There, I said it. This post is about the BEST road trip in Alaska.
As someone who has put literally hundreds of thousands of miles into my vehicles over the years, I know a thing or two about road trips. I know what makes them special, unique, and worth the drive.
I’ve road tripped across countries in Europe and North America. I’ve road tripped with kids and dogs. I’ve gotten lost, driven through corn fields, and hugging the coast of numerous islands in the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean.
I love road trips so much, I’ve even created a page on this website detailing out how to plan a road trip. You should check it out. It’s called the ULTIMATE ROAD TRIPS GUIDE. And yes, imagine me yelling that at you. Because it’s amazing.
But enough about my qualifications. Let’s move past why I am authorized to make such a bold statement about the best road trip in Alaska.
And let’s get to the meat.
The reason you clicked.
Because this is definitely NOT clickbait.
I have found the BEST road trip in Alaska that you need to take. Like, now. It will shatter whatever images you formed of Alaska in your head and just blow them completely out of the water.
The Starting Point for the BEST Road Trip in Alaska – Fairbanks
Who would have thought that the best road trip in Alaska would start in Fairbanks? Believe it or not, Fairbanks is the PERFECT starting point.
Fairbanks is located in the middle of the state of Alaska, has a fairly smallish airport, university, and is a great place to see the northern lights.
It has all the small town feels that you’d expect from Interior Alaska, but with the comforts of home. It has all of the amenities you’d need to begin your road trip – plenty of gas stations, markets to fill up with snacks, and it’s easy to get around.
And that’s the key – it’s easy to navigate.
There’s nothing worse than trying to begin the best road trip in Alaska…only to spend a good hour trying to just get out of the starting town. If you start in a place like Anchorage or Juneau, you’ll spend a lot of time at the beginning of your road trip just trying to get out of the islands and fjords. Beautiful, but a bother when you want to get out and drive.
The Route for the BEST Road Trip in Alaska
Alrighty then – the point. This is the route you want to take to experience the best road trip in Alaska.
Starting in Fairbanks, you’ll want to make a huge circle throughout the interior of Alaska.
Take Highway 3 west (well, that’s the only direction you can take it). You’ll head west along the river and the it will bank south once you reach Nenana. Highway 3 will take you south, passing the entrance for Denali National Park, through Denali State Park (understand the difference – it took me a second), and onward towards Anchorage.
Before you get to Anchorage, you’ll pass through the town of Wasilla. Just past this town, you’ll actually jump on Highway 1 north, towards Palmer.
Stay on Highway 1, as you drive along some of the most beautiful countryside you can imagine. Highway 1 will come to a “T” at Glennallen, where it merges for a while with Highway 4.
Before you reach Gakona, take the Highway 4 north fork towards Summit Lake and Delta Junction.
At the end of Highway 4, you’ll merge with the 2 north/west towards Fairbanks.
Et voila! You have completed your circumnavigation of Interior Alaska!
Total mileage: 715 (rough estimate, which will vary depending on your stops)
Points of Interest – Where You Should Stop
We all know that the stops along the way make a road trip what it is. The whole point of going on the best road trip in Alaska isn’t to just stay in the car. You need to stop and get out. You need to sleep. You need to experience the wilderness.
Here are my top picks of places to stop during your EPIC road trip in Alaska, assuming that you’ve already scoped out Fairbanks:
Denali National Park
Arguably one of the least-visited and most remote of the national parks, Denali National Park is a wonderful add-on to your road trip in Alaska. You could easily spend days and days here – hiking Denali itself, driving along the highway that cuts through the park in search of wildlife, taking the shuttles to view points, and the list goes on.
Anchorage
Craving a big-town stop during your road trip in Alaska? Anchorage has you covered. Although Ashley and I only stopped here for a picture of the LDS temple and dinner, this is a great stopping place to take a break and stretch your legs. Anchorage is also the gateway to Whittier, where Ashley and I went sea kayaking!
Glacier View
Have you ever wanted to see a glacier up close, but didn’t want to hike, pay a lot of money, or take a helicopter to see one? You’re in luck! During your epic road trip in Alaska, you can stop by the Matanuska Glacier on Highway 1 – it’s the closest glacier you can drive to! It’s a perfect stop to get out, stretch your legs, and take some epic pictures!
