Alaska dilemma (ferry, drive, combo, camping, etc.)

[kmcintyre]

For years, I've wanted to do the Alaska Ferry, take the camper, drive and fly fish then drive back to Boise, ID. I'd like to spend at least a month to 6 weeks, fishing, seeing the sights, etc. I was thinking of taking my dog too as it's expensive to keep him at someone's house (boarding). Now that I'm ready and doing some preliminary research, I find the drive a bit daunting. I don't know if I really want to drive all that way home (I typcially will drive about 6 hrs/day) and it'd take me quite a while. So, I started thinking of flying, renting a car, doing some week long type lodges, etc. but they are really expensive too. Then I started thinking of a DIY and renting hotels, etc. That ends up being about half of a lodge price. Renting a car is quite expensive for a month too ($3-4k). Looking for ideas (or maybe encourgagement) from people who have done this type of trip. Picture is of my rig so it's capable of making the trip and I just got back from 7 weeks in Baja. That was about 1k miles to the border. To Anchorage, it's about 2700 miles.

 

[Occidental]

I can only say what I would prefer, and that would be the ferry up and drive back, but I'd say it may be more like a 3 month endeavor for me. I also don't mind the driving.

I haven't done the trip, but I have done portions of it on two different trips. I've taken the ferry up and flown back with stays/departures in Petersburg, Sitka, Juneau and Skagway. With ferry departures and backpacking that was a two week trip. It could have easily been longer with time and funds, SE Alaska is definitely a destination itself, but if you just took the ferry trip up on your way to the mainland, and watched it all go by it would still be highly enjoyable.

I have more recently done a loop up the Cassiar highway to Watson Lake and then south on the Alaska highway (4000 miles total), through BC. That was a month long trip. I would personally look at the drive back as another segment of the trip with plenty of things to see and places to explore and fish, as good and possibly less busy than mainland Alaska. If I had to choose one, I'd take the Cassiar back over the Alaska Highway.

If I were going to travel by vehicle around mainland Alaska I would personally want my camper and all the gear it carries and the ability to remote camp. The conundrum there is you are pretty much restricted to the Anchorage, Fairbanks, Tok loop, which is still a huge area to explore, but leads me to my conundrum (you could call it a dilemma) about Alaska: even if you see what you can by road in that loop you have still experienced very little of it. Maybe just enough to want to go back and fly in to some remote lodges for fishing trips, spend a month floating down the Yukon, fly in to the Gates of the Arctic and backpack...well you get the picture.

I guess that is all to say, you are contemplating three different trips (camper, lodge or hotel) that would lead to three very different experiences, all enjoyable in different ways. The reality is you can't make one trip there and possibly experience everything, so if you are going to pick just one, pick the one you think you would enjoy the most based on your preferences. Then when you get home start planning your next visit with a different angle you didn't choose with the first trip.

Sorry for the lengthy response with no decisive answer, but thanks for the opportunity to dream about the possibilities. I look forward to what others have to say.

 

[Beate]

We travelled Alaska (and Yukon) so often, but never using the ferry. We mostl< flew in to Anchorage or Whitehorse, rent an RV there and drove around for 5 - 6 weeks. But we also did some relocation-trips by RV from Whitehorse and Yellowknife, through Alaska, down to Vancouver.
As we are no city-people this was the most enjoying kind to travel. And to say: Hotels in Alaska, outside the bis cities, have been expensive but really not nice. So much nicer staying in the nature.

 

[Taku]

You might want to think about driving to Bella Coola from Boise (~1200 miles so about like Baja). That also takes you along the "Fish Highway" in BC (Fishing Highway 24) and depending on the time of year you go, the rivers around Bella Coola can be good for anadromous fish. Not quite AK, but lot's of great country and good fly fishing. If you don't have these guidebooks for Canada (https://backroadmapbooks.com/) get them. They are awesome for getting around in Canada.
I have flown to AK and used rental cars for fishing and visiting and it works, but not the same as having a camper. Let us know what you decide!

