Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Summer 2024 family trip advice

I am probably gonna do an Alaska trip with the family this summer. Last time I was up there was almost 30 years ago, so it’s been quite a while.

There will be 5 people (adult/near adult aged kids). I was thinking 10-14 days total with a fly in/out of Anchorage. Maybe rent an RV and go down to Seward to do the glacier boat think. Over to Homer and maybe fish for halibut. I’d like to fish from the road system for a few days, assuming that’s doable. I’m not sure what else to do. Fairbanks? Denali? I’m kind of wide open to suggestion at this point.

The group is mixed, some love fishing and others do not fish. Physical ability ranges from very fit to not fit at all, so long group hikes/backpacking is probably out.

Any and all advice is sincerely appreciated, including best time to go (June, July, or early August are options). And yes, I know I’ll be the much maligned and stereotyped tourist. If you want to beat up on me for that, I’m fine with it.

Very few people are native alaskans. You won't have any issues. Tourists welcome. They pay the bills so to speak.

That said the best thing I can offer, order a mile post book and look through it. Will have things for everyone so you can kind of plan. It covers every mile of every road basically. And what there is to see or do along the way. Plus ads for lodging etc....

Not being planned for this summer would bother me though. Its awful late to start planning and booking some things.

Denali is not to be missed. If you don't do it I don't see a reason for AK. Its kind of the ultimate in a way. I"m lucky that I fish Talkeetna all summer and get to see it the days its out. A flight up and landing on a glacier should be a must IMHO. Weather allowing. Remember only 30 percent of folks get to see it. But its worth it.

Halibut boats lots are booked already quite full from what I've heard.

River and lake fishing can produce trout, grayling, dolly, pike, lake trout. But salmon are seasonal and you have to be right place right time and Mother Nature even

Beyond that, and its all just what folks want, and most rental vehicles forbid it, but the Denali highway across is about as rural as you can get without flying. And the haul road to Prudhoe bay even if you just cross the arctic circle and turn around. Again most if not all rentals deny you doing it.

Alaska is much more pleasant to me without the tourist numbers in the summer months, but thats generally only June, July August and part of September. And others deserve to see this great state.

We got a 4WD Ford Escape from Arctic Outfitters in Fairbanks about 3 years ago. No restrictions on roads. We went up the Dalton and lodged at Boreal Lodging in Wiseman up above Coldfoot and made forays up the Dalton and North Slope. Take what food and supplies you need, you are on your own. It might be nice to ask Ms. Heidi if she needs for you to bring her anything up from Fairbanks. No Walmart up there.

We also made a trip through the Denali Highway which is off limits to most rentals. All in all we put on about 2100 miles I think. We could not get a tour of Denali Park which was suffering the Covid-19 panic.

Travel and tourists were down that year due to Corona.

K1500-

We did basically exactly like you are talking in 2018. My wife and kids (8 and 5) at the time, my parents, my sister, and my wifes grandparents (85 and 75 at the time) flew into Anchorage, rented 2 RV's and were there for 10 days.

First few days were staying in Seward. 6 of us did a Halibut trip, caught 10 species of fish, plus an octopus. Did another day on a glacier/whale watching dinner boat (300 people served prime rib, food was 'ok', but the glacier was neat, saw tons of whales, got tons of great pictures).

Next few days were spent outside of Denali. Did the bus ride into Denali, saw bears, caribou, wolves, on the bus ride through the park, but saw them all outside of the park too.

The final few days were spent around Cooper Landing on the Kenai. Took a trip over to Homer and ate on the spit. Took a raft ride down the Kenai to watch the hundreds of bald eagles, got boring watching eagles after a while. One day dad and I got a guide and hiked up to the falls on the Russian river and flossed for salmon. Spent a couple days just hanging out around there.

It was awesome, I'd go back and do it in a heartbeat.

We did the glacier tour out of Seward a few years ago and it was well worth the money in my opinion. Saw most of the things you'd see on an inside passage cruise, except orcas.

Thanks for the pics and advice. Anything additional is appreciated.

I would focus geographically so as to not spend your vacation driving. There is a lot to do on the KP in 10-14 days. McKinley park is great and the mountain is fabulous - when it’s out. You’ll have a 30% probability of seeing it, so don’t drive up that way unless sky is perfect.

Lots of hikes, lakes, in addition to Seward and Homer. I even know a guy who’s been known to lend a canoe or two to ‘fire folk.

A copy of The Milepost is a good reco, too.

Thanks again. Is June ok or would July/early august be better?

If you want to fish for salmon July/August would be better.

That’s what I thought. Same for halibut? How about weather?

My guess is that July/August would likely have better weather, but I haven't spent that much time in Alaska. What do the locals say?

July is my favorite month for fishing. Silver salmon start showing up in July (saltwater), halibut fishing is prime, and ling cod season opens. In the rivers, the second run of reds starts near the end of the month. There are lots of opportunities for lots of different kinds fish in July, better than June, in my opinion.

The weather is still pretty decent in July, as well. August is usually pretty rainy.

I drove the Denali Highway in a rental car. Just didn't tell them. Not knowing what to expect I made sure the spare was aired up and bought a can of Fix-A-Flat just in case. Turns out it was a decent gravel road no rougher than Interstate 80. I'd do it again, beautiful country. Saw moose and caribou.

Just ordered the milepost. Life has gotten busy but I’m thinking I’ll make it happen.

I’d you don’t have some things lined up by now you may be surprised .

They do have GPS trackers on a lot of rentals these days. I've heard of a larger bill for violating showing up on your card later on.

I don't have to worry about it and the last time we had a rental on the haul road it was our honeymoon in 95 and no worries. LOL. We did wash the car so it went from black to white again though...

As rag horn noted if you aren't booked in some things now it may be too late. OTOH if you are a go getter Its usually possible to make it work on the fly though we had to sleep in the car a time or two due to lack of housing.

I'm thinkin'

You should have reservations by now

Jan 30th

Making nervous now…

All I know is we freewheeled a trip in 86 and never had any issues. Other than making sure the ferry reservation was intact for my truck from Seattle to Haines.

Thats been a few years ago.

Wife has friends from college going to show up .

they send us there itinerary from whoever did it down in the States .... I said don't sign for anything let me hook you up with some stuff to do and you won't cover the same ground twice boom they're on their way come early June they went from 975 mile trip
covering the same ground twice to 835 and not count covering twice.


Happy as hell at 1/3 the price.

Hey, you should check out my family's business, Talkeetna Backcountry Adventures. Here is the link to our website, it's freshly posted and still ain't 100% finished https://www.tkabackcountryadventures.com/. Go ahead and .message us on the website or contact me right here. We can accommodate just about anything you would like to do at a affordable price point.