I know this is kind of off topic, but my wife and I are planning our first trip to Alaska this summer. Right now we are thinking we will fly in to Anchorage, rent a motorhome, and do our own touring. I'd like to do some fly fishing for sure. We'll spend about two weeks there. We will be there either the last two weeks of June or the last two weeks of July (suggestions as to which is better?). My wife is an accountant, so the first two weeks of the month are out for her.
My main question is what should be make sure we see/do during that two weeks. I know Alaska is huge, so I certainly don't plan to tour the whole state. What should we not miss? Where is the best place to go to do some fly fishing? I'm not picky about what I catch as long as I catch something.
Again, I know this isn't about bow hunting, but there are several of you from Alaska on here, so I thought you would be the best ones to ask.
Thanks!
Russ
I lived in North Pole for 15yrs. The places that I always took family and friends to in the Fairbanks area were: Chena River Boat trip, Alaska Salmon Bake @Ak Land aka(Pioneer Park), Gold Dredge #9, and of course Denali Park. Almost forgot Santa Clause house in North Pole. I would pick the last two weeks in June. With the 21st being the summer soltice alot will be going on. Such as the Gold Panners midnight sun baseball game, Midnight Sun Run, and a Midnight Sun Golf Tourny. Be prepared to get no sleep. The sun only sets for a few minutes during June in Fairbanks.
I never did much fly fishing but there are many pull offs along the road system to pull over and do some fishing.
You'll have a great time, and will want to stay longer.
Make sure you go to Denali and take the LONG bus ride to the middle. I fished streams outside the park and caught Grayling in spinners. I think if I went to sightsee I would definitely take a inside passage cruise...a must see is some kind of Fjord trip. I took the train from Anchorage to Fairbanks; IMO there is not much to see north of Denali.
BTW I would pick the last of July. I was there at that time and the weather was very nice, still 20 hours of light, and antlers are more formed.
I have a buddy who was born and raised in Alaska. He worked for the Game & Fish Dept up there for 20 years and then retired to Minnesota a year or so ago. If you'd like to contact him just let me know and I'll PM you his name/address. I'm sure he could add a little to what has already been told to you in here.
Thanks,
Mark
30, my family did the exact trip you're thinking on. We went the last week of July, first week of August if I remember correctly. Badger is right about the sunlight. Very hard to get used to in the summer. I've never been there in the dead of winter but the dark must be equally if not harder to get used to.
We flew into ANC, stayed overnight in town, rented a motorhome and hit the road for two weeks. We started out south, touring the Kenai Peninsula and visiting friends. The Sterling Highway leads to Homer. I would highly recommend a halibut day trip with Homer Ocean Charters. They are based in Homer, of course. Homer is like a California party town in the summer. Tons of shops, bars, restaurants, fishing, etc. I also recommend the Alaska Sealife Center in Seward, also on the Kenai via the Seward Highway. You could also get a charter to fish one of the big rivers, but I don't know when certain fish are running. Girdwood is also cool and I highly recommend the cinnamon rolls at the bakery at the base of Mt. Aleyeska. The Wasilla/Palmer area was/is really booming, the fastest growing area in Alaska, for better or worse. This is where the "major" highways seperate, with the Parks going West/North and the Glenn going East/North. We have a small piece of property north of Wasilla. Don't know if we'll ever live there or not.
In Wasilla there is the Iditarod headquarters and associated dog sled tours, on wheels in the summer. Pretty fun and different but also "touristy". On the way to Denali, sort of, is Talkeetna. This is really a cool place, some shops/restaurants and the traditional take off place for planes dropping mountaineers onto "the Great One". Really a nice spot. Denali is a must see, if the mountain is "out". I think it is fogged in 90 % of the time. But, in the park, I would recommend the day long bus tour. It's booked WAY ahead so you might want to start checking on it now if you're going this coming summer. It is an all day ride to the end of the road in Denali. You can't drive your own rig in the park, except for a short ways so if you really want to see the grandeur and wildlife, the bus is the way to go. Also the rangers' sled dog training tour is pretty cool.
Fairbanks has lots of stuff to do as far as tourist stuff, such as the few that Badger mentioned, as well as downtown shopping, etc. The pipeline is pretty unique as well and if you come back down the Richardson Highway, the road is very remote, generally following the pipeline. You'll see plenty of moose along this stretch generally and there are lots of spots to stop and fish. The Richardson leads you back to the Glen and back down past glaciers and awesome scenery and on into Anchorage.
I could go on and on, but suffice it to say: "GO!" You will remember it forever. There are even some caribou seasons open in the summer, but I'm not sure on access to those areas. I would think that the bugs would drive you nuts on the tundra that time of year, though.
Good luck and have a blast!
Merry Christmas.
If you wanna catch salmon you better wait til July!
