the inland passage of Alaska

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aaestrad

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Hi,
Sorry if this has been answered a trillion times in previous posts. Is anyone interested in offering their take on which ports we should stop at on the way south through the inland passage (Alaska.) We will be returning after spending 8 weeks driving north from Long Beach, CA to parts of Alaska. We will be traveling in our fourwheel camper/truck via the ferry system. We are not much for tourist/port shopping. We would like to see the most interesting and worthwhile sites, beauty, the great outdoors, etc. Also, should we make reservations at campsites or can we free camp? Do you recommend any places to stay? All info will be highly appreciated. Also, if you have any recommendations for anywhere else in Alaska- we would love to hear from you. Thanks for sharing.
 
Hi,
Sorry if this has been answered a trillion times in previous posts. Is anyone interested in offering their take on which ports we should stop at on the way south through the inland passage (Alaska.) We will be returning after spending 8 weeks driving north from Long Beach, CA to parts of Alaska. We will be traveling in our fourwheel camper/truck via the ferry system. We are not much for tourist/port shopping. We would like to see the most interesting and worthwhile sites, beauty, the great outdoors, etc. Also, should we make reservations at campsites or can we free camp? Do you recommend any places to stay? All info will be highly appreciated. Also, if you have any recommendations for anywhere else in Alaska- we would love to hear from you. Thanks for sharing.



We have made that trip three up and one down. Do you have the milepost?That would be a good place to start for info.Skip Ketchikan it is nothing but cruise ships sometimes 5 in a day.If you are coming south on the alcan to Haines Junction than to Haines to pick up the ferry there is a camping area Mosquito Lake about 15 miles before you get to Haines,quite, out houses,tables right on the lake.It's a free spot and a quick trip to the ferry.Also Haines Junction has a good campground Pine Lake.Juneau has a good campground Mendenhall Lake right at the glacier. Nice hikes above the glacier.Don't know about Petersburg or Wrangell nice little towns.The cruise ships don't go there.

The trip from Haines south is a great ride. We planed out our ferry schedule so we could stop and get off at some of the small towns than get back on another south bound to the next town.Our last south bound trip we changed ferries in Ketchikan and stayed out at Ward Lake outside town.The cruise ship people don't make it out that far and it's a nice place to stay.

We took the small ferries until Ketchikan than got on the Columbia which was nice for the 2 night trip back to Bellingham Wa.The smaller ferries are our favorite.You can sleep out on the atrium deck with your sleeping bag on a deck lounge chair.

I'll post some pictures from our last trip.Hope I was of some help,I would be glad to talk to you personally if you have more detailed questions.

Frank
 
DSCN2874.jpgWe have made that trip three up and one down. Do you have the milepost?That would be a good place to start for info.Skip Ketchikan it is nothing but cruise ships sometimes 5 in a day.If you are coming south on the alcan to Haines Junction than to Haines to pick up the ferry there is a camping area Mosquito Lake about 15 miles before you get to Haines,quite, out houses,tables right on the lake.It's a free spot and a quick trip to the ferry.Also Haines Junction has a good campground Pine Lake.Juneau has a good campground Mendenhall Lake right at the glacier. Nice hikes above the glacier.Don't know about Petersburg or Wrangell nice little towns.The cruise ships don't go there.

The trip from Haines south is a great ride. We planed out our ferry schedule so we could stop and get off at some of the small towns than get back on another south bound to the next town.Our last south bound trip we changed ferries in Ketchikan and stayed out at Ward Lake outside town.The cruise ship people don't make it out that far and it's a nice place to stay.

We took the small ferries until Ketchikan than got on the Columbia which was nice for the 2 night trip back to Bellingham Wa.The smaller ferries are our favorite.You can sleep out on the atrium deck with your sleeping bag on a deck lounge chair.

I'll post some pictures from our last trip.Hope I was of some help,I would be glad to talk to you personally if you have more detailed questions.

Frank
 

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That trip is on my to do list but it will probably have to wait for retirement to get enough weeks together to do it. Did you have reservations on the ferry or where you able to "roll on and roll off"?

-Vic



Hi Vic. It's a good idea to make reservations,especially if you are getting on and off at different towns.It also depends when in the season you go,but it can be done first come first served.It is definitely a great trip.

Frank
 
All the Inside Passage towns have something special to offer.

I'd like to recommend for your Northernly drive that you not miss the Dempster Highway all the way to Inuvik, Dawson City, and Eagle. If you haven't decided already, I'd recommend the Cassair Hwy over the Alaskan Hwy.
 
beautiful pix. The atrium looks cold. What rating sleeping bag do you use? Thanks for the info. I am writing all advice down. Keep it coming, it is very much appreciated!
 
beautiful pix. The atrium looks cold. What rating sleeping bag do you use? Thanks for the info. I am writing all advice down. Keep it coming, it is very much appreciated!



I think we use a coleman 30' bag.It's very comfortable there are also heaters that work sometimes.It's just such a great way to watch the world go by and you get to see animals in the water and sometimes on shore.In a lot of spots the ferry comes close to the shore line.We have seen deer and bears.


I second the Cassair Hwy.There are camping spots along the 350 mile length.The important thins is make sure you stop and get gas when you see it.

Have fun planning.
Frank
 
I think we use a coleman 30' bag.It's very comfortable there are also heaters that work sometimes.It's just such a great way to watch the world go by and you get to see animals in the water and sometimes on shore.In a lot of spots the ferry comes close to the shore line.We have seen deer and bears.


I second the Cassair Hwy.There are camping spots along the 350 mile length.The important thins is make sure you stop and get gas when you see it.

Have fun planning.
Frank


I agree that you need to make ferry reservations. We live in Watson Lake,Yukon sp stop by if yiu wat to hear some lies.
I also agree about the Dempster. The cassier is a good road and many places to stop though not formal campsites, just stop. Good fishing too.
Feel free to ask me more questions as we have been through most of Alaska and Yukon for last 30 yrs.

Enjoy your trip..
Robbie
 
Dempster Highway and Inuvik are new to me. We're brainstorming a couple week trip up to AK and back on the ferry for maybe next summer. Is there any way to make a loop out of Inuvik? The only way google shows is down to the bottom of Yukon near Whitehorse. Is there any other way over? We might have to do some proper wandering.

And are there any roads to land's end at Barrow? Or do they end at Fairbanks? Daughter wants to see caribou, I want to see Denali, wife wants to visit a friend in Juneau where she briefly lived. I think I need to get the Milepost book.
 
Nothing like Google Maps Street View to get me excited about going somewhere. The Dempster Highway looks like a great experience.
http://goo.gl/maps/N5IX
 
I agree that you need to make ferry reservations. We live in Watson Lake,Yukon sp stop by if yiu wat to hear some lies.
I also agree about the Dempster. The cassier is a good road and many places to stop though not formal campsites, just stop. Good fishing too.
Feel free to ask me more questions as we have been through most of Alaska and Yukon for last 30 yrs.

Enjoy your trip..
Robbie


There are a couple Provincial park campgrounds on the Cassiar, Boya Lake is beautiful, check the color!
1220597005_y4akm-S.jpg
 
Dempster Hwy to Inuvik is the #1 reason to head north!

thanks for the tips. We were considering not going on the Dempster as we only have 70 days total from CAlifornia to California. Also with the price of gas.... but you say go?
 
There are a couple Provincial park campgrounds on the Cassiar, Boya Lake is beautiful, check the color!
1220597005_y4akm-S.jpg


My husband can put you to shame with his lies. His stories get better with each telling. It is all I can do to hold my tongue. :)
 
My husband can put you to shame with his lies. His stories get better with each telling. It is all I can do to hold my tongue. :)

great dog, too.
 
Yes, absolutely, do the Dempster. It is 3 or 4 days round trip and the lowest population density, greatest adventure of the trip. It is safe. Arriving in Inuvik, you really feel like you are at a wilderness outpost. I fall asleep at night dreaming about my next trip up the Demspter. Also nearby, Dawson City is the most fun town. Eagle Alaska, a true "bush town" I was married there 10 years ago.
 
Yes, absolutely, do the Dempster. It is 3 or 4 days round trip and the lowest population density, greatest adventure of the trip. It is safe. Arriving in Inuvik, you really feel like you are at a wilderness outpost. I fall asleep at night dreaming about my next trip up the Demspter. Also nearby, Dawson City is the most fun town. Eagle Alaska, a true "bush town" I was married there 10 years ago.

thanks for the info and what were you getting married in Eagle for? For the fun of it? We were married on the Amazon river. We really want to make this trip a camping adventure, because we probably won't do alaska by camping in the future, so is that what the Dempster is all about? What a great name, huh, has the "ster" already built in, no need to add it. So, what do you recommend we do on our Dempster detour?
 
thanks for the info and what were you getting married in Eagle for? For the fun of it? We were married on the Amazon river. We really want to make this trip a camping adventure, because we probably won't do alaska by camping in the future, so is that what the Dempster is all about? What a great name, huh, has the "ster" already built in, no need to add it. So, what do you recommend we do on our Dempster detour?



We just thought Alaska would be a great place to get married. We made arrangements to be married by John Borg. He is in the book "Coming into the Country" by John McPhee and is a fellow fiddler. We arrived 5 days before the wedding and got to know 1/2 the town of 180 population. We were married on the banks of the Yukon River.

I'd recommend the audiobook of "Coming Into The Country" and "Kabloona" as you make your drive. There are lots of places to camp in BC, Yukon, NWT and AK. Early in the summer you have lots of mosquitos, later in the summer most are gone.

Dempster is all about sight seeing from your vehicle. The scenery is spectacular. Grizzlies, wolves, caribou etc.In the small town of Fort McPherson, you can visit the tent mfg. (I forget their name) that is indian owned and operated. You can get a tour of the factory. In Inuvik, just hanging around is nice. One of my visits to Inuvik, I took the 5 minute flight to Tukyoyaktuk on the arctic sea.

Also recommended is Teklanika Camp in Denali. This is an inner camp that you get a permit to drive to but you must stay at least 3 nights. You get away from the crowds and have amazing hiking at your door. Again, grizzlies, wolves, caribou, moose etc.

My list of "must do's above all else": Dempster, Dawson City (eat at Klondike Kate's), Eagle and Teklanika Camp in Denali.

Gene
 
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