Have you ever wanted to travel as far north and west as roads will take you in North America, to see a land covered in glaciers, tundra, and wilderness? It’s a idea that’s been on my radar for a decade; after a brief trip by plane I found the vast landscape to be captivating on a level I’d never experienced before. But to do it right required a slow tour with plenty of time, and the journey would be just as important as the destination. This meant seeing it by road, on a trip without a strict schedule and with months to burn. After being tied up with busy summers for years I decided to set aside the summer and autumn of 2022 and finally make it happen!
This blog post is meant to talk more about the journey and not so much about the photography aspect of the trip. While not intended to be a complete resource for those considering such a trip I’m going to use this space to talk about some of the common concerns and questions for driving all the way to Alaska and back. As I continue to work on my film scans I will write another post that will go into details about photographing in Alaska and the unique challenges and adventures involved in that. You could consider this to be “part one” of my Alaska articles. (Part two is now finished up can be read here)
“Glacier Curves” - The Salmon Glacier winds its way down a deep valley in British Columbia. Prints Available.
Trip Timing
The goal was to leave Colorado in mid July, take a few weeks to drive about 4000 miles northwest and then spend all of August and most of September in the Frontier State. A good bit of thought went into this timing, as it turns out there are some tradeoffs to planning a trip to Alaska. I would miss some of the sunniest weather that comes with June, but this means I could also pass on peak mosquito season and one of the most active wildfire months ever. July is a lovely time in the northern mountains, so the goal was to work my way north through Canada slowly and arrive in Alaska in early August. There would be plenty of time to hike, bike, and backpack along the way in far northern British Columbia and the Yukon, areas so far from home that I knew this trip would provide a unique opportunity to see them.
As excited as I was to experience midnight sun and wildflowers, summer wasn’t the main attraction for me. My top desire was to see the technicolor wonder that is autumn on the Alaskan tundra and then chase it south for a month through Canada. Starting a bit later in the summer would ensure I had the energy to keep up with the pinnacle of adventure and my favorite season to photograph.
“Sanford Reflections” - Being able to see the peak of fall colors was a real treat! Prints Available
One thing to note about this timing was the unintended consequence of arriving in Alaska during peak rain season. I knew going into this that August is generally the rainiest month up there, but this year took rain to the next level! It wasn’t always a downpour by any means, but it drizzled and rained for a decent portion of almost every day that month no matter where I went. Personally I enjoy rainy weather, but when it never ends it becomes quite a challenge for photography and also made for a month without much in the way of exciting sunrises or sunsets.
The Vehicle
For this trip I would be taking my trusty 1998 Astro Van that I picked up for a song nearly a decade ago. It had 260,000 miles at the beginning of the trip and while it was never exactly a nice vehicle, it has all wheel drive, a ton of ground clearance, and I know how to work on it if something were to come up. Inside the van is more or less a queen bed and two front seats, with very little room in between. Gear for all my various activities can be stored under the bed and there’s ample room to stretch out and relax after a day of hiking. The passenger seat swivels around to provide a primitive cooking area and a place to sit comfortably.
Finally made it! Alaska welcomed me in the rain but I was still full of excited for the months ahead.
To say the trip was hard on the old van would be an understatement. Rough roads took a toll on the aging steering and suspension system which led me to retire the vehicle after returning home. That said, I’m still pleased that I made it to Alaska and back safely on such an old and inexpensive van!
I carried tools, a spare all-terrain tire (which was needed at one point in the Yukon), and a few gallons of gas in a can which were never needed. Luxury amenities include a pressurized (but not heated) shower on the roof which provided me with the opportunity to bathe in the wild with views of glaciers, lakes, and… well whatever I parked my van in front of.
Many evenings found me camping in truly stunning locations like this
The Drive (route, mileage)
There aren’t many options when it comes to driving to Alaska. The Alaska highway officially starts in Dawson Creek, British Columbia and runs roughly 1500 miles to Fairbanks. It was constructed in a surprisingly short time during WWII and has been improved continually and is still the main route to take today. There are some spur options and side trips, but anyone heading to Alaska from the lower 48 is likely to spend some time on this road.
