Greetings from WV gentlemen. I just booked my airfare and vehicle for 7 days this August. This will be our first time visiting Alaska. We will fly into Anchorage Friday the 16th. I rented an overland rig for the next 7 days. As of right now we have no itinerary or any specific plans. Please give me some ideas on things to do and see, places to camp, places to fish, and places to avoid. We do not care for tourist spots or crowds. We prefer to eat and shop mom and pop places.
If you do not like touristy places, avoid the Kenai Peninsula. You've picked a perfect time IMO as some fall colors will be showing in the high country. Make the triangle tour of the Parks, Richardson and Alcan Highways. If self contained, I'd not worry much about camp ground reservations. There's lots of convenient pull outs and gravels pits etc.
Sounds good. thank you for the advice. Do you have any streams in mind that should explore for trout ?
Milepost is a must IMHO.
Almost any clear water stream can hold trout. That time of the year they should be following salmon and fattened on eggs or getting that way.
I would not hesitate to stop at any one I crossed to test the waters.
I just set up a trip wifes friends from college back in 1980... they're coming up for their first time ...they land in Anchorage, I got them going north as far as 57 MI Steese Highway then down to Delta ...off to Valdez then over to Whittier on the ferry then ...down to Homer back up to Anchorage... climb to the top of Flat Top ...get on a plane and leave.. they're going to see/do some chit for sure
I just set up a trip wifes friends from college back in 1980... they're coming up for their first time ...they land in Anchorage, I got them going north as far as 57 MI Steese Highway then down to Delta ...off to Valdez then over to Whittier on the ferry then ...down to Homer back up to Anchorage... climb to the top of Flat Top ...get on a plane and leave.. they're going to see/do some chit for sure
What is at mile 57 of the Steese? That should be around the Cripple Creek area. Seems like an odd place to go to and then just turn around. Why not make it to the top of 12 Mile Summit which is only another 30 miles and see something besides trees?
112 miles a lot farther past 57 mile /Davison ditch area I'm only running them to the Davidson info pull out so they can go up to that little pavilion thing they got set up there for the last 40 years ...that way when I drag them back to 50 mile and up to my cabin up on the White mountain line they can see that pavilion and Orient themselves ...then beers and good food and clay pigeons will meet 😊
Triple the trip duration, otherwise it will simply be a driving from place to place venture. Whatever, schedule about 4 hours of float plane flight time over some of the glaciers, down the coast to Seward, and maybe a lunch hour stop on some alpine lake. Expensive, but damned well worth it.
A two week span once there is way too short.
Milepost is a must IMHO.
Almost any clear water stream can hold trout. That time of the year they should be following salmon and fattened on eggs or getting that way.
I would not hesitate to stop at any one I crossed to test the waters.
People say that The Milepost yearly publication is a must-have if you are traveling Alaska especially for the first time.
Amazon shows that it's like 700 pages.
Click on the black banner at the bottom of the page that this link takes you to :
https://themilepost.com/category/getting-started/With only 1 week, you'll want to establish what you will do on each day.
If you just wander around without a plan, the week will fly by.
One week!
You could make it to Palmer!
Just kidding big state, one week will go by quickly, personally I wouldn't want to spend most of it looking through the windshield trying to see everything.
Pick a spot or two and explore.
A easy relaxing trip would be palmer to valdez and take the Ferry back to Whittier.
Been to Alaska twice. Both trips way too short, especially for as long it takes to get there from the east coast. Next time( hopefully) stay will be open ended. Alaska is never ending !
112 miles a lot farther past 57 mile /Davison ditch area I'm only running them to the Davidson info pull out so they can go up to that little pavilion thing they got set up there for the last 40 years ...that way when I drag them back to 50 mile and up to my cabin up on the White mountain line they can see that pavilion and Orient themselves ...then beers and good food and clay pigeons will meet 😊
Gotcha. Makes sense.
The top of 12 Mile Summit is at about Mile Marker 85-87 or so though…not 112, if I am reading you right. 112 is even past Eagle Summit (or by ‘112’ did you mean 12 Mile Summit?)
Your right, yup ...lol, I run by there and dump in on the other side of e summit ! I can see mt prindel from my cabins dinner table ! Them 2 folks from circle died this pass winter..
. got car stuck then the wind and snow buried their car and killed them in their car, rough spot in the winter time.
If going to 57 mi. Steese I would have them drive over the ridge and down to Nome cr. Take the road to Beaver cr. Fishing, look for blue berries. I've seen Salmonberries there too.
You are going across the Denali highway a little early for the lake trout spawn. I know where they spawn in Summit lake on the Paxson side, easy hike too....
Too late for the spring grayling run too.
You are going across the Denali highway a little early for the lake trout spawn. I know where they spawn in Summit lake on the Paxson side, easy hike too....
Too late for the spring grayling run too.
I was going to suggest to Meadows77 that they drive the Denali Highway. Off the main tourist path, spectacular views, and lots of fishing. But I have no experience with fishing through there myself. Thank you for the info personally. Quick question, when is the best time for either trout or grayling though there? I’d be coming in from Cantwell side.