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

I have 3 trip reports on my blog sharychic.blogspot.com of the resent trips.
We did make two,1990 1992 tent camping trips when we took out 2 daughters.
The first was 3 weeks up on the ferry to Ketchikan to Stewart BC then drive home .The 1992
trip was ferry all the way up and return.We use the ferry to get into places you can't drive.

We used the ferry to go north from Bellingham in 2011 5 weeks and 2016 6 weeks with the camper.
The trip in 2009 4 + weeks was a tent camping trip and and used the BC ferry service for part of the trip along with the AMH.We really enjoyed the ferry very relaxing.
There are many ways to approach a trip to Alaska.
The travel book Alaskan milepost is also a good book to have.Try to find a used one that's not too old.Most of the info doesn't change through the years.
We used and "flagged"the different routes we were taking for quick reference.
Trip planning IMO is a must.There is so much to see and travel to you want to make sure you have enough info so you don't spend your time searching.
Another good source are the info/visitor centers.Lots of good local info from those people.
Frank

 

[rjap]

In 2018 I did a 3 week motorcycle trip to Alaska and Yukon using the Alaska Marine Highway (MV Columbia) starting from Bellingham WA. Roughly Bellingham - Haines - Tok - Dawson City - Eagle Plains - Watson Lake - Stewart - Prince Rupert - Vancouver Island - Port Angles and home with many interesting in-between stops. Mixture of tenting and motels.

I went late August and early September. More chance of rain but no bugs and nice fall colours.

I am not a cruise person, but I very much enjoyed the 3 day ferry ride up the inside passage. Kind of a mini cruise, except you are on a working ferry that is moving people, goods and equipment up and down the coast. The ferry stops in a few towns along the way. Lots of relaxing and nature watching (eagles, whales). Only a small part of the route is on open ocean, so sea sickness was not a major concern.

I would take the ferry up rather than back, so you don’t have a time constraint once you are there.

You will need to book the ferry early if you want a cabin. Lots of people roll out their sleeping bags in the solariums or set up tents on the rear decks. There are showers available. Pro tip if you tent: duct tape dowels to the deck and attach your guy lines to the dowels. The Columbia had a two drink limit in the restaurant, so bring your own hooch if so inclined. They also had a strict no alcohol policy on the decks and solariums. I watched the crew enforce it but I also observed some work arounds.

I plan to do a similar trip again in my camper!

I think you need to treat the trip home as part of the adventure and slow down and enjoy YT and BC.

PS: The ferry required pets to be kept in vehicles, with scheduled times for owners to visit the car deck and take care of their pets.

MV Columbia Solarium:

Gold Digging Dredge at Dawson City ("It takes money to make money!")

Short hike out of Tombstone Campground (Dempster Highway):

Salmon Glacier at Stewart BC:

 

[buckland]

We went in 2017. Drove FWC Eagle on Colorado from MA to WA. We took the ferry from Bellingham to Whitaker and drove to Kenai Peninsula, and up to Canada Top of the World Hyw. Chicken, Yukon BC/AB to Idaho then back to New England. 12,000 over 3 months. The ferry is wonderful. Clean, basic, quality, watching the beauty go by. I'd do it again. We weren't back to AK for 2 week (fly) and used nephew's camper. Driving is tough the first couple days and then you toughen up and get into the routine. It just gets easier. Here is a link to my old blog FWIW. at the bottom of each page click on "older post" (I have reversed the timeline) To Alaska and The Yukon

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Your 2018 trip route is similar to out 2011 trip.Great places to visit.
Lots of good camping along the way.
Good info about sleeping on deck.We have done that on several of the early trips
but only a couple nights at a time.We all really enjoyed laying on the deck chairs and watching the world drift by.
All of our trips were also about the same time as yours.Good time to visit.The areas are winding down from the summer rush for the most part.
Frank

 

[Sagebrush Reconnoiterer]

An option could be to lower your ambition. Try Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

My wife and I did Vancouver Island for a week in 1998. We were fortunate with our timing, each dollar American bought you $2 Canadian, so basically everything was half priced as pricing was generally the same as in the US. Vancouver is a very large island, so there should be plenty to see and do. Butchart Gardens in Victoria is superb.

