tTraveling the ALCAN to Juneau August 21, 2018, 05:06:23 pm I may be relocating to Juneau, AK.Instead of driving to Bellingham, WA and taking the ferry I was thinking about driving the Alaska Canadian Highway. I'm looking for information, pros and cons to those that have made this trip.Thanks in advance.I have a 2002 31 foot LD.Thanks!Mark
Re: tTraveling the ALCAN to Juneau Reply #1 – August 21, 2018, 05:12:09 pm Quote from: NADAZE! - August 21, 2018, 05:06:23 pmI may be relocating to Juneau, AK.Instead of driving to Bellingham, WA and taking the ferry I was thinking about driving the Alaska Canadian Highway. I'm looking for information, pros and cons to those that have made this trip.Thanks in advance.I have a 2002 31 foot LD.Thanks!MarkMy mom and dad did it and said it was kind of boring with nothing but trees to look at but I want to do it and think it would be a great road trip. They took the ferry back.
Re: tTraveling the ALCAN to Juneau Reply #2 – August 21, 2018, 05:19:04 pm "...said it was kind of boring with nothing but trees to look at."---
Re: tTraveling the ALCAN to Juneau Reply #3 – August 21, 2018, 06:39:18 pm No roads into Juneau! It's still going to involve a ferry trip, likely out of Valdez. Best do your homework now, winter is coming on. 1 Likes
Re: tTraveling the ALCAN to Juneau Reply #4 – August 21, 2018, 09:59:07 pm Friend just came back, said fires were brutal after crossing into Canada at Tok. Snow will be more prevalent then not after9/15/18
Re: tTraveling the ALCAN to Juneau Reply #5 – August 22, 2018, 12:22:05 am With Juneau’s limited amount of LD accessible roads, you will not accumulate a lot of miles.Indoor or covered storage for your LD would be good, the winters are long, wet and cold.Larry
Re: tTraveling the ALCAN to Juneau Reply #6 – August 22, 2018, 12:47:47 am You can drive up the Cassiar Hwy to Skagway and take the ferry down to Juneau, its the easiest way. You need reservations to take a vehicle on the ferry, but not to just walk on. Juneau is cold and wet, but not near as cold as say Anchorage or Fairbanks. They stay pretty moderate in temperatures due to the ocean. They do get tons of snow, as all coastal areas do in Alaska. Seek out storage of your Lazy Daze BEFORE you move there. Storage is limited and at a premium. Juneau is a bustling place in the summer, and downright quiet as a mouse in the winter, unless the Government is in session, as it is the capital of Alaska. They do have Costco, Walmart, etc. I also drive the Alcan almost every summer, just make sure you top off the gas tank every time to see a gas station. Go enjoy the trip!Melinda2011 MB 2 Likes
Re: tTraveling the ALCAN to Juneau Reply #7 – August 22, 2018, 05:18:03 pm Quote from: Melinda C - August 22, 2018, 12:47:47 amYou can drive up the Cassiar Hwy to Skagway and take the ferry down to Juneau, its the easiest way. You need reservations to take a vehicle on the ferry, but not to just walk on. Juneau is cold and wet, but not near as cold as say Anchorage or Fairbanks. They stay pretty moderate in temperatures due to the ocean. They do get tons of snow, as all coastal areas do in Alaska. Seek out storage of your Lazy Daze BEFORE you move there. Storage is limited and at a premium. Juneau is a bustling place in the summer, and downright quiet as a mouse in the winter, unless the Government is in session, as it is the capital of Alaska. They do have Costco, Walmart, etc. I also drive the Alcan almost every summer, just make sure you top off the gas tank every time to see a gas station. Go enjoy the trip!Melinda2011 MBWe drove up the Alaska highway in 2015, and we took the Ferry from Haines to Juneau as part of our trip. I would second everything Melinda has noted above. I also would add that the Ferry charges for your vehicle by the foot and will measure (in most cases) before you board. All propane will need to be turned off. Pets must stay in the vehicle. For a relatively short trip, a stateroom is not required. But, if you go up from Bellingham to Juneau, consider a stateroom.Keep in mind that the last 30 miles or so of the Alaska Highway in Canada is not paved, it is stones. You may or may not get a shower of stones from trucks going the other way. (We did). This last 30 miles or so starts near the aptly named Destruction Bay in the Yukon. Have a great trip!
Re: tTraveling the ALCAN to Juneau Reply #8 – August 22, 2018, 08:39:21 pm You might consider not taking the LD to Juneau. Instead, leave it in a place where you can start and end trips.I spent some time on a AK ferry talking with a pop up camper owner from Juneau. They said it was just to much hassle, time, and expense to take a camper from Juneau to anywhere. Instead, fly to the RV and travel from there. As you know, the longest road out of Juneau only goes for 40 miles. My 2 cents...Rich'03 MB in NC
Re: tTraveling the ALCAN to Juneau Reply #9 – August 23, 2018, 09:47:01 am Read on another forum last night that the Alaskan Highway is now closed at the border with Yukon due to fires. It has been a bad season for fires up north as well as the west coast. The take away is to always check with the local authorities about road conditions before starting out on the Alaska Highway because there are no detours. One road in and one road out. If the highway is closed and you are on it, you can be stuck for several days. This is not an infrequent occurance. This is one reason why locals suggest that AK Highway travelors carry four days of food and water for everyone in your traveling party. 1 Likes