My vote is for the last 2 weeks of July. You'll be able to fish for Kings, Reds, Silvers, Pinks, Chums, Rainbows, Dollies, etc....
Kenai and Russian River will be great fishing. Fishing up in the Valley on the Little Susitna will be good as well. I caught my limit of silvers there in 30 min last year. One 15 pounder and one 18 pounder.
There is so much to see its hard to say where you should go. I will say that the drive from Anchorage to Seward is one of the prettiest drives I've ever been on.
If going to Seward, there is some good fishing there. I also recommend hooking up with Kenai Fjords for a tour of the Glacier Park. Good time to see Grey Whales, Killer Whales, Seals, Eagles, etc... I recommend the Fox Island trip. Good site seeing with a good meal mixed in. Homer is also a site to see. Not much there, but worth a trip for the beautiful scenery.
Denali is nice and it's where most go, but Wrangell-St. Elias is bigger and you can see the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark.
I second Steve. Stop at the Kenai and catch a bunch of Reds (Sockeye). It's not normal fly fishing but it's very very good Salmon.
Another thought is to go on a boat trip out of Seward to see whales, glaciers, seals and birds. Maybe take the train from Anch to Seward then a day boat trip and train back. Or just drive. A glacier flight in Denali is fun. Actually any helicopter or small plane flight in Alaska is great for seeing stuff. Every stream has fish it seems. Fish and game has dates for summer/fall runs. You can stop and fish as you drive. Don't forget the tin foil,garlic and lots of butter.
Lots of books about planning Alaska trips are out there. I vote late july.
Ha I didn't see Jeff's post. Just do what he says. :)
I agree that the fishing will be better the last 2 weeks of July. The more popular fishing areas on the road system will be more crowded of course. I would tour the Kenia Pennisula first. Kenia Fjorde tour and a salmon charter out of Seward. Sockeye on the Russian with your fly rod and a King salmon charter on the Kenia is a must. Spend the money, go with a guide, catch a fish. On down to Homer, camp out on the Spit, go on a halibut/cod/rock fish charter. I'd have the fish commercially processed (cut, vacuum packed, frozen) Then shipped to your home when you get back, or put the frozen fish in a cooler and check it as luggage. Towards the end of your tour, I would go up to Denali sight-seeing for a day or three. Do a little more remote camping, river fish some grayling, do some nature watching, relax a little. The days are long in the summer, you can pack a lot of "Alaska" into each day with the extended daylight.
Nothing and I mean nothing is cheap up here, gas yesterday in Anchorage was $2.43 a gallon when I filled up. It is suppose to be a dollar a gallon higher again by summer. Please do your home work ahead of time and come prepared with the mind-set that the best of plans up here can change for any number of reasons. It is a unique and beautiful land of extremes. I wish you the best of luck and let me know if you need any more information.
The Glenn Highway to Glennallen is a pretty drive. At Glennallen you can go to Valdez and there you can take the ferry through Prince William sound back to Whittier. On the way to Valdez. If you are interested in river rafting Nova River Runners has some good daystrips. http://www.novalaska.com/. You can stop and go for a walk on a Matanuska Glaicer If you are interested in historical stuff I would recommend a side trip to McCarthy and vist the Kennecott mine. The road to McCarthy is a narrow 70 mile gravel road so you would need to check with the motor home rental to see if they allow you to drive on gravel roads.
You can also go north at Glennallen and go up to the Denali Highway. The Denali highway from Paxton to Cantwell is also a gravel road but there is some good fly fishing for grayling along it. I was a Tangle lakes in late August and I caught a ton of grayling on dry fly's. Did not catch any big ones but I had a blast. I think that you can rent a canoe at tangle lakes lodge to fish from. http://www.tangleriverinn.com/activities.htm
PM me if you want more info.
If you haven't already be sure & get a copy of The Milepost. It will give you a ton of info. There is so many things to do up here that two weeks will just scratch the surface. Get a map in front of you and get some sense of the distances that you will have to travel to visit the various places mentioned.
Denali NP, St Elias (my favorite), Denali hwy (the Tangles are great for fishing & the scenery is fantastic.The list just goes on. Just get out of the cities.
If you decide to come my way on your way up to Dawson city/Yukon or out towards Chitna way (on the way to kennecott) let me know.
As to time of year June or July it depends what you want. Copper river salmon (on the way to kennicot) or the 8 varieties of fish up on klutina ar hard to beat.
You need to decide if this is a scouting trip meaning you plan to cover a ton of ground or a stay in 1 or 3 places.
Good luck
To add just a little to part of akdd's post: the Dalton highway (haul road north of Fairbanks), the Denali highway, the Hatcher Pass road, etc were ALL off limits when we rented the RV. And, spend the extra cash and get their insurance. Hope you never need it, but if you do, you better have it.
Another "don't miss" if you end up in Fairbanks is the museum on the UAF campus. Lots of great native Alaskan stuff there.
