The Last Frontier
Alaska is the least visited state in the US. This is not shocking news: words like cold, frozen, remote, and massive come to mind for most. Although, Alaska is a scenic wonderland, filled with grand mountain ranges, expansive glaciers, and diverse wildlife. The beauty alone makes visiting The Last Frontier worthwhile. Road-tripping through Alaska is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for many. Alaska is absolutely massive with a long list to explore. I spent hours researching this trip and still didn’t get it right.
When is the best time to visit?
Summer is the peak time for tourists in Alaska. Although this is when the National Parks are more crowded, it is the best time to explore. The roads, parks, lodges, and stores are open and accessible to visitors. Plus, during summer you will have 18+ hours of sunlight allowing you to stay out longer. When we visited, I will say most visitors stayed out later, rather than waking up early.
What to pack:
The most important thing to think about when packing is layers. You will need base layers, like long underwear, leggings, flannels, sweaters, and plenty of long-sleeve tees. You will also need several jackets, like fleece and a waterproof rain jacket. I also packed rain pants which I wore every day. Rain pants are great for more than just staying dry. They are a great wind-proof layer and will keep your base layers from getting dirty so you can re-wear them. Don’t let wet base layers ruin your vacation. Believe me, my base layers got wet our first night and the next day was spent trying to dry them off with the car vents.
Hiking boots: Make sure you get a pair you are comfortable wearing often. We only wore our tennis shoes around the campsite or while driving.
A warm hat: Even when the sun is out, it is still pretty chilly outside. A good beanie can keep you warm and cozy all day.
Gloves: Great for your boat tour in Kenai Fjords!
Buff: A lightweight buff offers UV protection, keeps bugs away, and can help shield the wind on your face.
Sunglasses: You will spend most of your time outside, so bring sunglasses to protect your eyes and make the trip more comfortable.
Day pack: You will want a small bag for all your things. Make sure you pack bear spray, a water bottle, a few snacks, your camera gear, and binoculars. We used our binoculars so much on the trip to look at wildlife.
Eye mask: Remember how I said summer has 18+ hours of sun? Well, then eye masks are essential for a good night's sleep.
Day 1: Arrive in Anchorage
Depending on where you live, this might be your entire day. We left STL at 7:00 am and didn’t get to Anchorage until 10:00 pm. It took us THREE flights: STL to Seatle to Juneau to Anchorage. We found a Motel 6 that was farther away from downtown but, it had a free airport shuttle and was close to Enterprise.
If you arrive early with time to spare then scroll to the bottom for some options for things to do in the afternoon.
PRO TIP: Looking to travel to Alaska without a car? Then you should book a ticket on the Alaska Railroad. We did not ride the train while we were there (one of our regrets). We heard a lot of good things about the railroad from people who ride it from city to city.
Day 2: Scenic Drive to Seward
Before making our way south, we picked up our rental car (luckily we got a Toyota 4Runner), our camping gear from Alaska Outdoor Gear Rental, and then filled up on gas from Costco. We chose to camp for most of our nights along our trip. There are plenty of options for both tent camping, RVs, or lodges to stay. As you explore Alaska further, you will soon realize Alaskans love their coffee. There are independent coffee huts brewing beverages E V E R Y W H E R E. One we found near our hotel was Perkup Esspresso. They had the iced coffee, smoothie, and breakfast burrito we needed to make it to Seward.
In Seward, get your campsite set up and have dinner. We booked our tent site at Resurrection South Campground. We had amazing views of the Bay (if the cloud cover wasn’t too thick). Camping in Seward was hard. It was cloudy and rainy almost every day. If this is not your forte, I highly recommend booking a room at a hotel. The campground has a shower house but, the water was chilly and only stayed on for about 30 seconds at a time. Down the street at the Harbormasters Office were pay showers.
Day 3 & 4: Explore Kenai Fjords National Park
Kenai Fjords is where you will find many glaciers flowing from the Harding Icefield. The park can be visited on foot and by boat.