I don't have any experience on that side of the highway. I spent a few years on the paxson side. There is good lake trout fishing as soon as the ice goes out on paxson right by the road. If you have a canoe and some jigs I can put you on some dynamite laker fishing on Summit Lake but its a bit of a hike back. The culvert at Meiers is always good for grayling and so is the outlet of Mud Lake in Paxson. Time wise as soon as the ice is going out has always been good to me at both spots.
If we made it to Maclaren Lodge, we will be doing good. Would rather take our time, fish, look around etc.
Meadows77. There should still be lots if grayling fishing along the Denali Highway.
Do yourself a favor and look it up. Plenty of videos out there on YouTube as well. Couple of lodges along there too.
Paxton is not a town (east end) and there is nothing there.
Only gas station is in Cantwell or Glennallen?
Plenty of places for dry camping.
Paxson used to be a lodge. A-holes came down from Fairbanks and ran it into the ground
Paxson used to be a lodge. A-holes came down from Fairbanks and ran it into the ground
Cannot argue with that, but it was the leaking fuel tanks that really killed it.
Wasn't that way back in the day
Wasn't that way back in the day
2010 they were still selling fuel, by 2012-2013 they were no longer selling fuel because of the leaking tanks. I don’t the whole story but from what we heard it was going to cost a bunch of money to clean it up. No sane person will ever buy it because they will be responsible for the cleanup. No bank will finance the purchase. I don’t know when they officially closed up shop. I know in 2016 they were closed.
Wasn't that way back in the day
You may have known my in-laws. They owned the place up at the south end of Summit Lake.
![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/C6OXKVm.jpeg)
Wasn't that way back in the day
2010 they were still selling fuel, by 2012-2013 they were no longer selling fuel because of the leaking tanks. I don’t the whole story but from what we heard it was going to cost a bunch of money to clean it up. No sane person will ever buy it because they will be responsible for the cleanup. No bank will finance the purchase. I don’t know when they officially closed up shop. I know in 2016 they were closed.
Insurance canceled them and the bank called in their note because they were not insured...
Paxson used to be a lodge. A-holes came down from Fairbanks and ran it into the ground
Cannot argue with that, but it was the leaking fuel tanks that really killed it.
They were from Anchoragru, then Delta, just to set you two A holes straight.
And..... it was probably the tour company's that put the hurt on them, also the few full time residents moved, cars and roads improved.
Lotsa reasons, and maybe they were A holes as well, but not from Fairbanks
Paxson used to be a lodge. A-holes came down from Fairbanks and ran it into the ground
Cannot argue with that, but it was the leaking fuel tanks that really killed it.
They were from Anchoragru, then Delta, just to set you two A holes straight.
And..... it was probably the tour company's that put the hurt on them, also the few full time residents moved, cars and roads improved.
Lotsa reasons, and maybe they were A holes as well, but not from Fairbanks
Pretty testy over a minor point... sensitive to the folks laughing at the joke Fairbanks is?
Lots of problems were involved... the insurmountable one was leaking fuel tanks eliminating insurance.
Paxson used to be a lodge. A-holes came down from Fairbanks and ran it into the ground
Cannot argue with that, but it was the leaking fuel tanks that really killed it.
They were from Anchoragru, then Delta, just to set you two A holes straight.
And..... it was probably the tour company's that put the hurt on them, also the few full time residents moved, cars and roads improved.
Lotsa reasons, and maybe they were A holes as well, but not from Fairbanks
Pretty testy over a minor point... sensitive to the folks laughing at the joke Fairbanks is?
Lots of problems were involved... the insurmountable one was leaking fuel tanks eliminating insurance.
Not at all, just setting the record straight, most A holes from Anchorage.
Hope you guys have a great time, and you will. But like several mentioned you haven’t given yourself enough time, but thats a good excuse to go back . Hell I lived up there for over 23 years and still to this day wish I’d done and seen more, and I got around and saw a lot. Owned a light aircraft and flew into the bush quite a lot, but you know I suspision a person could live his entire life up there and stlll have many places they wished they made. Big beautiful country, full of opportunities and intrigued but the beauty can also be a beast, be careful and have a wonderful time, for the most parts the Alaskan people are very friendly and welcoming.
Spent six weeks there a few summers ago, based out of Palmer but trips to Homer/Seward/Whittier to the South, North to Talkeetna, Denali and eventually flew out of Fairbanks. West as far as Glennallen but spent a good bit of time in Hatcher Pass, great views and cooler weather. Did some hiking around Skilak Lake, took a boat ferry from Homer across Kachemak Bay to the vicinity of Halibut Cove and hiked a bit, picked up four hours later, never saw another person.
Can't really say what my favorite was but for sure it wasn't Anchorage, couldn't get out their quick enough but did make a few trips to stock up on provisions from Costco, about weekly. Hiked Flat Top mountain on the summer solstice with about a thousand other folks in good cheer, kind of a local celebration I'm told.
Took the dog (flew from FL) and a handgun (Glock 9mm with Buffalo Bore Outdoorsman solids) but never had any occasion to use it thankfully but gave me piece of mind stumbling around the woods like a tourist.
We put 5,000 miles on the rental can, trip of a lifetime!
Just a great State to see, been there twice & that's not enough. A Cruise is good,a drive is much better !!