Thanks to all. I think, based on your comments, July sounds best. John, I don't know yet where we will end up, but if we are going to get close to your area, I'll shoot you an email.
Kevin, I will have to check on the off limits thing. My son gave me a book, Frommer's Alaska 2008, and it mentioned the very same thing. I'll have to figure out which roads are paved before we set our itinerary I guess.
Thanks again. Keep the suggestions coming. It is a trip we have wanted to make for a long time, so I want to make the most of it. I doubt it will be a scouting trip, probably my first and only, so I want to do my research first.
Russ
www.alaska.com (http://www.alaska.com) is a good source of on-line information too.
I lived there for 10 years (1976-1986) The hunting an fishing was out of this world! It was a difficult place for bowhunting because the Aleutian tundra where I lived was wide open and often very windy. Wind and distance are two things that make bow hunting tougher.
I was fortunate to have a traveling job with the FAA and was able to go to nearly every town/vliiage in the state. That gave me a good look and a broad perspective of the land and culture. One thing I learned very early - if you can drive there, there will be a crowd of tourists (Anchorage city dwellers too)
I was so spoiled by the 'bush' living that outings such as 'combat fishing' on the Russian River were no joy to me at all. If you have the time and money - fly in by bush plane (tundra tires or floats) camp out in the wild and have the time of your life!
If you can only do the roads, there is still plenty of grand scenery and lots to do, but do not get frustrated with the traffic or the crowds.
if you end up with a plan that brings you down my way pop me a line. i run a water taxi on the bay and know most of the charter operators in town.
if you pick june i could drop you off for a black bear hunt if you have a couple days.
dave
Thanks Dave. I think we're probably looking at July though. Once the boss and I kind of figure out where we want to go, I'll PM you and get your phone number if we're going to be close.
Thanks guys!
We did this last year and had a blast. If your go drive a motor home around go to a book store and buy "The Alaska mile post" which is a great book for finding your way around Alaska. It tells you what at every mile post along the highway and a great aid when planning your trip. Barns & Noble has them for just short of $40.00 :campfire: :coffee:
Best advice
1) Don't try to do too much. Alaska is 5 times the size of California, no way your going to do it all in one trip.
2) Get away from the road system, unless you love crowds it is the only way your going to enjoy fishing here.
3) Stay flexible never can tell when momma nature will destroy the best laid plans of you and the wife
4) As with any travel hook up with a local if you can, we know the good places, restaurants and how to get away from the crowds.
I'm in Palmer drop me a PM if you'll be passing through, you'll find long time Alaskans are friendly to a fault. If you do find yourself in Homer Dave is the guy to talk to, and a good friend of mine. Like Fletcher I wouldn't combat fish if my life depended on it, however there are ways to avoid the crowds, and places to fish in peace.
If you want king salmon you better be here in June. Most of the state closes down in July specifically july 4th weekend.
Places to go? Jeesh for a fisherman the pennisula and the valley are hard places to beat....literally world class rainbow fishing and some sweet king salmon fishing (on the weekends).... oh and the king salmon fishing is CROWDED!!!
July is good for russian reds.
Grayling in the interior it's hard to beat the delta clearwater if you can get your hands on a raft/canoe for a day or three...about as good as it gets. The upper chena also is a pretty dang good producer if you ask me.
If you are planning on the thought of hunting the later the better. There is a early caribou season up north. Can be hit or miss....what's more to say it's caribou hunting. Definatly a worth while trip if you have the time and cash to finance it.
Specifics?
Kenai bows!!! That's where I'd start!!!! cough cough ouch don't twist so hard. Shame I'll be guiding again in southeast or I'd take ya in a heart beat.
Homer is a 5 hour drive from Anchorage. Kenia is about 3 hours on the way to Homer. Seward is about 2.5 hours South of Anchorage but only an hour detour if you're going to Kenia. Girdwood is an hour South. Denali is 5 hours North. Talkeetna is 2 hours on the way to Denali. Fairbanks is 7 hours North. If you spend half your time driving you'll still have a trip of a lifetime.
I always wanted to see Alaska so I moved up here.
Speaking of that. Jerry, if you come up here again and don't stop in and say hi I'm gonna turn my girls loose on ya.
Uh, you will require bug protection. No, seriously. Ask others about them.
My wife and I flew into Anchorage, rented a van and stayed at the Salmon Haus Bed and Breakfast in Kenei the first week of July. We took a one day cruise out of Seward to see the ice fields and the whales. Drove to Homer to see the big Halibut (Bonnie was not interested in fishing off shore)and did a drift fishing trip down the Kenai, where my better half caught a 63 pound King Salmon that now resides on my wall in the trophy room. Don't miss downtown Anchorage and Danali for sure. It is the growing season in July and August and you will be amazed at the flowers that will be in full bloom. Have fun and don't feed the bears. :bigsmyl: :thumbsup: