What’s it like to drive along remote highways, where wildlife roams free and every turn reveals another breathtaking view? Discover the magic of Alaska through the eyes of fellow truck campers who’ve lived it.
Alaska is more than just a destination—it’s an adventure waiting to be experienced. Through the stories of those who have explored its vast wilderness, it becomes clear why Alaska remains a dream trip for so many. From the breathtaking beauty of its landscapes to the freedom of camping in its remote corners, Alaska offers a truck camping experience like no other.
A recurring theme among these journeys is boondocking in some of the state’s most picturesque spots. Fellow truck campers shared how this style of camping brought them closer to nature, from the tranquil riverbeds near Seward to the open expanses of the Denali Highway.
Wildlife encounters also stood out as unforgettable highlights. Whether spotting grizzly bears fishing for salmon in Katmai National Park or watching bald eagles soar above the Kenai Peninsula, these moments left lasting impressions.
This collection of stories from fellow truck campers showcases the boundless opportunities Alaska provides. Get your bucket list planning pen and paper out. You’re going to need it.
Cindy Larson
2019 Ford F-250
2019 Capri Retreat
Above: Campsite at the end of McCarthy Road with Root Glacier view
The quirky town of McCarthy was very different. The drive out there on McCarthy Road was beautiful and not as bad as we had heard. The history behind the copper mining town of Kennecott is well-presented by Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. We stayed in the funky campground at the end of the road and got a sweet camp spot right on the water overlooking Root Glacier, which we hiked and walked on. A moose and her baby walked through our camp right after we arrived to welcome us.
Above: Kayaking near the Columbia Glacier
Hiking the Harding Icefields near Seward was probably our favorite hike. But kayaking near the Columbia Glacier near Valdez was also quite memorable. The local people at Valdez are super nice. A young woman we met hiking near town gave us salmon and a salve she makes for Devil’s Club. The Harding Icefields are just incredible with ice as far as you can see! We saw bears in the distance while hiking. It is funny that when you first see bears in Alaska (while driving, usually), you slam on the brakes for a photo. Then later in your trip, you have seen so many bears that you decide you already have enough bear pictures!
Above: Harding Icefields near Seward
Boondocking along most roads in Alaska was plentiful and scenic, especially along Haines Highway and then on the Dempster Highway to Tuk (not technically Alaska, but the same trip). Be sure to ask about campground cancellations while in Denali National Park. We got to drive into the park to the campground after checking for cancellations. Of course, the good ole Milepost was fun to follow for Boomers like us. It lets you know where important things like bathrooms and trash cans can be found, along with historical markers to read. There are so many great photo ops in Alaska! Hurry up and do the Alaska trip this coming summer. Just do it.
Norman Botwinik
2022 Ram 1500
2022 Northstar 650SC
Above: Northstar Camper, Galbraith, Alaska on the Dalton Highway
The farther north you get, the more remote it will become. If you like dispersed camping with little to no people, northern Alaska is it. We traveled north to the Dalton Highway and took it up to Coldfoot (great food FYI), then up to Prudhoe Bay. Daily, we were seeing wildlife that we had never seen before, in quantities that were amazing!
Grizzly bears were everywhere. We saw a herd of wild musk oxen. I had no idea what I was seeing until we found a gas station and asked someone what that giant beast was. I would say it was probably the most beautiful camping we have seen; nothing but wilderness, wildlife, and big skies.
One place in particular that was worth going to, if I had to choose one, was the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. We camped there, and to be honest, you do not have to even leave the campsite (which was empty in June) to see wildlife, as grizzly bears entered the camp area regularly.
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge was without a doubt one of our favorite places. If you’re into boondocking, I highly recommend you look at Galbraith Lake. There is a small landing field there with a couple of places to pull in and stay. The views were outstanding.
Lori Dasko
2016 Ford F-350
2024 Cirrus 820
Above: View from Valdez RV Park
Our favorite place that we visited in Alaska was Valdez. The Richardson Highway to Valdez was a spectacular drive, with stunning views of glaciers, jagged peaks, and cascading waterfalls. Valdez is in a rainforest, and its verdant mountains and dramatic mists reminded us of Hawaii. One of the highlights of our four-day stay was an 8-hour glacier cruise on the Lu-Lu Belle in Prince William Sound, where we saw mountain goats, otters, sea lions, dolphins, and puffins, as well as massive chunks of blue-green ice. The Lu-Lu Belle also passed by the terminus of the Alaskan Pipeline, where huge tankers were lined up to receive their oil cargo.
Above: Horsetail Falls near Valdez
Another memorable Valdez outing was a self-guided tour of the local fish hatchery. During our August visit, the bay waters outside the hatchery were churning with returning salmon, making an easy feast for the abundant seagulls, sea lions, and even a black bear. We also spent time in the local museums learning about Valdez history. The town had to be moved after a major earthquake many years ago. Valdez RV Park, where we stayed, had great views and was near shops, restaurants, and the marina. We enjoyed our time in the relaxed, non-touristy town of Valdez and look forward to going back someday.
