Alaska, You’re In!

So you’ve decided to venture to the land of the midnight sun. You might be wondering what other resources exist to help you plan your adventures, obviously other than the fantastic blog you’re currently reading.

A great place to start is Alaska.org. They have a really good map you can obtain for free in the US (you only pay shipping and handling). You can also pick up a map and activity guide at most visitor centers. They even have a free app for your smart phone, although you will need Internet access to use it (more on Internet later).

If you like to plan in detail, you’ll want to look at the Milepost. Updated every year, this tome will provide you with mile by mile information about the roads, road conditions, signage, gas stations, campgrounds, attractions, contact numbers and local history. Another useful resource is the Traveler’s Guide to Alaska Camping. Like the Milepost for the roads, this guide also has suggested itineraries for visiting Alaska and detail on campgrounds such as hookups, amenities and maximum RV lengths. We used both of these guides for our first season in Alaska.

There are many resources online as well. The RVing to Alaska Facebook group is a popular option. You would do well to join or monitor your RV brand/model specific groups or forums should you encounter any issues on the road. For Airstream owners, there is the Facebook Airstream Addicts group and also AirForums.com. We occasionally peek at these but find that there is too much noise generated by the many enthusiastic responses. It is common to ask a question and receive 50 opinions from 25 people! Information shared on social media, usually with good intentions, is often delayed due to poor connectivity which creates its own problem of inaccuracy particularly related to road conditions, fires or weather. The group administrators and moderators do their best to guide people but it can be a challenge with so many excited travelers just wanting to share their stories.

What works best for us is to consult the respected authorities, and use our own experiences coupled with word-of-mouth information from like-minded travelers.