Texas to Alaska to Texas. 2020 Honda Accord Hybrid driving on the Dalton Highway and the Dempster Highway. July/August 2023.

[PetitFrereArmada]

I am extremely lucky that a few miracles came true and I am able to go on this trip. It will be the longest trip I have ever taken. So long that I have nicked named it; "THE LAST RIDE TO THE LAST FRONTIER".

Map of my Road Trip

Vehicle: 2020 Honda Accord Hybrid with 84,800 miles on it.
Length of trip: 39 days. July 12, 2023 to August 19, 2023.
Estimated total miles of trip: 13,000 to 15,000 miles.
Miles on dirt road or "4x4 road": Over 1,000 miles (Driving the whole Dalton Highway, Dempster Highway, Top of the World Highway in Alaska and McCarthy Road to Wrangell-St. Elias NP)

Tentative Itinerary showing the cities I will be sleeping in during my trip;

ROAD TRIP TO ALASKA

July 12: Denver, CO
- Drive Pikes Peak. Drive Mt Evans.

July 13: Casper, WY
- Explore Rocky Mountain National Park

July 14: Hostel, Glacier National Park, Montana
- Explore Glacier National Park. Drive Going to the Sun road from end to end.

July 15: Hostel, Glacier National Park, Montana
- Explore Glacier National Park

July 16: Edmonton, AB
- First time in Edmonton. Explore the town.

July 17: Dawson Creek, BC
-- Start of the Alaskan Highway

July 18: Fort Nelson, BC

July 19: Watson Lake, Yukon

July 20: Haines Junction, Yukon

July 21: Delta Junction, AK
-- End of the Alaskan Highway

July 22: Valdez, AK

July 23: Valdez, AK
-- Drive the McCarthy dirt/gravel road from Copper Center to McCarthy to visit the town of McCarthy, Wrangell St. Elias NP and the Kennecott Mines. Drive back to Copper Center.

July 24: Anchorage, AK

July 25: Anchorage, AK

July 26: Anchorage, AK
-- Day trip to explore the city of Whittier, AK

July 27: Anchorage, AK
-- Day trip to explore Seaward, AK. Take 6 hours cruise to see Kenai Fjord's NP.

July 28: Homer, AK
-- Explore Homer

July 29: Byers Creek, AK
-- Driving from Homer to Trapper Creek. Stop to explore the town of Talkeetna, AK.

July 30: Fairbanks, AK
-- 10am Husky Homestead Tour
-- Visit sled dogs in Denali NP before Denali NP tour

July 31 : Dalton Highway, AK ((Sleep in car on Dalton Highway))

August 1: Dalton Highway, AK ((Sleep in Wiseman, AK))

August 2: Fairbanks, AK

August 3: Fairbanks, AK
- Visit Aurora Ice Museum and Chena Hotsprings

August 4: Dawson City, YK

August 5: Dempster Highway
-- Sleep in car along the Dempster

August 6: Inuvik, YK
-- Dempster Highway. Sleep in Hotel in Inuvik

August 7: Dawson City, YK

August 8: Whitehorse, YK

August 9: Whitehorse, YK
-- Drive the Stewart Cassia Hwy to Stewart, BC

August 10: Stewart, BC
-- Visot Hyder, AK

August 11: Prince George, BC
-- Drive on Highway of Tears to Prince George, BC.

August 12: Squamish, BC
-- Drive Sea To Sky Highway

August 13: USA - (Route to go home will be determined later)

August 14: USA - TBA

August 15: USA - TBA

August 16: USA - TBA

August 17: USA - TBA

August 18: USA - TBA

August 19: HOME

I bought the highly recommended book for traveling on the ALCAN Highway and Alaska, but I have not had a single day to look at it for over 2 weeks now. I thought of returning it, but I will just keep the book throughout the whole trip even if I do not use it. I will decide after the trip if I should keep it or sell it to someone else who wants to use it.

Last year, I went to Canada and brought back some of these. I shared with some members on the forum. I am thinking of maybe bringing back some again this year. If you are interested in one or more, feel free to PM me. I can personally deliver them on my way back home if you happen to be on my route or are willing to make some extra sacrifice to meet with me.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

"Welcome to ..." (States I go through and maybe iconic towns I go through in Alaska)
Welcome to New Mexico

Welcome to Colorado

Welcome to Wyoming

 

[J!m]

I believe there is a hotel on the Dempster- mile 451 or something. We stayed there on the way to Tuk.

