Alaska - FAQ

Where do cruises go in Alaska?
The Inside Passage is Alaska's biggest cruise destination, but popular cruises also visit Prince William Sound, the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea.

The Inside Passage is also known as the Panhandle and as "Southeast." The main ports of call are Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau and Skagway, along with Glacier Bay National Park and Hubbard Glacier in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.

Prince William Sound, tucked into the underbelly of Alaska, holds abundant wildlife and glaciers, including Columbia Glacier.

Cruises in the Gulf of Alaska visit Seward and Kodiak.

Bering Sea cruises call at Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, Nome and the Pribilof Islands.

In addition to these weeklong cruises, there are local day cruises, especially in Juneau, Whittier and Seward. These visit glaciers and search for whales and other wildlife such as eagles, bears, sea lions and sea otters.

What's the summer weather like in Alaska?

The Southcentral climate (Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula and the surrounding area) boasts relatively mild summers (highs near 70). 
The Interior climate (Fairbanks and Denali) has warm summers (highs in the 90s).

The climate of the Inside Passage, where most of the cruise ships go, is usually warm and damp (summer highs in the 60s and 70s). 

Coastal areas have more moderate temperatures than inland areas as well as more precipitation. Daily temperature fluctuations are wider inland. 

In late spring and early summer (close to the solstice in mid-June), the days are the longest. Early summer has less rain than late summer and fall.

What clothes should I pack for my summer trip?

Is Alaska cool or warm in the summer? Rainy or dry? Chances are, it'll be a little bit of everything during your visit. 

An August bus ride into Denali National Park, for example, can start out in warm sunshine and reach Eielson Visitor Center in a driving snowstorm.

The suitcase of a well-packed summer traveler will include items to cover most situations. 

• Long-sleeve shirts -- These provide warmth and general protection against mosquitoes.
• Fleece jacket -- This is a versatile item for layering your clothing during cool periods.
• Rain jacket and pants -- Chances are good that it'll rain sometime during a weeklong visit. Don't expect prairie-style torrents.
• Sturdy socks and good walking shoes-- Many tourist-area trails are covered in asphalt or are boardwalks. But adventurous travelers may want to head up a rocky or muddy trail, of which there are hundreds.
• Watch -- During summer's long days, it's easy to lose track of time. Of course, that may be why you're coming to Alaska in the first place.
• Sunglasses -- The summer sun rises in the northeast and sets in the northwest, so no matter what you have planned it will involve facing the sun sometime. Anglers and passengers on cruise and tour boats will find sunglasses especially helpful. 

Dressing up 

A few high-dollar restaurants encourage guests to wear jackets and ties, but you'll be welcome just about anywhere in slacks (and often in jeans).

Around Denali and the other big parks, you're welcome to come as you are. 

Where can I find a map of Alaska?

Paper
The best printed-on-paper highway map of Alaska appears to be the one printed by Rand McNally. It can be purchased at bookstores in many states for about $5.

Atlas
The Alaska Atlas & Gazetteer, an oversize book, is a favorite in the state for its topographical maps. It costs about $20 and is available at many large bookstores and through online bookstores. Like many maps, it is based on the U.S. Geological Survey series of topographical maps.

Trail maps
Another good source of topographic maps for activities is the series produced by Trails Illustrated and National Geographic. These maps cover many of Alaska's fun places: Prince William Sound, the Inside Passage, Kachemak Bay State Park, and several national parks, including Denali, Klondike Gold Rush (the Chilkoot Trail and Skagway), Gates of the Arctic, Glacier Bay, Kenai Fjords, Katmai, Lake Clark and Wrangell-St. Elias. These maps cost about $10 each and can be bought online from www.nationalgeographic.com or from outdoors-oriented stores.

Outdoor recreation
Another popular map series is the Road and Recreation set produced by Todd Communications in Anchorage; ask by e-mail for information at sales@toddcom.com or look in dozens of stores in Southcentral Alaska. In addition to showing lake and river access points, these maps show campgrounds, buildings, mileposts, some businesses and what kind of fish are in each lake. The maps cost about $5 each.

Map makers and sellers
Here is an Alaska.com Business Directory listing of companies that sell or make maps in Alaska.

How good is the Alaska Highway?

The Alaska Highway, despite its reputation, is not terrible. It's a fast, scenic and wildlife-filled adventure with plenty of businesses along the way to make travel easier.

The highway surface is almost all asphalt. The exceptions are some construction zones, and these are gravel.

The 1,422-mile Alaska Highway starts in Dawson Creek, small city in northeastern British Columbia. It runs about 1,220 miles through British Columbia and Yukon Territory to the Alaska Border and for another 200 miles from the border to Delta Junction, Alaska. (Sometimes the 95 miles of the Richardson Highway between Delta Junction and Fairbanks are considered part of the Alaska Highway.) 