On land, you can hike the Exit Glacier Overlook Trail to see the base of exit glacier. If you want to extend your trip, you can hike the 8-mile round-trip Harding Icefield Trail. Another trail we heard about from our kayak tour guide was Tosina Point.
On the water, you can choose from a lot of different boat tour options from Major Marine Tours. They offer a 4, 6, 7.5, and 8.5-hour tour. We got a great deal over Black Friday so went for the 8.5-hour tour. These tours are great opportunities to view wildlife. We saw eagles, sea lions, puffins, and otters. The 8.5-hour tour travels the farthest to the Northwestern Glacier. It was absolutely breathtaking. Go outside and take a moment to be silent. Hopefully, you will be able to hear the glacier calving! Now, on the downside, the boat sails through rough open waters, so it is easy to get seasick… which in fact I did. We stopped in heavy swells for whale watching, and let me tell you, there was no view inside the paper bag. Although, once you arrive at the glacier, the water definitely calms down. Be sure to wear waterproof layers. You are most likely to get wet from the waves or rain and it is really cold on the water.
Miller’s Landing offers several kayaking tours to better explore the coast. They have half-day and full-day trips depending on skill and time. We opted for the Tosina Beach Guided Paddle at night. It was an easy trip to make and we got to walk through the forest left behind from the 1964 Alaskan earthquake. Our guide was awesome and knowledgeable. Since we chose the later tour (and it was raining), it was just us two and our guide for this trip. If kayaking is not your cup of tea, Miller’s Landing also offers fishing charters.
PRO TIP: If you have extra time, you might choose to visit a nearby city. Some options include Cooper Landing (1 hour), Whittier (2 hours), or Homer (3 hours). We were recommended to check out Whittier, especially since the only access to the small seaside town is through the longest highway tunnel in North America. If we were to go back, I would skip Whittier.
Day 5: Drive to Anchorage
On your way to Anchorage, stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. This sanctuary is dedicated to preserving Alaska’s wildlife and takes in injured & orphaned animals year-round. You can either walk or drive the loop as you meet some of the locals.
Instead of staying at a hotel, I was able to snag a cabin at Chugach State Park for the night. Up the road was an ice cream parlor with pay showers and laundry. Down the road is Eklutna Lake. There are a couple of trails along the lakeshore. We, unfortunately, did not go check out the lake (another one of our regrets).
Day 6: Drive to Denali
Drive north toward Denali. Plan it right and make a stop in the small town of Talkenteena for lunch… something we didn’t do because I mistakenly did not listen to Clayton (yet another one of our regrets).
When you get to Denali head to the Riley Creek Mercantile to check into your campground if you chose to camp. When you reserve your camping spot online, you choose one of the three loops. Once you check in, that is when you get to pick your specific spot. Camping at Riley Creek was really nice. The mercantile included some food options, like ice cream, pay showers, and coin laundry. Also, the campground has two different shuttle stops so you do not have to drive yourself to different spots around the park!
Day 7, 8, & 9: Explore Denali National Park
There are so many ways to explore Denali and find the adventure you have been seeking. With 2-3 days in Denali, you have several activities to choose from.
There are plenty of options for hiking, whether it be a trail you follow or a path you pave on your own. Savage River Loop, Horseshoe Lake Trail, and Mt. Healy Overlook are all great choices. We hiked Savage River on a super windy day. It was an easy climb with scenery that felt like it was out of Lord of the Rings. In the backcountry, hike off-trail through the wilderness. I suggest talking to a ranger at the visitor center for suggestions on where to get off or asking your shuttle bus driver for ideas. We ended up exploring East Fork (where the shuttle ends). Our shuttle driver did not give a lot of hiking ideas on the way out but, the driver we had that brought us back to the park gave a lot of suggestions.
Ride the park shuttle on Denali Road to mile 42 (the rest of the road is currently closed due to a landslide). There are three different types of buses: free, narrated, and non-narrated transit buses. The free buses shuttle you around the park and to the farthest driveable portion of the road. The narrated buses have two tours: Natural History ($114) and Tundra Wilderness ($142). The last type of shuttle is the transit bus ($33). This option is great if you are looking to hop on and off to go off-trail hiking. It says it is non-narrated but, both drivers told us the history of the park. We ended up taking both the Tundra Wilderness tour and the transit bus to see what they were all about. If you want to go hiking and view wildlife, we suggest just taking the transit bus. Our drivers stopped to view the wildlife so it doesn’t feel like you are missing out at all.