You need reservations and also to try the “screech” in the bar. After which walking is difficult, let alone driving. It’s not usually crowded but you may have to wait for helicopter refueling before you can get to the pumps.

I would not suggest sleeping in the car on the Dempster. But that’s just me. I imagine the Mounties will be checking/waking you to see if you’re dead.

 

[Lucky3]

That will be a cool trip for sure! I live near San Antonio, TX and work in Prudhoe Bay, AK. I make the trip often but never by car!

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

 

[Fishenough]

Jealous, that's a very comfortable car for that long drive. ENJOY!

 

[aknightinak]

June 14: Anchorage, AK

June 15: Anchorage, AK
-- Day trip to explore the city of Whittier, AK

June 16: Anchorage, AK
-- Day trip to explore Seaward, AK. Take 6 hours cruise to see Kenai Fjord's NP.

June 17: Anchorage, AK
-- Another Day trip to explore Seaward, AK.

June 18: Homer, AK

June 19: Trapper Creek, AK
-- Driving from Homer to Trapper Creek. Stop to explore the town of Talkeetna, AK.

June 20: Denali NP
-- Take tour to see Denali NP.

Some suggestions:
Anchorage to Whittier:
There's not a lot to see in Whittier, at all, mostly charter booths and boat trailer parking. It has pretty views as the gateway to Prince William Sound, but consider exploring Girdwood, Portage, and the Alaska Wildlife Center with that day also. Because Anchorage sucks, I'd use Turnagain Arm as your Anchorage area base---fishing adjacent to the Bird Creek campground doesn't open until July, so it might not be full up yet, or you might still be able to land a cheap room at the Brown Bear Saloon (or just show up, get drunk, and sleep in the parking lot; it sure wouldn't be the first time). In Girdwood, the laundromall has clean showers, and the Herbal Cache next door, or Chair 5 around the same block, can help kill time if you have a load of laundry to run.

Seward:
Stay overnight. It's not worth the 3 hours to return to the Anchorage area just to go back to Seward the next day, especially if Homer is the next destination.

Homer to Trapper Creek:
With a stop in Talkeetna, this will a super long day, 10+ hours of driving. Why Trapper Creek? Everything (all four stops there) except maybe the new Vitus station will be closed by the time you get there. TBH, Petersville Road west out of Trapper Creek at milepost 114.9 is one of my favorite areas, but it's pretty rough for an Accord, so unless you stay in the East-West Trailhead parking lot at milepost 121.5, there's no real time savings the next morning by staying in Trapper Creek compared to Talkeetna. A trip out to the forks on Petersville Road takes about twice as long back to the highway than coming back out of Talkeetna on pavement does. If you're looking to cut miles the next day, push on up to Troublesome Creek or Byers Lake this night. They're within another hour or so of Trapper Creek and more inviting places to sleep.

Denali Park on the days around summer solstice:
I'd inquire about reservations for anything now, and expect the campgrounds to be full or very nearly full already. Also, the park road closed (collapsed) a couple of years ago just short of the halfway point and won't be reopened this summer, which imo cuts off the best part of the tour bus trip to Wonder Lake (also the best views of the mountain). The Denali Highway on the way to the park is equally spectacular, same habitat, same wildlife, and has open camping options literally everywhere. In and out to stay at Brushkana Creek rather than crossing the highway completely is an alternate to consider that keeps you headed to Fairbanks and has a pretty stunning view of Denali on the way back to Cantwell. At Brushkana, you can also even say you camped across from Jesse Holmes' Life Below Zero homestead and dog yard.

 

[mep1811]

I believe there is a hotel on the Dempster- mile 451 or something. We stayed there on the way to Tuk.

You need reservations and also to try the “screech” in the bar. After which walking is difficult, let alone driving. It’s not usually crowded but you may have to wait for helicopter refueling before you can get to the pumps.

I would not suggest sleeping in the car on the Dempster. But that’s just me. I imagine the Mounties will be checking/waking you to see if you’re dead.