The Salty Dawg Saloon in Homer is one of a kind. Every inch of the walls and ceiling inside is covered with dollar bills that customers have tacked up!
I highly recommend the Crow Creek Mine near Girdwood, Alaska for an interesting and unique camping experience. This historic gold mine operated from 1897 until the 1930s and today offers self-guided tours of the original buildings as well as gold panning in the creek on the property (there is a fee for these activities). In addition, there are about a dozen dry campsites that can be reserved May-September on their website, crowcreekgoldmine.com, for $25-35. The gift shop is open 10-6.
The mine is located above the resort town of Girdwood several miles up a gravel road, which was no problem for our truck camper. We enjoyed walking around the well-maintained grounds of the mine and the fantastic mountain views out the window of our camper. At night, it was incredibly quiet, and the stars were amazing. It was one of the best places we camped in Alaska!
Roger Pearson
2016 Chevrolet 3500
2023 Lance 1172
Above: Katmai National Park
When going to Alaska, it’s hard to pick just one favorite place. The highlight of our trip was taking a floatplane ride out of Homer to Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park. This trip was a little pricey, but worth every cent. We saw grizzly bears on the beach where the plane landed. We saw bears on the trail while walking to Brooks Falls, and then we saw lots of bears enjoying the fresh salmon. I guess I should mention that the plane ride to Katmai was also an awesome adventure. I think we were at the park for three hours; that was not nearly long enough. We would consider going back and staying in the cabins for a few days.
We spent 55 days in Alaska and only stayed in campgrounds for six days; two in Denali and four in Valdez. We only hooked up to electricity for four days while in Valdez. The only reason we stayed in the campground in Valdez was because we had some long day trips planned and couldn’t take our dog.
Our favorite town was Valdez. The drive to and from Valdez was our favorite drive in Alaska. Valdez is a beautiful small town, with lots of good hiking trails and wildlife. We also saw tons of sea lions at the salmon hatchery.
I know you asked for one favorite, but when you go to Alaska, it’s hard to have just one! We had read a lot about Alaska on Facebook groups. This was our first trip to Alaska, and we didn’t know what to expect. We found out that the roads were a lot better than we expected. The road from Tok to Chicken was the worst road we were on. It took us two and a half hours to go 70 miles. The cell phone service was a lot better than we expected, and thankfully, the mosquitoes were not as bad as expected.
Above: Thompson Pass
Thompson Pass is about 30 miles outside Valdez. Just like the rest of Alaska, there is beautiful scenery and lots of hiking. We were there at the end of August, and the weather was perfect. We could have pulled up a chair outside the camper and spent a week there!
Our favorite boondocking spot was on the river beds. The best was at Exit Glacier (Resurrection River) outside of Seward.
Bill Elwell
2016 Ram 2500
2016 Four Wheel Camper Flatbed
Above: Top of the Harding Ice Field Trail accessed from Exit Glacier National Park
We enjoyed a perfect weather day while we were in Seward, Alaska in August of 2023. Sunny with light winds, temps in the 70s. We visited Exit Glacier and hiked the Harding Icefield Trail up to the end of the trail with great views looking out over the Harding Icefield and back down towards Seward. A full-day adventure with a round-trip hike of a little over eight miles, all of it uphill on the way out. We celebrated with a salmon dinner at the Exit Glacier Salmon Bake restaurant back towards town to wrap up a perfect day.
Above: Somewhere over the glaciers just north of McCarthy and Kennecott Mines National Historic Park
While we were exploring the McCarthy area in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park on our 2017 trip, we caught a morning with sunny skies and light winds. We called the local air tour company that flies out of the dirt strip in McCarthy to inquire about availability. At 10 a.m., we took off for a 1.5-hour tour up over the glaciers in the area. Spectacular views and an overview of so much area that typically is accessed only by plane.
Above: Thechàl Dhâl Visitor Center on Kluane Lake
There are too many places to mention. Between our two trips to Alaska, we covered 32,000 miles over five months. We camped at provincial parks across Canada, BLM campgrounds, boondock sites, and city parks in the coastal towns of Alaska. Any place that is sunny when you are there is a good place.
Rick Horner
2003 Chevy 2500
Lance and Arctic Fox 811
Above: Glacier on cruise
I worked on the Alaska Pipeline in the mid-70s on the North Slope, including the Brooks Range north of the Arctic Circle, and I wanted to go back after about 50 years.
My wife and I had the trip of a lifetime, driving over 20,000 miles from leaving our driveway in Choctaw, Oklahoma, for over four months until we returned home. We traveled all the way north to Prudhoe Bay and south 800 miles of the pipeline to Valdez, where it ends.
Check out Patagonia Guided Tours and go on a kayak tour of Columbia Glacier. Paddle right next to icebergs that have calved off. We traveled all over the state, including two different 14-day cruises, one on the way up out of Seattle and then on our way out of Alaska at Haines, Alaska. We put our truck and camper on Alaskan and British Columbia ferries to Surrey, British Columbia, driving to Vancouver to take another 14-day cruise back up to Alaska on a different cruise line. This trip started two days after I retired from the Oklahoma City Fire Department.
