The Cold Hard facts About An Alaska RV Adventure

The Facts

RV'ers take note: Road conditions vary widely in Alaska, and the going can be rough on unpaved routes in remote areas. We were on the road three to four hours on the days we were driving, sometimes covering 180 miles, other times barely 60.

An RV Itinerary Through South-Central Alaska

DAY 1 (135 miles)
Anchorage to Talkeetna (via Glenn Highway, Hatcher Pass Road, George Parks Highway, Talkeetna Spur Road).
Talkeetna Camper Park
NIGHTLY FEE $18. MILE 13.5, TALKEETNA SPUR RD. 907/733-2693; www.talkeetnacamper.com
DAY 2 (180 miles)
Talkeetna to Teklanika Campground, Denali National Park (via Talkeetna Spur Road, George Parks Highway, Denali Park Road).
Teklanika Campground
NIGHTLY FEE $18. MILE 29, DENALI PARK RD. 800/622-7275 OR 907/272-7275; www.aramarkparks.com
Contact Doyon/Aramark, Denali's concessionaire, well in advance to make reservations for summer. Before booking, visit www.nps.gov/dena to learn about campsites and park rules and facilities. Because services in the park are limited, RV'ers must dump waste tanks, fill water tanks, and stock up on essentials before entering. Do this at Lynx Creek Store & Deli (Mile 238.6, George Parks Hwy.; 907/683-2548), just north of Denali's entrance in the Nenana Canyon area. On arrival at the park, stop by the Visitors Center (Mile 1, Denali Park Rd.; 907/683-2294) to check in, find out bus schedules, and sign up for tours and evening programs.
DAYS 3-5
At Teklanika Campground, Denali National Park.
DAY 6 (116 miles)
Teklanika Campground to Mile 60 on Denali Highway, a good place to pull over for the night (via Denali Park Road, George Parks Highway).
DAY 7 (178 miles)
To Chitina, at the entrance to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Spend the night beachside on the Copper River (via Denali Highway, Richardson Highway, Edgerton Highway).
Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center
MILE 106.8, RICHARDSON HWY. 907/822-5234; www.nps.gov/wrst
DAY 8 (60 miles)
Chitina to McCarthy (via McCarthy Road).
West McCarthy Wayside Park
NIGHTLY FEE $20. MILE 60, MCCARTHY RD. 907/746-0606
St. Elias Alpine Guides
Tours of Kennecott mine. $25 PER PERSON. 888/933-5427 OR 907/345-9048; www.steliasguides.com
DAY 9 (90 miles)
Backtrack to Kenny Lake (via McCarthy Road, Edgerton Highway).
Wrangell Mountain Air
Glacier flightseeing, $70-$170 PER PERSON. MAIN ST., MCCARTHY; 800/478-1160 OR 907/554-4411; www.wrangellmountainair.com
Kenny Lake Mercantile & RV Park
NIGHTLY FEE $15. MILE 7.2, EDGERTON HWY. 907/822-3313
DAY 10 (90 miles)
Kenny Lake to Valdez (via Edgerton Highway, Richardson Highway).
Sea Otter RV Park
NIGHTLY FEE $25. 2787 S. HARBOR DR., VALDEZ; 907/835-2787
Alaska Marine Highway System
For reservations on the ferry from Valdez to Whittier. 800/642-0066 OR 907/465-3941; www.alaska.gov/ferry
DAY 11 (100 miles)
Valdez to Bird Creek Campground (via ferry on Prince William Sound to Whittier, Alaska Railroad Tunnel to Portage Glacier Road, Seward Highway).
Bird Creek Campground
NIGHTLY FEE $10. MILE 101, SEWARD HWY.; NO PHONE
DAY 12 (37 miles)
Bird Creek Campground to Anchorage. Return RV, explore Anchorage, and fly home.
Alaska Native Heritage Center
Run by Aleuts, Athabascans, and other indigenous peoples, with storytelling, music and dance performances, traditional crafts, and re-created dwellings. ADMISSION $9 PER PERSON. 8800 HERITAGE CENTER DR., ANCHORAGE; 800/315-6608; www.alaskanative.net
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau
907/276-4118; www.anchorage.net

Renting an RV

We got our 21-foot Dutchmen Express from ABC Motorhome & Car Rentals (3875 W. International Airport Rd., Anchorage; 800/421-7456 or 907/279-2000; www.abcmotorhome.com), which is right at the airport. Equipped with kitchenware, bedding, and towels, it was $2,600 for 11 days, including taxes and insurance.

