Who's done it and what is your advice, cautions, things to see, things to avoid, etc.

Considering driving up this September. Have about three weeks off. Figure 3-4 days to get to Fairbanks....then spend the rest of the time driving around Alaska and south back towards Texas....

Plan B is what I call the "Great Western Mountain Adventure" by driving north up thru the Rocky's from southern New Mexico up to Glacier then west over to the Cascade's then work our way back south bouncing around the coastal ranges, cascades, and sierras down to Sequoia then east through death valley, Zion, the painted desert, monument valley, and the petrified forest....basically just making a big loop north, west, south, then east back to Texas...

Haven't done it but sounds like a blast.

Havent done it. Hear the roads SUCK BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDD! I would make sure tires are in tip top shape.

I want to go to hunt/fish.... some day.

Don't know about now but Sept. of 1972 we had snow on the ground the week after Labor Day just an FYI also flying still takes 8-12 hours with all the changes to Fairbanks

I did it in August of 99, roads were better than 35 in Oklahoma.

Miles and miles of gravel but well maintained.

My wife doesn't even like driving from Bandera to Junction and that is only about 70 miles.

Our current record is 10,050 miles in 18 days.....had a couple 8k+ trips.

Figure the a big stretch of bad road. Someone above said they weren’t too bad but everyone that I know said there’s giant pot holes for about 300 miles. You also need to figure fuel for that stretch. Alaska is coming into winter by September as well. Couple the bad road, 3 week limit, and September being colder I like plan B better. If you could do it in June-August I’d say rock on and get some mosquito repellent. I’d still take the trip in September but I would fly and rent a vehicle there.

All this from a guy who has only dreamed of Alaska. I have done my research though. Look at average weather for that time period and daylight hours. Late June it never really gets dark. By September it should be a normal (for us) winter there. Both in daylight and weather. Figure that road being 30-45 mph for hundreds of miles. Of.l course that was a motor home experience in June. Be sure you can make it with good tires and spares (plural) and extra fuel as needed.

I think Snake gets paid mileage and is padding his expense or IRS account

Neither...but wish I could....

Do it. One of two items on my bucket list is to drive to Prudoe Bay and back one day on a motorcycle and camp each night. I enjoy back roads and thus overall shorter miles each day plus unplanned detours to see cool stuff so I think I'd want 1.5-2 months.

The other trip sounds great too but Alaska tops it and I think driving, especially since it sounds like long drives are no big thing to yall, would make it better. I used to think flying was the way to go but there are alot of things you see while driving that you will never see if you fly.

From what I'm seeing on google maps it looks like it would be on paved highways. Not sure why everyone (at least those who have never been to Alaska) think the roads are so bad.

Even the gravel highways I've been on in Alaska were just fine.

That is my thought Z. If we do this most likely we will haul balls to Calgary or possibly farther north then take our time piddling our way south until our time runs out then hit the interstate and haul it back home if we run out of time.

Our trip to Maine this year started in Toledo and ended in Atlanta. We hammered the interstate all the way to Ohio then the same home from Georgia...

We should be able to get to Calgary in a little over 24 hours.... then tap the brakes and take in the sights....

That sounds like a good plan. Most of the way to that point would be more typical sights. Once you get out of Calgary you will see Banff and Jasper which look to be some of the prettiest areas in North America. Flying you wouldn't see anything except a crowded airport and cramped plane until Fairbanks.

Hahaha, rock on then.

We did it back in the early 70's in June I think. The Alcan highway was 1500 miles long, 1200 of which was dirt and gravel.

I was just a kid and don't remember where all we stopped but I do remember we took our time. 6-7 days going up and 4-5 seeing the sights.


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Yeah, with Texas plates and NRA decals the Canadians will just waive you on through.

I just googled it and it appears about 29 hours of driving time alone to Calgary ... or 64-65 hours to Fairbanks.

driving and staying in hotels??? or taking a travel trailer or motorhome???

It would be something I would love to do but wouldn't want to push quite that hard on driving the far for that short of a time. It would almost have to be a solo trip as I am not sure my wife could stay hooked up for that many miles. I do know of several families that drive each year to our PNW mission trip to around Portland OR and it takes them about 3 days just driving time to get that far but I think they take breaks on the way up/back to see the sights.

Do it!

An old girlfriend told me once that her Grandparents took something like 5 grand kids on a trip along the ALCAN Highway back as it was being finished in the '70s, in a Sedan de Ville.
Only think she really remembered was that it was LONG.

We made a trip to the Icefields in Banff National Park in 1977. Our goal was to sight see on the drive back from the time we got to Canada and back to Texas. We left Abilene, drove straight through into Canada in about 30 hours. Straight up highway 83, entered Canada at the International Peace Gardens on the North Dakota Canada border. Then headed west on to Moose Jaw, to Calgary and Jaspar. We left Jaspar, then to went to Kamloops, BC. and then started the trip south, first through Glacier National Park from the west to east side of the Park. Then it was mountain road after mountain road heading towards Colorado, eventually ending up at Raton, NM.

To see the mountains we stayed off the Interstates, we drove some good highways, and some almost third world scenic roads. We camped in primitive and semi primitive campsites most of the time, stopping at a motel about every 4 or 5 days. In August a Texan can almost freeze to death in some of those high altitude campsites. I had been there before so we went prepared, but even then some nights were too cold.

3 weeks is not enough, today we could spend 3 weeks just going through the Rockies starting at El Paso and the 3 weeks ending before left Colorado.

This right here. The Alaskan Highway is great from the folks I've talked to and has been for years. Lots of people drag RV's along it every year. My dad drove it 5 times via the Alberta leg and the last time using the western leg (late 1990's) dragging a 26' travel trailer. into Washington State.






But I do agree that September is cutting it close for getting caught in bad weather. By September he always had to shut down his mining operation due to frozen ground. This was 80 miles east of Fairbanks.

So what are the Canadian's rules if you have a CCL and you are carrying in the vehicle?

Flying into Calgary in 2010 with a LaRue Tactical hat on got me some special treatment. Something for the list of things to never do again.