To share advice about one specific place, I would say if you only have a week or so, do an Alaska cruise. If you have longer, do a land tour. The best way? You can do what we did—buy or rent a truck and truck camper somewhere in Seattle or even in British Columbia, because, in my opinion, it is the best way over any other RV, especially in Alaska and Canada. Also, do the Alaska train round trip from Fairbanks or Seward, Alaska.
Don’t forget to spend some time in Mount McKinley National Park. Take the over-100-mile bus ride back into the park for your best chance to see Mt. McKinley. Only 30% or fewer visitors who go to Alaska get to see it; it is also a must-do. Stay at Princess Wilderness Lodge.
Above: Nenana River next to McKinley Chalet Resort white water rafting
Go to McKinley Chalet Resort and eat at Karstens. It’s next to an outdoor amphitheater with free live music, which is awesome each evening. Also, eat pizza across the street at Prospectors Pizza. Or, at Denali Park Village, go to the live Alaskan play with all-you-can-eat salmon, ribs, etc., in the evenings.
Go to Talkeetna and stay at Alaskan Lodge. Wonderful views of Mt. McKinley when it rarely shows its face. Take the K2 flight at the airport (within walking distance or a free resort shuttle) that circles the peak—almost 100% you will be able to see Mt. McKinley. Other places I recommend are Homer Spit, Whittier, and Seward. See the glaciers.
Get the book called The Milepost and do everything possible in it. It is the Bible for Alaska, especially if you are driving. It explains every mile in Alaska. I can’t express how important this guidebook is for going to Alaska. I could write a book, but The Milepost is the next best thing to have so you don’t miss anything.
We boondocked virtually every night for one reason: you can hardly find availability, and we usually enjoyed it way more, finding the most beautiful places ever. Again, The Milepost, etc., will give you info for places, but most every night we easily found wonderful spots.
Steve Seketa
2018 GMC 3500
2020 Lance 1172
Above: Richardson Highway on the Delta River south of the Castner Ice Cave hike, 63.34700 N 145.73291 W
We were overwhelmed with many remarkable locations in Alaska—Top of the World Highway, Dalton Highway, Denali, Denali Highway, Seward, Valdez, Homer Spit, Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park, the Castner Ice Cave hike, McCarthy, Wrangell-St. Elias, Hyder, and the scenic drive to Salmon Glacier—all of which are outstanding.
Above: North of Coldfoot on the Middle Fork of the Koyukuk River
The boondocking opportunities are endless and many are excellent! While it is not a truck camping location, the flight to Katmai National Park to see the bears at Brooks Falls was one of the highlights of our trip.
Above: First thing they saw after they stepped off out plane in Katmai National Park
We stopped in Talkeetna and took a flight around Denali that included a landing on a glacier. The ability to get closer to the mountain and capture great pictures of the three peaks was fantastic. The town of Talkeetna is worth an afternoon walking through the shops.
Above: Denali Highway just east of Susitna River Bridge—there is a two-track heading south off the highway.
Boondocking on the Denali Highway mentioned above was one of our favorite boondocking locations. It is situated well off the road, with no traffic, an abundance of wild blueberries everywhere, and numerous eagles soaring around the river. It was also a bit of an adventure getting our dually down the path. We parked in a rocky area just off the two-track.
Charlie and Linda Wade
2016 Ram 3500
2016 Northern Lite 10-2EX CDSE
Above: On the road to Valdez, Alaska
It is difficult to choose a favorite place. The whole experience of driving to Alaska is my favorite adventure thus far. From entering Alaska via the Top of the World Highway to spending the first night in an almost deserted BLM campground, there are numerous BLM campgrounds in Alaska that are half-price if you have the senior pass.
We enjoyed visiting Chicken, Alaska, washing our camper at the campground in Tok, driving to Lake Louise via 17 miles of frost-heaved road, visiting Denali National Park, the Bass Pro shop in Anchorage, getting carried away by mosquitoes on the Chaney River, visiting Fairbanks, seeing the Alaskan Pipeline, traveling the entire Alcan Highway, and the Christmas shop in North Pole, Alaska.
My favorite picture was of Horsetail Falls (pictured above) on the highway to Valdez. We traveled to Seward, Haines, Homer, and Hyder. We were a month too early to see the bears catching fish in Hyder, but the old bus served the best shrimp we ever had! We spent two weeks exploring Alaska in our truck camper—not to mention all the beautiful country in Alberta, British Columbia, and the Yukon.
Above: Moose is Loose in Soldotna, Alaska
One of our favorite places in Alaska was the Moose Is Loose bakery in Soldotna, Alaska, on the Kenai Peninsula. They had the best baked goods and a few tables in the back where locals would gather to drink coffee.
The visitor’s center in Tok has a map for $1.25 that shows all the municipal (state, national, and BLM) campgrounds. It is a must-have. We stayed at the main campground in Tok a couple of times and took advantage of the camper wash station.
Steve Osburn
2019 Ford F-350
2023 Northern Lite 10-2EX
Above: Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park and Preserve
When trying to boil down a three-plus month road trip to Alaska into a single, most favorite place, that’s going to exclude a whole lot of awesome places, roads, and sights. Many books have been written about what to see, and now that we’ve taken this trip, we could write one too.