 

[dennis 221]

Maybe u will c volcano blow up

 

[kmcintyre]

A lot of great info. I'll continue to do my research. I looked at the ferry schedules and they have some maintence going on so you can't book them right now :-(

 

[Machinebuilder]

I decided not to take the ferry when i went to Alaska.

I was traveling with 2 large dogs and while they do very good traveling, I take a lot of dog stops.

On the ferry they have to stay in your vehicle except for short times to use the bathroom area.

I would not want to lock my dogs in my truck for 3 days.

IF you have the time it is an awesome drive. BUT I took 5 months from Tennesee.
I don't know If I want to do another trip that long.

 

[dennis 221]

Yep dog break ever 4 hours

 

[Vic Harder]

Yep dog break ever 4 hours

Dennis, please check your mail box.

 

[ckent323]

In mid August 2018 we drove from Central California to Anchorage via the Stewart-Cassiar highway with a great side trip to Stewart & Hyder, Fish Creek and the Salmon Glacier.. We also did trips from Anchorage to Palmer (where we attended the Alaska State Fair) and to Homer. After running our old track inspection car on the Alaska Railroad on a sanctioned NARCOA run we drove back on the Alcan departing Anchorage on September 25 and used the Abbotsford boarder crossing to cross into Washington. Coming back through the Canadian National Parks on the Alcan in late September into early October was a treat. We saw lots of animals. We also had snow that caught up to us in Clinton, BC and we barely made it down to the Fraser River Valley ahead of a huge storm. If you have the time the drives each way are beautiful. Many places to stay but popular places need to be booked in advance in the summer season.

P.S. We saw far fewer animals on the Stewart-Cassiar portion of the trip. The mountain scenery is magnificent. There are large, and I mean 10's of thousands of acres of burned forest (some a decade old) in several places along this route. Jade City was an interesting stop and after our return I came across the series Jade Fever, that is about the family that runs Jade City and their mining and business activity, which I found interesting. Frankly the part that made the Stewart -Cassiar worth it for me was the side trip to Hyder, Fish Creek and the Salmon Glacier. The Bus Seafood restaurant in Hyder, is a not to be missed eating stop. The seafood is caught by the husband of the woman who runs the restaurant and it is as fresh and delicious as you can get.

In early August 2021 we shipped our railcar (speeder) to Anchorage and took our truck and FWC camper on the ferry from Bellingham to Whittier with layovers in Ketchikan and Juneau. Loved it but if I did it again I would go to Haines or Skagway instead of Whittier. The crossing to Whittier can get rough. The leg to Whittier was not too bad on our trip but it was not very scenic once we exited the protected waters of the inside passage and into the Gulf of Alaska. A bonus for me, but no one else, were stops long enough to disembark and look around for an hour or so at Wrangell, Petersburg, Kake, Hoona, Gustavus and Cordova. A couple of the stops were in the wee hours but I got off and explored as much as I could.

We did some side trips as well. We flew from Juneau to Sitka for two nights and then flew back to Juneau. After that we did a passenger ferry one way day trip to Glacier Bay where we stayed for two nights (should have stayed longer) and flew back to Juneau. In Juneau we camped at the Medenhall Glacier campground before and after the side trips for a total of about a week. We stayed in a VRBO in Ketchikan and a hotel in both Sitka and Glacier Bay.

From Anchorage we did side trips to Homer, Palmer (and again attended the Alaska State Fair) Valdez and McCarthy where we camped and toured the Kennecott Mill returning to Anchorage in time for our NARCOA sanctioned rail trip on the Alaska railroad.