However, the “beginning” of the Alaska Highway is a full 1500 miles from my home in Colorado so it’s quite a long haul just to get there! My goal was to never exhaust myself by driving all day. Most days were just a few hundred miles covered over 5 to 6 hours, with plenty of breaks for bike rides, hikes, and to take in the scenery. I generally spent one or two nights per week outside of the van on a short overnight backpacking trip and didn’t do much driving at all. With this leisurely pace it took me right about 3 weeks to arrive in Anchorage, with the return trip taking almost the same amount of time.
“Fireweed Forest” - Views along the road in the summer were quite incredible as the forests were lined with lush meadows and flowers. Prints Available
I never did make the drive all the way to the arctic. After experiencing sleepless days that were over 20 hours long (with ferocious mosquitos for every one of those daylight hours!) I decided that there was no need to find out what eternal sunlight would be like. It’s also quite a commitment to take either the Dalton Highway in Alaska or the Dempster in Yukon all the way to the sea; there was much to see elsewhere.
My side trips included a one-way drive to the border of the Northwest Territories on the way up and the Cassiar Highway on the way down. Both times I made sure to spend a few days in Kluane (pronounced Kloo-ah-nee) National Park, a spectacular yet quiet park with deep glacial valleys and mountains that rise up dramatically to the sky. There are excellent options here for overnight hikes or bike rides. You could spend an entire summer on Alaska Highway side trips. I never did make it to Dawson City, Haines, or Skagway but I tend to travel in a more focused way that is less scattered about. There are always more possibilities for the future! From start to finish I covered right about 13,000 miles of driving on this trip.
“Alsek Dawn” - Kluane National Park was a highlight on the journey, especially during the autumn on the way back. Prints available.
There’s a well-known book called “The Milepost” that is updated annually and is just about driving to Alaska. These massive books have been around for decades and have maps, attractions, services, and mile-by-mile descriptions of all the routes to and around Alaska including side trips on the way up. The price is somewhere around $30 and it’s likely worth considering having with you. In this modern age of internet research I didn’t need it all that often, but there were a few long stretches of highway without cell service where it became useful. Mostly this was on the Cassiar Highway, which I’ll admit I didn’t do much research on before starting the drive.
Road Conditions
The entire Alaska Highway is paved, or at least it should be assuming there is no construction. There will always be some sort of construction which usually results in a stretch of a few dozen miles of compacted glacial dirt. There will also likely be some emergency repairs due to minor landslides, where you can expect to encounter a flagger and a short stretch of rough dirt as you bypass the highway onto an older stretch of the road. You could certainly make the trip in a typical sedan or a large camper and you’ll see both of those on the roads. Most people will be driving some sort of truck, SUV, or van.
The biggest issue with the roads up north is frost heaves, which tend to happen in areas where permafrost is melting. The road can buckle and crack, resulting in jumps that can throw your vehicle completely into the air. Don’t speed, keep it under 90km/h (55mph) and be extra careful between Haines Junction, Yukon and Tok, Alaska. Those towing trailers should be extremely cautious, on this trip I saw many tipped over trailers on both RVs and semi trucks. Those frost heaves can really surprise you in flat light and around blind corners.
“Green Leaves and Grass” - Wrangell St Elias National Park - It was amazing to see such lush greens in the summer give way to vibrant autumn hues. Prints available.
Take the entire summer!
It may be tempting to punch the drive to Alaska into Google Maps and say “hey, it’s only 50 hours. I can do that in a few days!” I would highly recommend scratching that idea entirely and realizing that this isn’t the type of trip you’ll take with just two or three weeks of vacation time. Even a month would be cutting it very short and you’d be better off flying instead. First off, the miles are a good bit more exhausting than most highway miles, the speeds are slower, and the construction will make the drive longer than Google says. Secondly, you’re going to want to see so many things along the way that it’s best to make the journey the main highlight of the trip!
I gave myself 11 weeks and felt that was an excellent length of time. I was never exhausted from driving all day and there was time to explore and get some physical activity in every day. You could certainly take much longer to also add in more side trips. If you’re going to make this journey by vehicle, plan on taking the whole summer and also adding on either a bit of spring or fall - whichever you prefer.