However, given the challenge of one favorite place, I’d have to say it was a flight to Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park and Preserve, which we took out of Homer. It was expensive (almost $1,000 per person), but also a once-in-a-lifetime experience that cannot be matched. That said, if you don’t go when the salmon are running, you’re probably going to be disappointed.
We got there the last week of July, which was perfect. The weather isn’t always in your favor, even in July, and unfortunately, that happened to us as well. We were scheduled to go on a Monday morning flight, but due to the weather, our flight was canceled. We were offered a reschedule for Tuesday, but they only had one seat available on a morning flight and one seat available on an afternoon flight, so my wife opted out, and I went solo on the morning flight on Tuesday.
Why go on this at all? Above anything else, it’s iconic. You’re watching possibly dozens of grizzly bears fishing, hoping for that iconic shot of a fish jumping into a bear’s mouth. I saw several but didn’t always catch the photo in time. Bring a camera with a good zoom; you’re not allowed to use a tripod (the viewing platform is too crowded for that anyway). I have a high-end point-and-shoot camera that did fine—and it’s really about watching the bears that makes it worth the cost. If all you want is a picture, you can look up “Brooks Falls” online.
The flight to Katmai from Homer is about 90 minutes. Our flight was on a float plane that landed on a nearby lake. After you land, you attend a safety briefing conducted by the park service, and then you are free to hike to the falls—which is about a mile. The bears go wherever they want, so you are a guest in their environment. For example, just before I started my hike, there was a rumor that the floatplane landing beach was shut down because a bear had wandered out on the beach. I went to look and saw two of them just lying down between beached planes and enjoying the sun.
The hike starts out on a raised boardwalk that crosses Brooks River. If you look down, you’ll see why the bears are here—hundreds of salmon were hanging out where the river was wide enough to let them relax before running the gauntlet. There were a number of bears in this area, but for the most part, the fish were safe here—most of the bears were further upstream. After leaving the boardwalk, you return to ground level and are walking on a road for a bit. Then you branch off on a wide trail (signage is very good, so you can’t get lost).
At the far end of the trail, another boardwalk starts that rises up to platform viewing areas. It was here that I “met” my first bear in person. Not planned, I might add. There is a gate that separates the trail from the boardwalk entry—I opened the gate, walked through, turned to close it, and found a grizzly walking right past me—no more than eight feet away. It glanced my way but didn’t slow down—as if I was completely irrelevant and presumably did not taste like salmon. Had I been two seconds slower, I’d have been on the same side of the gate as the bear. My heartbeat eventually got back to normal.
Once past the gate, the boardwalk ramps up to a viewing platform check-in station. They meter entry to the more popular of the two platforms, allowing you about 30 minutes before you have to leave (you can go back, after waiting your turn for another time slot). While waiting for the ranger to call my name, I went to the downstream platform and watched the falls from there. Literally, more than two dozen bears were in the river, both above and below the falls. Seagulls were everywhere, looking for leftovers. It was spectacular. Then it was my turn for the main platform—I spent my full 30 minutes there taking hundreds of photos. When it was my turn to leave, I went back to the downstream platform and took more photos until I figured I needed to get back to the plane and not hold up my group.
The hike back was less eventful than the hike there. I got back to the plane in plenty of time. While there were five passengers on the plane, it was not necessary to stay as a group, so I was fairly much on my own the whole time at the falls. The return flight was beautiful—the mountains were all out, and flying over Cook Inlet was stunning.
Above: Salmon Glacier Overlook (in British Columbia)
If I had to list a second favorite spot on the trip, I’d have to say it was boondocking above the Salmon Glacier. Technically, that’s in British Columbia, but you access it by driving a road out of Hyder, Alaska. The road is steep and winding, and no problem for a truck camper. If the weather is not good, it’s going to be a long trip with nothing to see because the road to Hyder is an out-and-back, and then the road to the glacier is an out-and-back on gravel. This is actually an active mining road and is maintained for the mines. You pass some of the mines on the way up to the glacier, making you wonder how that could possibly be profitable, but apparently it is.
We got to the viewpoint and could look down on the glacier, but the clouds covered the top. We camped right at the viewpoint (as did a few others), but we were all there for that brief glimpse of the same thing—the Salmon Glacier. The next morning was no different—clouds, but we had heard that it would get better. We wanted to drive further up the valley (there is another glacier up there) but opted instead to wait it out here, and finally, it broke out of the clouds, and we got the iconic photo we were looking for. By walking across the road from the parking area, I found some beautiful little ponds and was able to crouch behind some rocks in such a way that made it look like we were the only ones there.
On your way back down from the glacier, passing again through Hyder, make sure to have lunch at The Bus.
While Brooks Falls was the highlight, and the Salmon Glacier was awesome, there were many other parts of our adventure that were worth sharing. Driving the Denali Highway (Highway 8) is a more scenic approach to the park than taking pavement, and we found ample boondocking spots along the way (the closer you get to Denali, the more likely you will find tribal lands that do not welcome boondocking, but the west end is arguably prettier and not tribal).
