Planning drive to Alaska

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Thinking of planning a trip to Alaska and driving there. My end destination goal is Prudhoe Boy, I want to go through Canada and stop in Anchorage and Fairbank. Want to do some fishing along the way as well.

Looking for advice on what I should do and how I should go about doing it. If you have done this trip before, would love to see pictures of it and talk with you about. Let me know,

 

Sounds like an awesome trip. I think theres only one road that goes there. Whatever highway that is that goes from Fairbanks north.
Closest Ive been is an Alaskan cruise so cant give you much help. Saw Denali, so that was cool for me.
But I know a guy who did the Dempster Hwy up to Tuktoyaktuk. I would imagine its kind of the same. All he said was its long...really, really long. Good luck!

 

Take some time off work, pack some clothes and put gas in the truck. Nothing special needed to make that drive.

I say that as a guy who has done the drive multiple times to both Deadhorse and Tuktoyuktuk.

 

I love dead horse it’s beautiful there

 

I did it 27 years ago in a 1979 Chevy TransVan with my ole man. I believe we went up the Al-Can Hwy. We stayed with a family friend for a month in Haines, Alaska and did a lot of salmon fishing and sightseeing in that area, including a few trips into the Yukon. Then, when we left, we came down the Cassiar Hwy. it was an amazing trip.

I don’t know how much has changed since then, but I remember radiator protection being a big deal & highly recommended. The roads were gravel & stone and if a passing car or truck put a stone through your radiator, you could be stranded for awhile.

 

Decide what you are doing as to taking a gun. Canada has some very strict laws.

 

That’s one way to look at it. The area around it is nice, Deadhorse itself is a dirty working industrial town.

 

The North is beautiful. Took my Taco to the Arctic Ocean and loved every last minute. Would go back in a heartbeat. Nothing special needed other than lotsa gas and lotsa time.

 

I had planned a similar trip for the summer of 2019. We decided we needed another year to finalize our setup, 2020 happened and the world went to shit and then my wife got pregnant. We haven't made the trip but I fully intend on doing it one day.

Best piece of advice I got was to start with the Milepost book and use that as your foundation. Decided what you want to see and what you want to do. I had bookings with fishing guides, a bush plane out of Denali, and plans to meetup with friends of friends. Be organized in your planning, start early, but don't try to micromanage every last minute. Get on Youtube and watch the trips from Lifestyle Overland and Expedition Overland. See who your style aligns more with and go from there.

 

My grandad and I did it. Anchorage to Valdez, then back up to Fairbanks, to Coldfoot and over the Brooks Range. We stopped and turned around about 100 miles short of Prudhoe.

This was October 1985. I was 8 years old.

There were a few points along the trip where we stopped and stayed as guests in people's cabins. There were very few hotels at the time. I still haven't forgotten that adventure. That was my first introduction to true life off the grid - I could piss in my bedside homer bucket or make the snow covered hike to the outhouse. The ride from Fairbanks northward was done in a Chevy pickup that was custom fitted with dual gas tanks. Grandad was a lead foreman on the pipeline and had access to a number of company vehicles.

He also had keys to Denali thanks to a separate contract where his company was removing abandoned mine equipment, and we got the entire park to ourselves to go see in the off season. That was a true experience. Getting to see the foxes in their white winter coats, chugging up the unplowed road, and a very rare cloudless view of the mountain with full snowpack, that was magic.

One of these days, I want to go back and drive it again.

 

I’ll tag along

 

You can do the most direct route or you can do some exploring. Check out (Itchy Boots) on you tube. She has traveled all around the world by motorcycle and her last season was Patagonia to Prudhoe Bay. She is a Geologist and history buff so she likes venturing into wilds and off the beaten path.

 

Sheesh. This girl and I were talking about driving up to a puc cabin in the middle of nowhere and sitting around doing nothing for a week. I’ve looked up a bunch of cabins, read the laws about crossing the border with a gun. I just wish I had a month to take off.

 

I grew up here. Alaska is a plane State. If you step out of your truck . The mosquitos instantanly swarm. If you don't have a plan they will destroy your trip. Fly in and have amazing gear. Head bets are a joke







Wisky and shots seem to make it livable. Just drink alot, and igone them. You won't win

 

Yup. I did 3 months up there on a motorcycle and planned almost nothing. Had some stuff I wanted to see, and word of mouth of people I met along the way got me to some pretty great stuff.

That said, such travel isn’t for everyone. If it’s stressful to be living like that, you’ll definitely want to have an itinerary.

 

I think its funny theres a sign to let you know its the Arctic Ocean. Like you havent realized youve reached the end of the world...
Not being cynical...its literally funny to me.

The bike would be my choice. Some planning, but itineraries always go wrong on the bike. Have to be able to wing it.
Cool pics. Great post...for a Friday...

 

Is there any reality to the notion of needing a gun? I suppose if you wanted to go hunting.

 

My first thought would be bear protection, but then again, I doubt that would work.

 

I carried bear spray and never came close to need it. Closest animal encounters were a moose right next to the anchorage airport and a bison checking out my tent at liard.


The bisons name was Fred.

 

Liard Hot Springs were amazing.