We returned home via the Alcan route as we did in 2018. Once again, we saw lots of animals in the Canadian Provincial parks. We left Anchorage on 23 September and this time we were snowed on in Tok and most of the way to the border. Fortunately we did not encounter more snow storms further south.

We limited most of our driving days on both trip to less than 8 hours on the road which amounted to an average of around 260 miles a day. There were a couple of long days just over 400 miles and a couple of short days under 200 miles. All of our drives took 14 days one way. If I were to do it again I would try and add some layover days on the drive.

I hope this is helpful.

P.P.S. A few stops on the Alaska Highway worth mentioning. The Pinnacle Mountain RV and Cafe in Chickaloon. The owner makes really good pies. George Johnston Museum in Teslin, Takhini Hot Springs, and Northern Rockies Lodge in Muncho Lake Provincial Park. Spend some time exploring museums and restaurants in Whitehorse. Get a copy of the Milepost along with the digital version and spend some time reading about various places along the route you plan to take well ahead of your trip. You may want to adjust your itinerary to include some special stops or layovers.

​

 

[dennis 221]

Lol ,, that pic of tents on fantail could of been wife an me

 

[goinoregon]

In mid August 2018 we drove from Central California to Anchorage via the Stewart-Cassiar highway with a great side trip to Stewart & Hyder, Fish Creek and the Salmon Glacier.. We also did trips from Anchorage to Palmer (where we attended the Alaska State Fair) and to Homer. After running our old track inspection car on the Alaska Railroad on a sanctioned NARCOA run we drove back on the Alcan departing Anchorage on September 25 and used the Abbotsford boarder crossing to cross into Washington. Coming back through the Canadian National Parks on the Alcan in late September into early October was a treat. We saw lots of animals. We also had snow that caught up to us in Clinton, BC and we barely made it down to the Fraser River Valley ahead of a huge storm. If you have the time the drives each way are beautiful. Many places to stay but popular places need to be booked in advance in the summer season.

In early August 2021 we shipped our railcar (speeder) to Anchorage and took our truck and FWC camper on the ferry from Bellingham to Whittier with layovers in Ketchikan and Juneau. Loved it but if I did it again I would go to Haines or Skagway instead of Whittier. The crossing to Whittier can get rough. The leg to Whittier was not too bad on our trip but it was not very scenic once we exited the protected waters of the inside passage and into the Gulf of Alaska. A bonus for me, but no one else, were stops long enough to disembark and look around for an hour or so at Wrangell, Petersburg, Kake, Hoona, Gustavus and Cordova. A couple of the stops were in the wee hours but I got off and explored as much as I could.

We did some side trips as well. We flew from Juneau to Sitka for two nights and then flew back to Juneau. After that we did a passenger ferry one way day trip to Glacier Bay where we stayed for two nights (should have stayed longer) and flew back to Juneau. In Juneau we camped at the Medenhall Glacier campground before and after the side trips for a total of about a week. We stayed in a VRBO in Ketchikan and a hotel in both Sitka and Glacier Bay.

From Anchorage we did side trips to Homer, Valdez and McCarthy where we camped and toured the Kennecott Mill returning to Anchorage in time for our NARCOA sanctioned rail trip on the Alaska railroad.

We returned home via the Alcan route as we did in 2018. Once again, we saw lots of animals in the Canadian Provincial parks. We left Anchorage on 23 September and this time we were snowed on in Tok and most of the way to the border. Fortunately we did not encounter more snow storms further south.

We limited most of our driving days on both trip to less than 8 hours on the road which amounted to an average of around 260 miles a day. There were a couple of long days just over 400 miles and a couple of short days under 200 miles. All of our drives took 14 days one way. If I were to do it again I would try and add some layover days on the drive.

I hope this is helpful.

thx for the recap, and scheduling.