Taking the ferry from Whittier to Valdez gives you a much different perspective than taking the road—we stayed at a campground in Valdez for a couple of nights but then found boondocking just out of town for an additional night in the area. Taking the ferry from Haines to Skagway is also beautiful—passing by hundreds of islands along the way. We stayed in a campground in Skagway, which let us explore the town, take the train ride, and watch the cruise ships come and go (warning—when the cruise ships arrive, your cell phone service disappears as up to 11,000 people a day pile onto a few cell towers).
Above: Denali National Park
Chena Hot Springs is beautiful, and the whole story behind it is interesting—from its “Ice Museum” to its power generation plant. The hot springs have a campground, and we spent two nights there. Denali National Park, of course, should not be missed. We made reservations months in advance for Teklanika Campground, which is the farthest in you can camp, at least until they finish repairing the road after the Pretty Rocks landslide. While in Teklanika, you are required to use their bus system, which we found easy to do, and we also rode our eBikes from there. After leaving the park, we drove to Talkeetna and booked a “flightseeing” trip over the glaciers around Denali—not as expensive as the Brooks Falls flight, but if the weather is good, it’s stunning.
Above: Iggy at Kennecott Glacier
Seward, McCarthy, and many more spots are worth seeing in Alaska. Of course, this doesn’t even touch all the places to see on the way to and from Alaska—places in British Columbia, Yukon, and Northwest Territories. Our route up took us to such places as Banff, Kinuseo Falls, Muncho Lake, Liard Hot Springs, Dawson City, Tuktoyaktuk, and Top of the World Highway before hitting Alaska. Our trip home crossed between Alaska and Canada a few times, but we hit Whitehorse, Snafu Lake, Boya Lake, and others on the way back.
Steve and Melanie Hoehn
2022 Ram 3500
2023 Arctic Fox 1150
Above: Outside Fairbanks, Alaska
Haines, Alaska, was certainly memorable! We made camp on an elevated water’s edge, within walking distance from dining, shopping, and sightseeing. A photographer’s dream, we located marine life, bald eagles, and gorgeous distant cruise ships. What a feeling we had viewing the exact same cruise ship (Celebrity Solstice) that we rode some 10 years earlier, viewing Haines from afar.
Above: Haines, Alaska
Chicken, Alaska, is not to be missed; gold panning, jeeping, and a tour of one of the best-preserved gold dredges known.
Above: Salmon Glacier Hyder, Alaska
What made 100 nights and 13,000 miles so spectacular was the fact that we could pause anytime—mostly anywhere—to hike, eat, sleep, fish, and explore without campground timeline pressures. We, however, totaled roughly 10 nights of formal campground reservations in Banff and Lake Louise in Canada. Beyond that was boondocking happenstance via The Milepost guidebook.
Randy Smith
2017 Ram 3500
2016 Adventurer 910DB
Above: Kenai Fjords National Park
A hands-down favorite was when we took a guided kayaking trip to watch a calving glacier and sea life at Kenai Fjords National Park. We started out of Seward on a two-hour water taxi ride to reach the beach where the kayaks were staged. Along the way, we saw orcas, puffins, seals, and a spectacular show of “bubble netting” by a pod of humpback whales. Think synchronized water ballet by Giants.
The kayaking was the most amazing we had ever experienced. It was like we were in our own National Geographic nature special. The glacier calved four times while we were there. The incredible beauty and power of nature were on full display.
Above: Chicken Cafe, Chicken, Alaska
A second favorite place is really tough. Taking the Top of the World Highway to get to Chicken has to be up there. We were disappointed that the “Panty Cannon” had been decommissioned, but the pies served at the Chicken Cafe are amazing!
Above: Chilling on the Homer Spit
Hiking on the Matanuska Glacier and chilling on Homer Spit are up there. Homer has Sweetgale Meadworks, which is worth a visit, and K-Bay Vet Hospital is a great place to get fishhooks extracted from your dog! The Homer Spit Campground was packed pretty tight, but what a view!
Audrey Ruccio
2010 Ford F-450
2010 Host Everest
Above: Denali Highway
My all-time favorite place and thing to do was to drive the Denali Highway. On our first Alaska trip in 2011, a friend told us to be sure and drive this road, and we did. Blown away by the beauty of it, we hoped to do it someday again. On our third Alaska trip in 2017, it was on our bucket list to do again, but the timing just never seemed right. I had resigned myself to missing it.
It was late August, we were camping at Allison Point in Valdez, chasing the silver salmon run. Hubby was fishing down on the shore in the rain, and I was in the camper. The sites were small, and we were lucky to squeeze into a site with a vacant site next to it. When someone occupied that last site, they came with a tent, three canopies, six people, and six lawn chairs, and proceeded to build a big smoky campfire right near our door. My hubby came back for lunch, took one look, and said, “We’re leaving; let’s go drive the Denali Highway.”