“Matanuska Autumn” - The assortment of colors throughout the state during the fall was unbelievable! I’ve yet to see another part of the country that does autumn better. Prints Available
Bring a bicycle
If you happen to be into cycling at all, I can’t recommend enough that you bring a bike on this trip. Canada’s national parks are much more bike friendly than those in the US, with some nice dirt trails that allow cycling. You can even do a bit of bikepacking into some of their mountains and also get down roads that are closed to cars or just too rough to drive down. I used my bike to ford rivers that I didn’t feel comfortable crossing in the van and also used it as a way to get daily exercise and take in the views at a slower pace.
“Twin Lakes Dawn” - Denali National Park - We were able to access these locations by a combination of flying, biking, and then hiking. Prints Available
A friend met me for three weeks of this trip and also flew up with his bike. We loaded these two bikes into a small Cessna plane and flew into Denali National Park to bikepack and backpack. It’s a new sport that we’re calling FlyBikeBackPacking! The park road is currently closed at the halfway point due to an ongoing landslide, so this gave us the opportunity to ride down the closed section of the road without a single tourist in sight.
My gravel bike loaded up for a week of backcountry adventure.
You could find places to ride whatever type of bicycle you have, but something that can handle some dirt would be a good choice. I have a gravel bike which was fun on dirt roads, some trails through the mountains, and even the paved paths around Anchorage. Over this trip I ended up biking some 800 miles, many of them the most interesting rides I’ve been on!
Where to camp
With most hotels costing upwards of $300 per night for not-so-great accommodations, I knew I’d be living in the van or backpacking for the entire trip. Besides, all my gear is in there and it’s the easiest way to travel for me. Throughout most of the Alaska highway in Canada you’ll see dirt pull-offs and areas where it’s ok to camp near the road. Some areas may even be signed as designated camping areas, but usually you’re good to spend the night so long as there isn’t a “no trespassing” or other sign telling you to keep away. More popular regions (such as provincial parks) may request that you not camp in rest areas, and some towns may also not allow it either. The vast majority of the highway had a place that could work for a van every few miles.
While the majority of nights were spent in the van, the evenings in the backcountry were the most memorable.
Upon entering Alaska you’ll immediately note that there are way more “No Trespassing” signs, posted all over on every dirt road or turnout. This is when it can be useful to do some research ahead of time or refer to a book like “The Milepost.” There are numerous wildlife refuges or state lands that have developed campgrounds for prices that range from free to $20 a night. Further into the state you’ll start to find more pull-offs and areas where free dispersed camping is allowed especially in regions that don’t attract much tourism. If you’re going to be in a popular region near a national park or the Kenai Peninsula you may want to consider just looking for a real campground. Some cities have nice campgrounds too, I spent several nights in Palmer just to spend a night near town so I could get supplies. I probably paid for camping a total of 10 nights during the entire trip.
As I mentioned earlier, I have a shower on the roof of the van. But if you want to really go wild with lots of hot water it’s nice to find a rec center (Whitehorse had an excellent one) or coin operated shower inside most laundromats and even many gas stations. It actually wasn’t all that hard to find a place to shower.
Groceries and Gas
My van has a fuel range of only about 360 miles, but I’m usually comfortable if I can find some gas well before then. There actually weren’t any stretches that were concerningly long without finding fuel and I never had to use the fuel can on my roof. The only time my range was tested was on a one-way road in the Yukon that I knew would push it to the limits as it was 360 miles round trip. Many of the gas pumps are ancient and you’ll need to pay inside. They wouldn’t always take tap payment but every station would at least take some sort of credit card. One thing to keep in mind is that almost none of the stations are open 24 hours so you’ll want to plan your stops during the day.
“Root Stream” - Wrangell St Elias National Park - strapping on the ice crampons and walking around a massive glacier was a very special experience. Prints Available.
Every town has some sort of grocery store, and the selections were honestly better than expected. Produce, while expensive, was usually available and reasonably fresh. All food along the highway and in Alaska costs about 50% to 100% more than it would in the lower 48. This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone due to the remoteness, it’s essentially an island as far as shipping logistics are concerned. I was just pleased to find a decent selection of real food. There was also no problem finding ice for my cooler.
Crowds in Alaska!