 

[kmcintyre]

In mid August 2018 we drove from Central California to Anchorage via the Stewart-Cassiar highway with a great side trip to Stewart & Hyder, Fish Creek and the Salmon Glacier.. We also did trips from Anchorage to Palmer (where we attended the Alaska State Fair) and to Homer. After running our old track inspection car on the Alaska Railroad on a sanctioned NARCOA run we drove back on the Alcan departing Anchorage on September 25 and used the Abbotsford boarder crossing to cross into Washington. Coming back through the Canadian National Parks on the Alcan in late September into early October was a treat. We saw lots of animals. We also had snow that caught up to us in Clinton, BC and we barely made it down to the Fraser River Valley ahead of a huge storm. If you have the time the drives each way are beautiful. Many places to stay but popular places need to be booked in advance in the summer season.

P.S. We saw far fewer animals on the Stewart-Cassiar portion of the trip. The mountain scenery is magnificent. There are large, and I mean 10's of thousands of acres of burned forest (some a decade old) in several places along this route. Jade City was an interesting stop and after our return I came across the series Jade Fever, that is about the family that runs Jade City and their mining and business activity, which I found interesting. Frankly the part that made the Stewart -Cassiar worth it for me was the side trip to Hyder, Fish Creek and the Salmon Glacier. The Bus Seafood restaurant in Hyder, is a not to be missed eating stop. The seafood is caught by the husband of the woman who runs the restaurant and it is as fresh and delicious as you can get.

In early August 2021 we shipped our railcar (speeder) to Anchorage and took our truck and FWC camper on the ferry from Bellingham to Whittier with layovers in Ketchikan and Juneau. Loved it but if I did it again I would go to Haines or Skagway instead of Whittier. The crossing to Whittier can get rough. The leg to Whittier was not too bad on our trip but it was not very scenic once we exited the protected waters of the inside passage and into the Gulf of Alaska. A bonus for me, but no one else, were stops long enough to disembark and look around for an hour or so at Wrangell, Petersburg, Kake, Hoona, Gustavus and Cordova. A couple of the stops were in the wee hours but I got off and explored as much as I could.

We did some side trips as well. We flew from Juneau to Sitka for two nights and then flew back to Juneau. After that we did a passenger ferry one way day trip to Glacier Bay where we stayed for two nights (should have stayed longer) and flew back to Juneau. In Juneau we camped at the Medenhall Glacier campground before and after the side trips for a total of about a week. We stayed in a VRBO in Ketchikan and a hotel in both Sitka and Glacier Bay.

From Anchorage we did side trips to Homer, Valdez and McCarthy where we camped and toured the Kennecott Mill returning to Anchorage in time for our NARCOA sanctioned rail trip on the Alaska railroad.

We returned home via the Alcan route as we did in 2018. Once again, we saw lots of animals in the Canadian Provincial parks. We left Anchorage on 23 September and this time we were snowed on in Tok and most of the way to the border. Fortunately we did not encounter more snow storms further south.

We limited most of our driving days on both trip to less than 8 hours on the road which amounted to an average of around 260 miles a day. There were a couple of long days just over 400 miles and a couple of short days under 200 miles. All of our drives took 14 days one way. If I were to do it again I would try and add some layover days on the drive.

I hope this is helpful.

Very helpful, thank you!

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

That was a great trip report.You posted a lot of very interesting areas.
Thanks.
Frank

 

[rjap]

Ketchikan can accommodate 5 cruise ships. You can imagine what the town is like:

Lodging in Dawson City (Very nice inside actually, the best on my trip):

In YT I enjoyed the South Canol road from Ross River to Johnsons Crossing. Encountered a Grizzly on the road. The wimpy motorcycle horn didn't bother it. Black bears skedaddle, Grizzlies not so much. Eventually it sauntered into the woods. The side of the road was overgrown right up to the edge of the road. I continued on, but it was somewhat stressful.

Camped at Quiet Lake:

This thread makes me eager to go back.