Be sure to check out the Dog Sled Kennels during your visit. A bus will take you to the kennels three different times each day. The best time to see the dogs was in the morning. They just got their snack so they are up moving around and it is not too hot yet. When the sun is shining and it begins to heat up, the dogs tend to be sleeping more.
If you have more time, you might go flightseeing, rafting, ATV adventures, or ziplining. Denali Park Zipline has multiple tours each day that feature 8 thrilling ziplines, multiple suspension bridges, and towers above the tree lines. The first zipline for myself was absolutely terrifying but, the thrill of it all with the scenery was spectacular.
For dinner, there are plenty of places to eat close by but, if you go ten miles further to Healy you will find 49th State Brewing. They had a large drink and food menu to choose from and nothing disappointed us.
PRO TIP: If you want to join the 30%, or those of us who were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Denali, then look for Denali several times each day or over the course of several days. The tallest mountain in North America is typically out of sight for 7 out of 10 days due to the cloud coverage. The weather is constantly changing, so you never know your chances. You can see the difference in views in just two days’ time…
Day 10: Drive to Fairbanks
Before heading to the last park on this trip, stay the night in Fairbanks. We stayed at a KOA campground. The campground was new and had a lot of nice amenities, like free showers. After checking in, head to Gold Dredge 8 for a tour in the heart of the gold fields. You will learn about the mining dredge and get to pan for gold. Next, head to dinner. If you are a fan of Thai food, then you are in luck because there is an abundance across the state. Bahn Thai is a local favorite. We got pad Thai, fried tofu, and the most delicious crab rangoons.
Clayton was trying to find something to do after dinner since we didn’t want to hang out at our campsite and he came across some bingo halls. Let me tell you, we are now obsessed with bingo. It was shockingly a lot of fun. If you are in Fairbanks and looking to play, check out Chena Bingo.
Day 11: Drive to Wrangell
This is where things on our trip got interesting. Trying to figure out just how to visit Wrangell St. Elias was a headache (all of which was for nothing).
McCarthy and Kennicott are two tiny towns within the National Park. If you want to explore you will need to either drive or fly to one of these towns. Driving on McCarthy Road is difficult because most rental car companies do not allow you to due to road conditions. The road was built on top of an old railroad line, so over time the railway spikes began to pop out from underneath the gravel causing a lot of flat tires. There are a lot of horror stories about driving this road but, there are also a lot of accounts of the conditions being improved. If you are unable to drive the road, you can fly into McCarthy from Chitina or take a shuttle from Chitina.
Since we were unable to stay and visit the park, we decided to book a hotel in Anchorage for our last two nights. When we have the opportunity to visit Alaska again, I will make sure I give you guys a better itinerary for Wrangell!
Things to do in Anchorage
Go sightseeing with Anchorage Trolley Tours. On the one-hour tour learn about the history, culture, and beauty of the city.
Walk the trails through the winding forest and meet new animals at the Alaska Zoo. Add on a tour or feeding experience with some of the animals.
Check out one of the museums, like the Anchorage Museum or Alaska Museum of Science & Nature.
Check out Wiki-licious’s Hawaiian donuts for breakfast, Saverio’s Pizzeria for lunch (seriously, the greatest slice of pizza we have ever had), Moose’s Tooth or Bear Tooth Grill for dinner, and finally Wild Scoops for handcrafted Alaskan ice cream.
Looking to hit it big at bingo again? Go to Tudor Bingo Center.
PRO TIP: Before booking your activities and excursions, you should purchase the Alaska TourSaver. It is about $100 but, has over 90 coupons you can use statewide. The biggest coupon we had was 25% off Alaska Airlines. We also saved on our boat tour, kayaking, ziplining, and more.
