR YOUR ALASKA TRAVEL VACATION: Note: Additional highways mentioned are not all paved or in good condition and many are open ONLY in summer. BLM = Bureau of Land Management 1. NORTHERN AREA, including Fairbanks and beyond - 1a. From Whitehorse in Canada - the Klondike Loop Highway to Dawson City,Yukon Territory (historic gold rush town), free ferry ride across Yukon River, Top of the World Highway (cross border into Alaska) to Taylor Highway to Alaska Highway at Tetlin Junction (total 498 mi or 801 km, about 100 miles is rough, gravel road with steep grades and sharp turns-closed in winter) 1b. From Tetlin Junction in Alaska - Taylor Highway through Chicken to Eagle on Yukon River - 160 mi, 257.5. (60% gravel, gas at Chicken and Eagle, 3 BLM campgrounds). 1c. Alaska Highway to Fairbanks and north - Town of North Pole (where Santa Lives?), three hot springs reachable from Steese Highway (60% gravel), and Elliott Highway (50% gravel), Dalton Highway (75% gravel) to Deadhorse (North Slope of Alaska). 2. SOUTHCENTRAL AREA to Anchorage - 2a. Tok Cut-off Highway - to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park by way of Nabesna Road 2b. Glenn Highway to Anchorage - Glennallen, Eureka Summit, Matanuska Glacier, Palmer-the first farming community in the Matanuska-Sustina Valley, Eklutna Indian Cemetery, Peters Creek, Eagle River, Port of Anchorage, Earthquake Park 3. SOUTHCENTRAL AREA to Valdez - 3a. Edgerton Highway from Richardson Highway - Copper Center, Kenny Lake, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park by way of Edgerton Cutoff through Chitina to ghost towns of McCarthy and Kennecott with historic copper mines. 3b. Richardson Highway to Valdez - Trans-Alaska Pipeline, Worthington Glacier, Port of Valdez 4. KENAI PENINSULA to Seward - 4a. From Anchorage - Scenic Seward Highway, McHugh Creek Picnic and Viewing Site, Indian, Bird Creek, Alyeska Ski Resort at Girdwood 4b. Off Seward Highway at end of Turnagain Arm - Portage Glacier Visitor Center, tunnel drive to Whittier Port 4c. Continue on Seward Highway - Moose Pass, Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park, Port of Seward 5. KENAI PENINSULA to Homer - 5a. From Seward Highway on Kenai Peninsula - Hope Highway to Sunrise, gold mining areas, former ghost town of Hope, north end of trail system on Kenai Peninsula 5b. On Sterling Highway - Cooper Landing, Naptowne, Soldotna, Kenai (off Highway), Clam Gulch, Ninilchik, Happy Valley, Anchor Point, to Homer, the Homer Spit. 6. WESTERN CENTRAL Alaska - 6a. From Parks Highway - Wasilla, headquarters of the Iditarod Races, from N Main St. in Wasilla - Wasilla-Fishhook Rd to Hatcher Pass and historic Independence Gold Mine. 6b. Off Parks Highway - Big Lake, Willow, Spur Road to Talkeetna-starting area for Mt. McKinley climbers 6c. Continue on Parks Highway to Fairbanks - Trapper Creek, Summit, Cantwell, Denali National Park - home of Mt. McKinley, Nenana - home of the famous Nenana Ice Classic lottery, Fairbanks Above are general guidelines for getting around Alaska and a few places you'll pass through and things you might find interesting on your Alaska travel vacations. Other transport for getting around Alaska on your Alaska travel vacation: • Our Alaska train with its basic transportation or its Alaska Railroad tours and special travel vacation packages. • The Alaska Ferry with its basic transportation or its special travel vacations along the Alaska Marine Highway. • A water taxi or boat charter into remote waterways through an Alaska tour guide. • Scheduled flights to many remote Alaska villages on Alaskan airlines flights within the State. • Small Alaska air taxi services, aircraft charters and rentals for flights into remote airstrips, on glaciers, lakes and other unreachable areas! Places to stay on your Alaska Travel Vacations: • Would you like to find some public campsites for your RV, camper or tent? • Or would you like to try some remote, rustic public cabin rentals in Chugach National Forest or Alaska's State Park cabin rentals, for your Alaska travel vacation? Now you have some ideas about how to get around Alaska on its major highways and by other means. You can also find a few campsites along the highways and some wilderness cabin rentals for your backwoods Alaska adventures. And depending on how you plan your vacation, you may also want to look into RV rentals, hotels, wilderness lodges, bed and breakfasts, etc. In the meantime, you might want your Alaska travel guide to tell you about some great places you can go for the adventures you are planning on your Alaska travel vacations.... Biking on the Gravel Edgerton Highway Return to Top of Alaska Travel Vacations Page Return to Tips For Backwoods Alaska Vacations Home Page
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