By the time we got up to Paxon, it was dark, so we set up for the night and took off the next morning. It turned out, by sheer miraculous luck, that the sky was blue, and all the fall colors were in their full glory along the highway. Words cannot describe how beautiful it was. Mile after mile of tundra, lakes, and mountains, all red, orange, gold, and purple—a completely unexpected gift and the high point of our trip. This mostly gravel road is made for truck campers. Lots of places to pull over and look (or just stop in the middle of the road), and places to boondock if you want to take it slow—every mile is something new. In my mind, this is truly a “must-see” anytime.
Above: Dipnetters in Kenai
Another favorite place was the mouth of the Kenai River in Kenai when it is open for dipnetting. Fishing with dipnets is only allowed for locals, but you are free to go and watch, and what a sight it is! The number of people, the excitement, the determination, seeing how it is done, and how important it is to the people fishing opens your mind to looking at fishing in a whole different way—not a “sport,” not “for fun,” but for sustenance. A huge lesson to be learned about the Alaska way of life.
My favorite place to camp was the small Mariner Park campground on the spit in Homer. It is dry camping; the price when we were there was $15 a night. The scenery is gorgeous; the little beach attracts local activities to watch but is never crowded, close to town and the spit. When we camped there, it was sort of “camp where you want,” but I understand now it has been more formalized with designated sites.
Craig Brueckman
2015 Ford F-350
2014 Lance 1191
Too many favorite places to limit it to one or two! Boondocking at Kluane Lake, the Haliburton facility beach access on Nikishka Beach Road, or at The Sport Shed on Homer Spit, Taylor Lake near Portage Glacier, and Midnight Dome in Dawson City (sorry, that is in the Yukon, not Alaska) are just a few.
After exploring the Kenai Peninsula, we saw a mention of Snug Harbor Road and Cooper Lake (not Cooper Landing) in The Milepost. The write-up didn’t inspire the most confidence in the road leading to it, and there were signs advising that we had passed the point of governmental maintenance, but we continued on to the end. There, the roadway turned left, down a steep embankment to a boat launch.
Above: Camping on the water’s edge at Cooper Lake
I walked it to assess it for my dually’s less-than-stellar traction and concluded it was satisfactory. Not that my wife shared my assessment, but we ventured down anyway. After several day campers left, we moved our camper to the water’s edge and set up camp. We enjoyed a most peaceful, scenic weekend at a very off-the-beaten-path spot!
We wanted to walk on a glacier, so we made a point to stop at Matanuska Glacier. We arrived near the end of the day and decided to sign up for the next day’s guided tour. They let us stay in the day-use parking lot, so we could explore on our own that evening and be on hand for the next day’s tour. Wow! Such a beautiful spot!
Above: Matanuska Glacier view from their camper
Did we drive the Top of the World Highway through Tok and Chicken? Yes. Did we explore the Kenai Peninsula, visit Seward, and explore Homer? Yes.
Did we ride the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system through the Inside Passage and visit Sitka or Juneau? No.
Did we take a dip in the Chena Hot Springs, photograph bears in Hyder, or visit the University of Alaska Museum of the North in Fairbanks? Yes to Chena and the Museum of the North. We boondocked at the gravel pit just north of the bear viewing at Hyder, but didn’t see any bears there, although one reportedly walked through the gravel pit while we were driving up to Salmon Glacier.
You neglected to ask about the Dalton Highway, Deadhorse, and Prudhoe Bay, but yes, we drove that, too!
Doug Braddock
2021 Ford F-350
2019 Cirrus 820
I lived in Fairbanks, Alaska, for almost 40 years and now live in Oregon. In 2022, my wife and I spent several months in Alaska in our new-to-us 2019 Cirrus 820. One of our favorite places is McCarthy and Kennicott, located at the end of the McCarthy Road off the Edgerton Highway.
Above: McCarthy, Alaska
The 60-mile McCarthy Road was constructed along the railroad grade of the old Copper River and Northwestern Railway, which served the copper mines in the area. The condition of the gravel road varies, depending on when it was last maintained. Most truck campers should be able to negotiate it without too much trouble. The scenery at the end of the road is stunning, with the Kennicott Glacier and several peaks in the Wrangell-St. Elias Mountains. There is also the quirky town of McCarthy and the mining town of Kennicott, maintained by the National Park Service. A free shuttle runs back and forth between the towns. Hiking trails (steep!) lead to the mines along the route of the old tramways that brought ore down to the mill. There is a very basic but also very scenic private camping area located at the end of the road. From there, it is a short walk or bike ride into McCarthy.
Other places I would recommend as quintessential Alaska adventures:
Traverse the Denali Highway from Paxson to Cantwell (or vice versa). A great three to four day trip with wonderful boondocking possibilities. Combine this with a visit to Denali Park.
Head up the Dalton Highway to the Arctic Circle (there is a new BLM campground at the Arctic Circle). Keep going north to Coldfoot and the BLM Marion Creek Campground in the foothills of the Brooks Range. Hike to Marion Creek Falls from the campground. For further adventure, go all the way to Deadhorse, the gateway to Prudhoe Bay.
Howard Bisco
2015 Ford F-250
2020 Palomino HS-8801
Above: Santa Clause House, North Pole, Alaska
First, I recommend the North Pole. Santa Claus House is basically a gift store, but Santa Claus is there, and it was a pleasure to visit. Christmas all year!