Advice on Packing and Provisioning

PACKING Be prepared for four seasons—even in summer, when many days are cool and some are downright chilly. Bring more than one pair of hiking shoes per person since everything takes days to dry in the damp. Other essentials for an Alaskan RV road trip: unscented baby wipes to wash with when you're trying to conserve water; moisturizer and lip balm; insect repellent; and plenty of activities for kids: books, games, sketch pads, journals, cameras, binoculars, CD's, and portable CD players.
PROVISIONING Be sure to stock up on vegetables and fruit when you do your mega-shop in Anchorage. The convenience stores in the hinterlands will pass muster only for those prepared to subsist on beef jerky, canned chili, chips, and candy.

Five Great Ways to See Alaska, No RV Required

TAKE A GUIDED JOURNEY
Travel by land, sea, and sky during Off the Beaten Path's nine-day guided tour of Alaska's Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Prince William Sound. Among the highlights: a glacier walk, kayak outing through ice floes, and a joyride (by plane) to see the snow-covered peaks of the Wrangell Mountains. OBP is known for its impressive level of service—first-rate guides, good food, well-chosen lodgings, and counselors who know how to keep the kids happy. Off the Beaten Path, 800/445-2995; www.offthebeatenpath.com; adults $4,390, children $4,190.
Other tour companies that offer first-rate Alaskan family adventures: Abercrombie & Kent (www.abercrombiekent.com), Backroads (www.backroads.com), Thomson Family Adventures (www.familyadventures.com), Tauck Bridges (www.tauckbridges.com), and Austin-Lehman Adventures (www.austinlehman.com).
CONSIDER A CRUISE
Crystal Cruises offers 12-day top-of-the-line Alaskan cruises, with departures out of Vancouver and San Francisco, from late May to late September. On shore excursions, passengers can opt to mountain bike through rain forests or visit the Alaska Raptor Center, a rehab site for birds of prey, in Sitka. Crystal Cruises, 800/820-6663; www.crystalcruises.com; doubles from $2,995 per person (out of San Francisco); children under 12 free in a double with a paying adult.
Surf and Turf, Anyone?
Juneau-based Alaska Travel Adventures orchestrates nature tours with plenty of opportunities to actually test the waters—by raft, sea kayak, and canoe. AA also leads combined jeep and canoe tours through the backcountry. Alaska Travel Adventures, 800/791-2673; www.alaskaadventures.com; adults $125, children $83.
N.B.: Norwegian Cruise Line and Holland America also offer Alaskan cruises that are worth considering.
ALL ON BOARD
The Alaskan Railroad is a great way to see the state without ever having to stop for gas. While adults take in the scenery, onboard guides lead kids in games and crafts. Packages range from single- to 10-day tours (hotels included), with stops at national parks, glaciers, and hot springs. Some itineraries incorporate coastal cruises. Alaskan Railroad, 800/544-0552; www.akrr.com; $1,296 for adults, for a five-day, four-night package to Denali National Park. Call for children's rates.
FLY OVER ALASKA
In Denali, glimpse the craggy twin peaks of Mount McKinley—from above, on one of Era Aviation's Alaska Flightseeing Tours by helicopter. For families seeking to explore the alpine tundra, the group also offers hiking, trekking, and dogsledding packages. Era Aviation's Alaska Flightseeing Tours, 800/843-1947; www.flightseeingtours.com; prices start at $225 for adults and children.