Eagle Plains

 

[mep1811]

You might want to modify the trip to spend more time enjoying the trip rather than rushing around tagging "bases".

One thing to keep in mind that many don't, is, can you afford in time and money to be broke down and stay in a hotel for a week waiting for a part?

What tires are you going to run? The Denali and Dempster are dirt gravel roads that can beat up a passenger tire.

My wife and I drove to Deadhorse and Tuk in 2018 . We were out three months and drove 13,000 miles. I wrote a three part article for TCT (Toyota Cruisers and Trucks) magazine on our trip you might find informative.

Arctic Adventures in a Vintage Land Cruiser

During the summer of 2018, my wife and I embarked on an Alaska trip. We thought we’d be gone about four weeks. 92 days, two trips to the Arctic Ocean and 13,000 miles later we made it home …

badlandsexpeditions.wordpress.com

 

[mep1811]

Lots of history to stop and see. We stopped at every tourist info center we could. Whitehorse is good for at least three days checking out the museums.

 

[ITTOG]

Glad to see you are back with another trip planned. I look forward to your updates. That looks like a fast but awesome trip.

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[mep1811]

NORAD

 

[mep1811]

NORAD

 

[Todd n Natalie]

Someone posted a similar trip within the past year in a Honda Hybrid.... I don't think he went North of 60 but his thread might offer some insights.

Found it but few similarities to your excursion beyond Honda...

16 US States and 4 Canadian Provinces. (Banff NP and Jasper NP), July 2022

Getting ready for a road trip and just had to make a blog to document my travels and share a lot of pictures. This is the map of my July 2022 Road Trip. I will be driving through 16 US states and 4 Canadian provinces. After this trip, my 2020 Honda Accord would have finally traveled through...

expeditionportal.com

It's the same person doing this trip That was his previous trip.


@PetitFrereArmada I am in Edmonton and it is a nice city, but I can't help but look at your route and think you're missing the Rockies.... Banff, Canmore, Kananaskis. Can I suggest staying on the southern parts of Manitoba and Saskatchewan then heading west from Calgary and tour down the Trans-Canada? Or, head west of Calgary up highway 93 (Glacier highway is a beautiful drive) up to Jasper. Then from Jasper head east through the Rockies to BC....

 

[ITTOG]

It's the same person doing this trip That was his previous trip.


@PetitFrereArmada I am in Edmonton and it is a nice city, but I can't help but look at your route and think you're missing the Rockies.... Banff, Canmore, Kananaskis. Can I suggest staying on the southern parts of Manitoba and Saskatchewan then heading east from Calgary and tour down the Trans-Canada? Or, head east of Calgary up highway 93 (Glacier highway is a beautiful drive) up to Jasper. Then from Jasper head east through the Rockies to BC....

Hmmm, once again you do not know your directions. He would need to go north west, not east.

PS Just remember there is nothing east of Calgary or the Rockies worth the drive.

 

[Todd n Natalie]

Someone posted a similar trip within the past year in a Honda Hybrid.... I don't think he went North of 60 but his thread might offer some insights.

Found it but few similarities to your excursion beyond Honda...

16 US States and 4 Canadian Provinces. (Banff NP and Jasper NP), July 2022

Getting ready for a road trip and just had to make a blog to document my travels and share a lot of pictures. This is the map of my July 2022 Road Trip. I will be driving through 16 US states and 4 Canadian provinces. After this trip, my 2020 Honda Accord would have finally traveled through...

expeditionportal.com

It's the same person doing this trip That was his previous trip.


@PetitFrereArmada I am in Edmonton and it is a nice city, but I can't help but look at your route and think you're missing the Rockies.... Banff, Canmore, Kananaskis. Can I suggest staying on the southern parts of Manitoba and Saskatchewan then heading east from Calgary and tour down the Trans-Canada? Or, head east of Calgary up highway 93 (Glacier highway is a beautiful drive) up to Jasper. Then from Jasper head east through the Rockies to BC....

Hmmm, once again you do not know your directions. He would need to go north west, not east.

PS Just remember there is nothing east of Calgary or the Rockies worth the drive.

Oh for crying out loud... I even thought of you correcting me last time as I wrote that.