I also recommend Chicken, Alaska. There’s not much there, but it’s a good place to get gas and spend an hour or two talking to the gift store/gas station operator. I learned that the reason it is called Chicken is because the residents wanted to name it Ptarmigan but couldn’t agree on how to spell it.
Above: Chicken, Alaska
The Fairbanks KOA was a very nice campground. We had full hookups, which was nice because it was 86°F, and we were able to run our air conditioner. It was located on the river, very scenic. I don’t remember the price, but I think it was pretty typical of KOA. There was a gas station with a propane fill-up.
Jon Croonenberghs
2022 Ford F-150
2022 Supertramp LT
A must drive and camp along the Denali Highway (AL8). After two years of planning and driving 11 days from Colorado, Charlie and I made it to Alaska.
I recommend that truck campers find a beach north of Homer, Alaska. The volcano views from the Cook Inlet beaches are stunning. I also camped in McCarthy campground in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.
Ryan Rothacker
2002 Ford F-250
2014 Cache Camper
Above: Boondocking campsite just south of Tok. We woke up with our coffee and were greeted by a beaver.
We live in Anchorage and wanted to head back down to Whitehorse for a mountain biking trip. We drove up the Alcan in 2016 towing a trailer and have since changed to a slide-in truck camper. We took the trip, drove the Top of the World Highway, and stopped in Tok and Chicken, across to Dawson City, and down. We were a little late in the season as most places were closing down, but the weather was perfect, and we found so many other bike trails we had no idea existed.
Above: Chicken, Alaska. There’s a giant chicken statue made from recycled school lockers in Homer, Alaska, transported on a trailer averaging 25 mph
We didn’t get to take our truck camper here, but Katmai National Park was incredible! It’s very hard to get reservations and tickets to get there, but the bear viewing is awesome. You’ll be hanging out in the lodge with everybody else when you hear “Bear!” And opposite of what you may think, everybody drops what they’re doing and runs outside to see it instead of hiding from it.
Most of our stops were boondocking, and that’s the best part of Alaska. You can basically pull off anywhere and have a free site to stay. Lots of pullouts and pretty places.
Edward Thompson
2023 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD
2023 Wolf Creek 890
Above: Denali Highway
In the Denali area, we camped at Teklanika campground in the park. The park bus dropped us off on a gravel road, and we hiked several miles along the road. There were amazing mountain views and wildlife; very wild and remote. Later, we drove the Denali Highway and boondocked along the highway with a phenomenal view of the Alaska Range in the distance. We picked and enjoyed eating wild blueberries!
There were lots of other places we visited—Kenai (camped on the waterfront in Seward and Homer), Valdez, etc. Camping ‘where the action is’ (waterfront locations) in these towns was an amazing experience.
Above: Tidal Lagoon on the Homer Spit
In Homer, we camped along a small tidal lagoon and watched people fishing throughout the day and night. Next to our site was a fish-cleaning station where we saw the prep of salmon, halibut, and other fish.
Above: Homer Spit Fish Cleaning Station
We had an amazing trip. It was our second. We are planning a third in 2026 or 2027! The best experience was driving the Dempster Highway to the Arctic Ocean in Canada.
Tom Warren
2013 Ram 3500
2008 Adventurer 104DSS
Above: Denali Highway scenic pull-off
The Denali Highway is 112 miles of outstanding Alaskan scenery, rivers, small streams, and lakes with fun fishing. A few unique and interesting lodges along the way for a meal and a beverage. Some have fuel as well. A few campgrounds and many boondocking sites across the entire stretch of the “gravel” highway.
You will see wildlife sightings of moose, caribou, and sometimes bears. I live here in Alaska and make the trip up there for a couple of weeks every summer for some fishing and just enjoying the camping experience.
Above: Tangle Lake Campground
I recommend Tangle Lakes BLM Campground. The cost is $15 per night, first come, first served. Hiking trails, lake, and river fishing. The boondocking sites across the entire highway are the best.
Patrick Young
Chevy Silverado 2016
2017 Northstar Laredo
Above: Dalton Highway
After just recently spending six months in Alaska, I saw a lot and did a lot. I put 18,000 trouble-free miles on my truck and camper.
There wasn’t a favorite place or a second favorite place. It’s all great to explore, and the best way is with a truck camper. The McKinley mines were great. Also, I took the Alaska Marine Highway to Kodiak Island. I spent a week on Kodiak Island exploring.
Above: Talon Air Service, Soldotna, Alaska
After spending six months exploring Alaska, there are just too many places to mention.
Patrice Boucher
2014 Ram 3500
2019 Northern Lite 9-6
Above: On board the Lu-Lu Belle
My favorite experience was in Valdez on the Lu-Lu Belle cruise. The road to get there is just amazing. You’ll drive between glaciers, with a few spots to spend the night. There are nice places to sleep in the old town. It’s a very quiet and relaxing town to spend a few days. The cruise on board the Lu-Lu Belle is a must. It is a very personal small group, and the captain is so cool.
