I think it’s safe to say that Alaska is on most RVers’ list of destinations. Judging by the number of RVs we saw on the road in Alaska this summer, I’d say my previous statement is pretty darn accurate. Most people, judging by our experience, head for the Anchorage area, Kenai Peninsula, the coastal towns like Valdez, Homer, and Seward, and then up to Denali National Park. Most drivers stick to highways 1,2,3 which form a rough triangle between Tok, Fairbanks, and Anchorage, but did you know there’s a lesser known and traveled highway from Cantwell to Paxson called the Denali Highway?
About the Denali Highway
The Denali Highway is perhaps a lesser known highway because up until a few years ago, most of it was gravel and served more as a local route to connect southern and central Alaska. Totalling 135 miles, the Denali passes through some absolutely breathtaking public land and has loads of free camping options just off the side of the road so you can enjoy a stay from numerous different vantage points. Although I had driven the highway back in 2017, my fiance hadn’t seen the area and after visiting with friends near Denali National Park, it made sense for us to travel east back to Canada via the Denali. Because we had some time and we wanted to move a little slower, we decided to spend two nights and three days traveling the 135-mile stretch.
Highlight of the Denali Highway
After leaving Cantwell, the start of the Denali Highway is still gravel for about 30 miles before turning back into tarmac. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the gravel the weather hadn’t lifted and the clouds obscured the mountain ranges. Make note that the best time to travel to Alaska is late June and July because early fall starts in August. We arrived in early August and saw VERY little sunshine while we were there for three weeks. Our first day on the Denali Highway was mostly cloud cover and low visibility, but when we parked up for the night close to the Susitna River the sun finally peaked out from behind the clouds and lit up the area for a short time. Meg, my fiance picked blueberries and later made blueberry sweet rolls and blueberry jam.
The next day we moved on down the road stopping off for an easy hike at the Maclaren Summit hike near the Maclaren River. This is an easy 8-mile hike that gets you some beautiful views of the valley below and takes you through some prime blueberry-picking areas. After our hike, we continued on down the road and found a spot overlooking 7 Mile Lake. Barely anyone passed us during the night, it was quiet and quite peaceful. With the sun shining on us the next morning we woke up and enjoyed a slow sunrise with coffee in our hands. At this point, we were only about 15 miles from the exit of the highway. We made a quick stop off to hike at the Tangle River Campground and then completed the highway, turning North to drive the 4 to Delta Junction, which if you haven’t driven that road, definitely do that as well.
Is It Worth It?
We probably didn’t do the Denali Highway region justice, but with the weather getting colder and the rain continuing to hunt us down, three days was the most we were willing to give it this time around. There are loads of different hiking options, water activities (lots of lakes and rivers), fishing, and as stated previously, endless camping along the Denali Highway. I’ll caution drivers about the state of the roads in Alaska, including the Denali Highway. Due to a lot of the state being within the region of permafrost, roads can be…let’s say, bumpy, at the very least. If you travel too quickly you can easily find all your belongings lifted into the air and your head contacting the ceiling of your cab. It’s fun for the first 5 minutes and then it’s very much not. Plan A LOT of time to travel from place to place in Alaska, not only are the distances deceptively long, but the roads can be a real challenge at times as well.
Alaska is a beautiful state with so many places to explore, so plan for lots of time and lots of driving. If you have time, make sure to drive the Denali Highway, you won’t regret it. And, make sure to have fun!
If you’d like to see more of the Denali Highway you can view our experience on YouTube. For all other photos, videos and recounts of our travels you can search for us on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook and our website use Slow Roamers.
More about RVing Alaska:
Remote RV Adventures in Alaska’s Backcountry
