Utah to Prudhoe Bay Trip Advice

Technically you are allowed to cross border to travel to Alaska, but can only cross at certain border points, and must make every effort to travel through by direct route, no sight seeing. $1200 fine each time you get caught not following the directions given. Plus some locals will be giving you the stink eye. Not worth it. Pretty sure Alaska frowns on tourists from the lower 48 as well right now.

 

Having known people who came up this summer. It's a real bitch getting through. You pretty much have to be an Alaskan resident and have proof of a dire need to travel through the country to get to Alaska or the L48. AKA an essential worker/critical infrastructure. If you don't fall under either, they turn you away with the advice of shipping your vehicle via 1-2 week barge out of Tacoma, WA and flying up.

Besides, nobody wants to come to Alaska. We're a hotbed right now. The fierce independence that draws people to, and makes people Alaskan, is not working out for our general public favor at the moment.

 

I’m sorry to hear that man -hope you’re able to make it up that way next summer

 

We'll see what's in the cards. Not holding my breath. Maybe a nice week in Baja instead this spring.

 

Oof... The wife and I are moving from Colorado to Anchorage at the end of January. We both accepted jobs with the federal government (BLM and NOAA). Three pets, two cars, one loaded cargo trailer, one global pandemic, plus winter conditions... not a fun situation. Considering everything, we plan on having all of our paperwork handy at all times (passports, job offers, housing contract, negative COVID tests, pet vaccines, etc.), And with the pets, we want to get there as fast as possible.

Hopefully we don't run into any issues as taking the ferry or having things shipped then flying costs an insane amount of money.

 

Make sure you plan your route,specifically which border crossing is open to you. If you can show the cdns your plan to get to Anchorage, that will definitely help. They are generally pretty reasonable. Make sure you declare any weapons you have. Long guns are not a problem, but handguns will be,and you'll have to make alternate shipping arrangements for those. Do not have any handgun ammo with you, or they will tear everything apart looking for the handgun(s).

https://www.alaskapublic.org/2020/0...an-border-into-alaska-just-got-even-stricter/

 

Pets will be no issue. If you choose the Osoyoos crossing, I am very familiar with the Hwy 97 route all the way to Dawson Creek; feel free to ask questions, or if you want any input on other route through Alberta as well. I spent many years of my former career on highways to get to forestry mills in the US and Canada in all seasons.

 

I definitely appreciate the input. So far, we're pretty confident about the route, driving, and paperwork; but I may come knocking on TW's AK door for some advice if something comes up. It really is a great community of mostly strangers.

Honestly, I think that the biggest headache is going to come from having the pets cooped up most of the time in the car and then a hotel room. We'll try to find an hour or so of daylight each day to play.

 

I used to travel with my Alaskan malamute on my work trips in his later years. Never had a problem finding a motel that would accept a dog. I would camp a fair bit as well, just because I preferred it.

 

I'm sure you're well familiar, but with pets in winter make sure you plan your trips accordingly. Make sure in advance which hotels will accept them. But more importantly which hotels are still open and are accepting non residents. I'm unfamiliar with how businesses and residents are taking to people coming through, I imagine it won't be a problem.

 

I never had any problems with handgun ammo in the truck. I always had a typed out list of all the firearms and ammunition/gun powder/primers in the truck that I gave the customs agent and never once had them even look in the bed. Just a quick walk inside to fill out the firearm paperwork, pay the fee and then on about my way.

 

Key element that you declared everything. If they had observed handgun ammo, and you did not declare any, that will pretty much guarantee a search.

 

@Gunshot-6A

Did you ever end up making this trip? It sounds like it didn't work out. I'm in the same boat as you were, Alaska is the only state I haven't been to now. It's the only state I haven't driven my 01 4Runner to other than Hawaii obviously. I've been wanting to go to Alaska this summer, but gas prices may keep me home. We'll see.

I got a lot of good info reading through this thread. If I go I was planning about 17 days from the southern Canadian border to Alaska and back. Then about a week getting to the border and back while working remotely.

10k miles at 17 mpg is going to hurt though...

 

Canadian to US dollar exchange is still about 25% in your favour, but fuel prices in Canada higher by 40%

Utah $4.30/ us gal.
BC $2.03/ liter
3.78L/US Gallon
$cdn2.03/Liter * 3.78L/gal = $cdn 7.67/gal = $US 5.99/gal.

7000 miles/ 17mpg = $2500 in fuel. Budget price of fuel north of Fairbanks to be double.

 

Based on gas prices right now and using the GasBuddy trip estimator I'm thinking it would be about $2,700 USD to go the 10k miles round trip since I'm starting in Alabama. Not as bad as I was expecting, but who knows where prices will end up. I'd try to camp just about every night as well. It would just be me and my dog along for the ride.

 

Not hard to find places to camp, the proportion of crown land to private land is much more in your favour north of the border. Forest Recreation sites are minimalistic, and most are no or low cost thru summer. Provincial campgrounds are better amenities but expect to budget $10 to $20/ night. CB radio not much use here, truckers use VHF FM in Canada, VHF mobile is necessary on active logging roads if your travelling weekdays into recreation sites. Logging trucks are rolling between 2am and 3pm typically, pending distance to mill/sort yard. Also some roads are access for mines. Very wise to have the radio for the Dalton highway, as it is much more an industrial road, versus a public highway. Very few guard rails, or warning signs, and wildlife have the right of way.

 

Nope. My silly self got a sudden promotion at work and successfully bought a house 2 weeks before I was supposed to leave, then COVID hit and here we are.

Still pondering the idea or a modification of an interior loop, but like yourself, the price of gas is really killing my urge to rack up the miles in a hurry. That and I'm pondering trading in my Duke and buying an adventure bike next moto season, so I know I'll be tempted to take that instead.

 

Just take the Duke I say… braaap!



Fwiw gas is right around $5 in Fairbanks right now.

 

I love this drive. Did you stop at Liard Hot Springs