We spent an amazing summer living in Alaska in our RV, and there’s a lot about an Alaska trip that is intimidating to first timers! I’m hoping this Alaska 101 post clears up some of the most common questions and concerns that we get about a trip there. Alaska is an absolutely AMAZING destination, and I’m always encouraging others to visit. If you’re planning an RV trip there, I wrote a whole e-book about RVing Alaska that I absolutely promise will save you planning time and money.
Let’s get into the Alaska 101 basics!
Alaska 101: How to Get There
First things first: how do you even get to Alaska? Most visitors arrive by plane to Anchorage or on a cruise ship. We learned that only 5% of visitors drive there like we did. And that’s because it’s a long, long drive. It took us 3 days to get from Calgary to the start of the Alaska Highway in Dawson Creek. Then it’s 1200 (long, slow) miles to the end of the Alcan from there! You basically only have two options for how to drive there: the Alcan or the Cassiar. The Alcan is more popular and has more services, the Cassiar is more remote and more direct from the West Coast. I expected the drive to be long, but I didn’t expect how absolutely magical it would be all in itself. Highly recommended if you have the time.
If you’ve flown in, you’re probably starting in a convenient central location in Anchorage (although we recommend staying nearby in Palmer!). If you’re cruising, you’re likely visiting only Southeast Alaska, which is gorgeous, but almost like it’s own experience separate from the rest of the state!
Alaska 101: How Long Does It Take to Get Around
Part of Alaska 101 is recognizing just how enormous Alaska is. Alaska is a big state. The biggest in the country in fact! It has its own time zone, and it is the size of a time zone, if that gives you any indication of how large it is. Most of the cities and towns are 3-5 hours of driving apart from each other, so you’ll want to plan out where you’re going carefully so you don’t spend your whole trip driving. If you’re only visiting Alaska for a week, for example, you probably won’t have time to do both the Kenai peninsula AND Valdez. But don’t worry — I’ve got you covered with some banging sample itineraries coming up! Keep on reading.
Alaska 101: Where to Go
There are so many amazing places in Alaska that even 4 months of living there wasn’t nearly enough to see everything. Have I mentioned that it’s a big place? If you’re short on time, though, you’re in luck! I’ve condensed my favorite experiences of an entire summer into one sample 7 day itinerary for first time visitors. I’ve also written about our favorite hikes in Alaska, and I highly recommend you check out Hatcher Pass at least once.
If you have longer in Alaska, I’ve written about exactly how I would spend more time in my RV Alaska travel guide. I’ve got a two week itinerary, one month itinerary, and whole summer itinerary that learns from our mistakes and our wins. And even if you’re not planning to RV Alaska, this guide is still packed with what to do in each city and how I’d spend my time in the state.
I really believe that this travel guide will save you hundreds of hours of research when planning your Alaska trip. I also know from talking to other RV friends that it has insider activities that many tourists miss!
RV Alaska with Kids Travel Guide
If you’re looking for Alaska vacation ideas, you’ve come to the right place! This guide features 20+ pages of what we learned throughout a summer RVing Alaska with Kids.
Alaska 101: When to Go
Okay, this is a big topic, but for first time visitors I think the obvious answer is: when it’s warm. While there are amazing winter activities in Alaska, I think first timers are best served by a late spring to early fall trip. That means from June to September. For those interested in fishing and bear sightings, July and August will be peak. Keep in mind that the Aurora Borealis is quite visible starting in late August, if that’s on your bucket list. It was on ours!
Alaska 101: National Parks in Alaska
If you’re a National Park lover, Alaska is an amazing place to visit. Alaska boasts eight national parks, and they are all so different and amazing. The National Parks in Alaska are:
- Denali National Park
- Gates of the Arctic National Park*
- Glacier Bay National Park
- Katmai National Park*
- Kenai Fjords National Park
- Kobuk Valley National Park*
- Lake Clark National Park*
- Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
I’ve asterisked (*) the Alaska national parks that require a plane ride to access. Visiting all of the parks is an expensive endeavor! Even just visiting the ones you can drive to is amazing, though. Kenai Fjords was my favorite.
Alaska 101: Bucket List Activities
A common Alaska 101 question is: what are the best things to do in Alaska? Everyone has different things that they’re interested in, but here are our favorites from our time there:
- Hiking on or around a glacier
- Dog sled rides
- Seeing wildlife like bears in their natural habitats
- Breathtaking mountain views
- Seeing the northern lights
- Take a bush plane ride
- Kayaking with icebergs
- Ice climbing
- Marine life boat tours
- Seeing Denali
- Helicopter rides
- Salmon fishing
- And so much more!
Alaska 101: What to Pack
The most important thing to pack in our opinion is layers! It’s chillier than you expect in Alaska, even in the summer. We wore our fleeces and rain jackets all summer! We also think hiking boots and bear spray belong on any packing list. For more specifics about what to pack for an Alaska vacation, check out my Alaska packing list.
Alaska 101: Wildlife Safety
Speaking of bear spray, wildlife safety precautions are necessary in Alaska. If you do any amount of hiking in Alaska, you will encounter a bear at some point. We saw two on the trails that summer! The Alaska DF&G has a detailed post about bear safety that you should read, but the basics are:
- Don’t feed or approach bears
- Always make noise so you don’t surprise a bear
- Never run from a bear, back away slowly as you talk to it
- Have bear deterrents like bear spray
Alaska 101: Where to Camp
Whether you have an RV or a tent, Alaska has amazing camping opportunities. There are a bunch of wonderful RV parks around the state. I’ve shared my favorite one here. It’s also one of the best places we’ve ever been for boondocking. Here are our favorite Alaska boondocking locations. Don’t know what boondocking is or how to do it? I’ve got a guide for that, too!
Boondocking 101 Guide
This 10-page guide will assist RVers in learning the basics of boondocking, or camping off-grid! We share everything we’ve learned as a family living off-grid and boondocking in our RV.
I hope this Alaska 101 post has given you some ideas and the confidence to plan your adventure in Alaska! If you need more help, check out my RV Alaska e-book or book a call with me for personalized planning support.
For more about our adventure in Alaska, check out these posts:
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