Summit Lake
There are more lakes in Alaska than pretty much anywhere else in the US, including Minnesota. While there are so many options for you to stop and explore, Summit Lake would be my recommendation. Not only does Highway 4 hug the shoreline, but it is surrounded by rolling hills and colorful mountains in the distance. This is the spot where Ashley and I saw the biggest variety of naturally occurring colors during our road trip in Alaska.
North Pole
If you’re a fan of the hokey, if you love Christmas, or if you really just want to say that you’ve been to the north pole, take a few hours and stop at the city of North Pole, Alaska. You can actually visit with Santa himself, check out his reindeer, and do a little bit of Christmas shopping!
Things to Keep in Mind to Road Trip in Alaska
Alaska. Is. Huge. Whatever your road trip experience looks like, just keep in mind the sheer size of this state.
The amount of driving you’ll do on this road trip would cover half of New England, show you around most of Texas, and probably see you circumnavigating the island of Iceland. The sheer vastness and wildness of the state is something to take very seriously.
Here are a few pointers to keep in mind during your road trip in Alaska.
Gas Up!
Don’t be like me – learn from my mistakes. Any time your gas tank dips below halfway, fill up. You will find stretches of highway that won’t have any gas stations. And if you happen to find a janky fuel pump at a campsite (*cough*), you might have to beg to pump, even though it’s closed for the day.
Check Your Vehicle
This goes standard for any trip, but when you road trip in Alaska, you need to make sure that the vehicle you’re using is working. Make sure that your tires are in tip top shape. Top off all fluids (gas, oil, wiper fluid, coolant, etc.). Additionally, verify that your lights are all working (brakes, headlights) since most of your drive will be outside of the city lights.
Have an Emergency Plan
When you look at a map of the road trip in Alaska, you’ll notice that there aren’t many cities along the route. Like, at all. And the 2nd half of the route takes you through sections of the state with little-to-no cellular reception. If your car breaks down, you run out of gas, or something major happens, you need to have a plan. Let someone know where you’re going, what time you’re supposed to arrive, etc.
Watch Out for Wildlife
This route through Interior Alaska will take you through forests, state and national parks…essentially all the homes of Alaskan wildlife. Especially at night, you’ll need to take special care to ensure you don’t hit any animals crossing the road. You’re going to the wilderness, the home of big game and you’re a guest.
Pack Wisely
If I haven’t beaten the fact that this road trip in Alaska is taking you into the wilderness yet, I don’t know what else to do. But since you’re going to be driving out into the middle of nowhere, you’re not going to find any real restaurants, gas stations, or convenience stores for the majority of the drive. Pack plenty of food and water. Bring clothes and blankets that could keep you warm. Spare gas if you dare. Maybe an emergency roadside kit.
WHY this is the BEST route for your road trip in Alaska
I know, I know. I’m usually wary when someone uses such a definitive adjective when describing something to me. Like, is it really the best/richest/prettiest/whatever? How can you compare it to XYZ?
We can spend all day discussing what BEST even means, how I’m qualified to use such an adjective in this case, and if it really Is the best road trip in Alaska.
But aside from the points outlined above, let me touch on a few more.
When you come to Alaska, you arrive wanting to experience the wilderness. You want to feel the raw, untouched beauty that pulls you back into a more simpler time. You want adventure. I know this, because I wanted it too.
When you go on this particular road trip in Alaska, you get to have all of those things. Adventure. Wilderness. Beauty.
You get to feel the blood pumping through your veins as you cut your way through the Alaska Range mountains with Denali (née Mt. McKinley) looming on the horizon.
You get to step back into a simpler way of living as you pull off and check out some of the smaller towns along the way.
Screams of delight and confusion erupt the first time you see that baby moose…and then a little bit of trepidation as you scan the surroundings for the mama moose.
Rainbows in the sky, amongst the flora and fauna, and on the mountains paint the most gorgeous palette that you’ve never experienced before…let alone in Interior Alaska.
Signs of towns and villages blow by on the freeway, leaving you a little puzzled as to how you pronounce the names.
And if that isn’t enough to convince you why this is the best road trip in Alaska, here are some of my favorite pictures. They say a photo is worth a thousand words. Hopefully these will conjure the ones that will move you to book your ticket and rental car as you head off into the wilderness…
Have you ever road tripped through Alaska before? Would you ever want to?
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