Above: Heading toward Homer
I also enjoyed the spit of Homer. The road from Anchorage to Homer is fantastic. The view is stunning. There are lots of boutiques, and restaurants, and the marina is fun to walk around.
Cami Harris
2022 Ford F-150
2022 Capri Retreat
Above: Eagles camping on the water, West Kenai Peninsula
Wow, one place in all of Alaska? I think my advice would be to take advantage of the few highways in Alaska. They are all scenic and offer special experiences in unique ways, and it won’t cost you more than gas. You can overnight at one of the many pull-offs as long as there are no signs stating otherwise.
Above: The Alaska pipeline off the Richardson Highway
One spot I was surprised by was along the Denali Highway. I had attempted to visit Denali, had my bus tour scheduled, and witnessed the start of a fire near the entrance this summer.
I work full time, so I headed south for the work week (didn’t want to get boxed in due to the fire) and got to witness the firefighting planes scoop water off a lake—right there at one of the highway pull-offs. It’s no big deal to locals and it was not great that it was due to a fire, but it was very cool for me to watch.
Abpve: Overnight pull-off on the Glenn Highway next to the Matanuska River
My fondest memories are roadside overnights. A spot along a rushing river was gorgeous. The drive to Valdez—mind-blowing scenery and waterfalls right there on the road. Beach camping at a state recreation park on the west side of the Kenai Peninsula where eagles are everywhere! Really, one spot?! There’s so much!
Kevin Gagnon
2013 Ford F-150
2002 Lance Lite 815
Above: Denali Road
The Denali Road, located just outside Denali National Park, offers an alternative to the park if access is limited due to fires, time, or money constraints. We stayed at one of many free campsites called Clearwater Creek Wayside, managed by the Glennallen Field Office. It has a non-flush toilet and Clearwater Creek. Unlike Denali National Park, this road has no buses, allowing you to do all the driving yourself. During our trip, we saw a moose and a bald eagle (pictured below) on my daughter’s birthday. This journey was a promise I made to my son back in 2017 while enjoying the Rocky Mountains in the Lower 48 with a free National Park pass when my daughter was a fourth grader. The free passes are a great promotion to encourage kids and families to explore the parks and spend less time on screens.
Deadhorse at Prudhoe Bay is another opportunity to see the Arctic Ocean. Unfortunately, you have to take a bus tour to get there. The area is full of oil rig workers and equipment. After driving a long way alongside pipelines, it wasn’t surprising to find such an industrial environment. While some mentioned nicer areas to see the Arctic in the Yukon, our focus was on experiencing it from Alaska.
Rich Hahn
2015 Chevy 3500
2021 Real-Lite HS-1806
Above: The colors of fall that a picture cannot fully capture
The Denali Highway is a scenic drive, especially during the fall. I traveled through it in the first week of September 2024 and encountered stunning colors and wildlife, including moose moving about. Keep in mind that it’s the start of the general hunting season, so expect to see many hunters in the area.
Above: Chena Hot Springs
Chena Hot Springs is now one of my go-to places when in the area. It offers much more than the hot springs, including a hotel, a restaurant with a gift shop, an RV campground, and more. The pool was particularly beneficial for me as a disabled vet managing injuries. The hot springs pool is very soothing for the body, and I experienced significant relief. I recommend staying a day or two and using the hot springs multiple times; it’s worth the time and money. The pool fee covers all-day access, so you can enjoy it early in the day and again later.
I’ve been visiting Alaska since the 1970s, starting with family camping trips in a truck camper—1970 Ford F250 and a 1971 Winnebago truck camper. There are countless incredible places to explore. Although I had worked on a base near Fairbanks, I had never made it to the hot springs until last September. It was amazing for both my aches and pains.
I spent all of August and part of September traveling throughout Alaska and only paid for four days at campgrounds. The rest was boondocking, as there are so many excellent camping spots that change with the seasons. I’m already planning a return trip to Alaska in 2025, starting in late spring and continuing into the fall. I drive up from northwest Montana.
David Osann
2021 Nissan Frontier
Northstar 600SS
I enjoyed a cruise around the fjords of the Kenai Peninsula, which included witnessing glaciers calving up close!
Above: Denali Highway
On the Denali Highway, we found a campsite listed in The Dyrt. While I don’t remember the exact mile marker, there were many options. We discovered a wonderful site overlooking a small lake, completely secluded. It poured rain that night, but the experience was still magical. Perhaps the site was near mile 76.2.
I also stayed at Boyd Lake on the Cassiar Highway, another excellent choice.
Steve Oles
2019 Ford F-250
Leer Cap
Above: On the Alaska Highway to peace and quiet
McCarthy, Alaska, and the Kennecott Mines were my favorites. The drive on McCarthy Road was amazing, and there was even gas available. Be sure to stop in Chitina for a beer before heading onto McCarthy Road.
I also recommend stopping in Talkeetna along the George Parks Highway. It’s a charming little hippy town that has become quite touristy. The hotel and bar on Main Street are fantastic.
The Alaskan Highway and Denali Road also offer excellent camping opportunities.
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