Drive To Alaska - Crossing The Canadian Border - Lower BC - Central BC - Northern BC - Drive Alaska Highway
Latest Trip - East Dubuque Iowa to Alaska - Side Roads & Favorite Routes

Driving to Alaska - The things you should know about driving to Alaska through Canada.
We invite you to discover the things you need to know in order to plan your drive to Alaska or a Alaskan vacation to any of the incredible destinations found in the pages of this site. Although a drive to Alaska is the main topic, there are many wonderful places in Canada just waiting to be discovered. Don't miss out on any of the excitement that keeps us coming back to Canada year after year. We may live in Alaska but the allure of the Yukon and British Columbia has kept us mesmerized time and time again.

Drive to Alaska

The AlaskaCaravan; Packing the Wagons for the Drive to Alaska.For everyone thinking about driving to Alaska in the near future, we are putting together this site to assist in determining routes, planning stops and maintaining a budget on one of the most rewarding expeditions remaining in North America; Driving To Alaska is exciting and demanding, rewarding and expensive. We will put together our knowledge of 30+ trips to take out the surprises and reduce your expenses when you take on the challenge of Driving to Alaska.

Packing the Wagons: OK, so we've progressed beyond the ox teams and covered wagons to the totally self contained RV's that range from economical to extravagant. But one factor is still carried over from the old days right up tell today, we are still limited, some what, to the amounts of things we can bring along due to size and weight. Something that is new to today's travel is being limited by the laws of a foreign country, Canada. Traveling through Canada requires that one, we all have the appropriate documentation; two, there are no handguns or handgun ammunition in our possession; three, no one in the vehicle has a felony conviction including DUI/DWI's; and so on. A more complete list is available at; Canada Border Crossing Requirements.

So what should you be bringing when you drive to Alaska? Here is what we have found that works well for us. You can modify this to suit your tastes but the core should remain relatively intact. Simple things like picking up the bulk of your foods in Canada, filling your gas tank in the major towns and yes, carrying a spare tire are just good habits to keep. But what about those little things?

When traveling, you have some basic needs that must be maintained to enjoy a pleasant journey no matter where you're headed to. These things include food, shelter, safety, finances, showers, bathrooms and excitement. Your need when on the road, although somewhat different than at home, can be broken down into actual need based vs comfort based. You could even add in adventure based when a drive to Alaska is in the works. Read: What to bring on a Drive To Alaska.

Budgetary Considerations: If you are on a budget and don't mind a few small inconveniences, try using the state and provincial parks for all your camping needs. These parks are typically less expensive but often lack in the services one likes when camping in your RV. Services like electric and water hookups most often are not available at the campsite. But then, isn't that why we have generators and fresh water tanks in our rigs? Most do offer dump stations for your use before leaving.

Another thing about state and provincial campgrounds surrounds their locations. The governments seem to always have really choice locations that offer unsurpassed scenery and exciting outdoor activities that make them a real bargain. What you give up in amenities you gain in incomparable ambience. This is not to say that many of the private campgrounds lack these attributes, you just are paying less for them. When costs are of the most prominent factors, there's always the Walmart parking lots. I've been known to use them from time to time, especially in Alaska where a private campsite in Homer can run you $78.00 per night. We spent that night in the Fred Meyer parking lot in Soldotna.

Spend Less, Spend Smart; the best money-saving tips for budget conscious travelers heading for Alaska revolve around wise spending on memories rather than loading up on those material items. We will talk in great length on how to drive to Alaska without maxing out those credit cards. So put that Visa or Mastercard back in your wallet and lets examine our best money saving tips for driving to Alaska and surviving.

Planning Your Route: The Roads that Lead to Alaska.

Driving to Alaska; OK, it's time to hit the road... at least on paper for now. But first we need to decide where we plan to enter Canada at and the roads we want to travel. This is a very fun part of this predrive. I think that might be my own word, predrive, but if we all use it enough, just possibly, it might be added to the dictionary someday.

We will start off looking at driving routes leading to Alaska from British Columbia and discuss the available options in US/Canada border crossings. As many of you entering Canada may be looking at driving up the fabulous Yellowhead Highway that runs through BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba we will also cover entry points for this section of the drive as well. So, if you're ready, let's begin looking at the areas of Lower British Columbia and then the Yellowhead Highway and it's access routes. After that we will move on to the decision points in Central British Columbia.

NOTE: The Yellowhead Highway is the northerly portion of the famous Trans-Canada Highway that spans four of Canada's western provinces. These provinces include British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba and span from the Great Lakes to the Pacific Ocean. Although the Yellowhead is officially part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, the highway should not be confused with the more southerly route that has been synonymous with the term Trans-Canada Highway. Both are absolutely amazing roads with outstanding scenery and compelling drives worthy of being explored.