I wasn’t sure what to expect at all when it came to crowds, but it turns out fame has reached some particular areas in Alaska! Nearly the entire drive through Canada was a landscape devoid of people. You’d see a car on the road every few minutes, but trails, parks, and most areas were completely empty outside of the southern Canadian Rockies. Parts of Alaska were a different story. Tourism is booming there and many folks fly into Anchorage, so everything within a few hours’ drive can be quite busy.
This was especially true on the Kenai Peninsula. This is the region of the state where Seward is, and it’s home to a thriving tourism industry based around boating, fishing, flying, and cruise ships. The residents from Anchorage will head south on the weekends so it’s extra busy then, and even had a traffic jam heading back towards town that resembled Colorado on a Sunday. I quickly felt like I was in a circus of tourism and spent less than a week in the area. The fjords, glaciers, and sea excursions are certainly amazing there but I personally enjoy myself and photography more without a crowd.
“Kesugi Forest” - A hike through the woods almost always got you away from any crowds. Prints available.
Due to the road closure in Denali it didn’t seem all that busy to me, I expect it’s usually much crazier when the road is fully open. Much of the rest of the state is completely empty. Hike a trail or drive a long scenic dirt road and you may only see a handful of people in a week. I think there was nearly a month where I didn’t see a single photographer aside from my friend Jason who tagged along for a few weeks. If you want to avoid the crowds, just stay more than two hours from Anchorage and you’ll be good.
Cassiar Highway vs Alcan (Alaska Highway)
The classic road trip dilemma! One of the top questions people heading northwest might ask is which route to take. From Dawson Creek, BC to Watson Lake, YT there are two choices. The more direct Alaska (Alcan) Highway or the remote and longer Cassiar Highway. The latter is often referred to as the “scenic” option but I found them both to be stunning. The main attraction on that stretch of the Alcan is the Northern Rockies Provincial Park and Muncho Lake. If you want to do some backpacking or day hiking you’ll find a few loops with excellent trails and no crowds. I took this way up in the summer and enjoyed a bikepack/backpack into the Rockies which took me to these outstanding hoodoos and the bluest river I’ve ever seen.
“Wokkpash Hoodoos” - A combination bike and backpack trip got me to this incredible view. Prints available.
The Cassiar Highway is a much twistier stretch of road that will slow your pace down greatly. There are many provincial parks with boating and day hikes. The entire drive is breathtaking but the road is narrow with big drop-offs on each side so as a photographer there was no place at all to pull over during some of the most scenic stretches. A mild complaint about such beautiful views! There are even more parks with options for truly epic backcountry journeys, but most of the hiking will require a float-plane drop off and others involve many days of hiking through woods to get to scenic views. This region could take up an entire summer on its own to really set out on epic backcountry travels. I took this route on the way back down and was treated to lovely autumn colors in the north that ended about halfway down the highway.
It’s not a huge detour if your goal is to enjoy the ride, so many people will do both highways if they plan on driving both ways. I think that’s a great way to go, seeing both was delightful and opened a world of opportunities for future trips.
“Cassiar Reflections” - There were many calm lakes and gorgeous views along the Cassiar Highway. Prints available.
Wildlife
One more footnote to this post will involve the top question I’ve received after finishing up this trip: “Did you have any bear encounters?” Absolutely! You’re going to see wildlife up there, from bears to moose and caribou. I’m not at all a wildlife photographer, so I don’t seek out these situations but if you’re going to spend several months out in the woods and mountains you’ll see a lot. I don’t suffer from “bearanoia” as many people seem to and only consider them to be another part of the wilderness which requires a cautious approach in general. Wildlife should always be respected, distance kept, and food stored properly. While there were a few times where I came upon a bear closer than I would have liked, I try not to think of these situations as inherently dangerous. It’s just a good time to remain calm and work through the moment as needed. There was also an incident on the trip where gear (a packraft) was destroyed by a bear, but there was no harm to any humans. I take all the precautions that I can while out there and try my best to respect the local fauna.
Jason Hatfield packrafting across a lake filled with icebergs.
Stay tuned for many more images from this summer of travel! Next up will be a blog post about the photography aspect of the trip specifically. If there’s anything else you’d like to hear, please leave a comment. I have hundreds of sheets of film to continue working through, is there any ideal way you would like to see these presented?