The Alaska Highway is only part of the trip between the Lower 48 and Alaska. To reach Dawson Creek, drivers from the United States generally motor up from Washington state through British Columbia, or from Montana through Alberta. 

Including the Alaska Highway, the distance to the Yukon-Alaska border is 1,950 miles from the Montana-Alberta border and 1,900 miles from the Washington-British Columbia border. 

Speed: The Alaska Highway in the 1940s and 1950s was a nightmare of mud and potholes. Now it's possible to drive everything from a four-wheel-drive pickup to an RV to a low-slung sedan up and down the asphalt road at 55 or 65 mph, depending on the local limit. A steady driver can expect to average 50 miles an hour over the course of a day.

Construction: Some places are under construction, as might be expected on a road 1,600 miles long, and some places are packed gravel instead of asphalt. Chipped and cracked windshields are possible. 

Weather: The Alaska Highway is a lot friendlier in the summer than in the winter, when temperatures fall below -50 and blowing snow can make the road hazardous. Summertime temperatures may reach the 70s, but late summer rains can also make the road seem pretty long. 

Wildlife: Drivers can reasonably expect to see black and brown bears, bison, caribou, sheep and moose, plus many species of migratory and resident birds. 

Gas: Drivers shouldn't worry about running out of gasoline or diesel fuel; the longest stretch without a gas station is about 100 miles between Whitehorse and Haines Junction in Yukon Territory. 

Sleep: Accommodations, from frequent campgrounds to nice lodges, are open during the warm months and sometimes in the winter.

Will mosquitoes devour me?

Let's be upfront: Mosquitoes are a pest. 
But for most travelers in Alaska, mosquitoes are nothing more than an inconvenience.

Mosquitoes are most prevalent near standing water, in the forest and on low tundra. They're present during all the warm months, but they taper off late in the summer. 

Wear long sleeves, long pants and a hat; go where mosquitoes aren't; or use bug dope with a high percentage of DEET. 

Applications based on citronella or Avon's Skin-So-Soft also work for some people. 

Other people insist on wearing a headnet -- but unless you're going to wander through miles of marshy tundra or have a strong allergic reaction to bug dope, there's no really need for a headnet or special anti-skeeter gear. 

If you're hiking, try walking in a breezy place or along ridges to reduce the number of mosquitoes that line up at the lunch counter. 

A case of West Nile virus was reported in Alaska in 2002, but it was a man who had contracted the disease in his home state. 

Can I rent a car? An RV?

Cars and other vehicles can be rented in many cities around Alaska, even in isolated places such as Nome where there are few roads. 
National car rental companies -- Thrifty, Budget, Avis, Hertz, National and others -- join local agencies in providing sedans, SUVs and vans. Note that agencies have limits on where their cars can be driven; some gravel highways and roads are off-limits.

Renting a vehicle for a week in the summer will cost several hundred dollars, but unlimited mileage is usually allowed. 

Recreational vehicles, or RVs, can be rented in Anchorage and Fairbanks. 

Where can I catch the railroad?

Alaska has a couple of big passenger railroads and some that are just for fun.

Alaska Railroad
The Alaska Railroad carries passengers between Seward and Anchorage and then Anchorage, Denali National Park and Fairbanks. An excursion is available from Anchorage to Whittier through a 2.5-mile-long tunnel.

Passenger service is also available for people who want to go shorter distances, say from Anchorage to Wasilla or Talkeetna. The railroad also carries freight inland from Anchorage. It hauls refined petroleum from North Pole (located on a spur from Fairbanks) to Anchorage. Northbound trains deliver coal, mined at Healy near Denali, to Fairbanks. 

During the winter, the railroad's only passenger service is a whistle-stop train that goes from Anchorage to Fairbanks on Saturdays and back on Sundays.

White Pass and Yukon Route -- Skagway
The White Pass and Yukon Route railway once was a bustling freight hauler, but now it's an excursion line carrying passengers only during the summer between Skagway and Lake Bennett, British Columbia. There also are shorter excursions. 

The rails generally follow the route taken by Klondike gold rush prospectors in the late 19th century. 

In general, however, you can't reach Alaska by rail. 

On the bright side, the Canadian passenger rail system does go to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, where tourists can catch the Alaska state ferry for the trip north. 

Should I come with a package tour?

Although many people come to Alaska as part of a cruise, air, bus or railroad package tour, there are plenty of possibilities for people who want to go it alone. 

Rail and air transportation can be arranged separately, and vehicles can be rented in larger towns. Driving oneself around is easy and safe, and independent travel provides a lot of flexibility.

Fishing, flightseeing and wildlife-viewing trips can be arranged individually. 

Where's a good place to get married?

Inside Passage cruises offer a wealth of scenic backgrounds for romance. 

Cruise lines can arrange shipboard ceremonies, and localities have churches and government officials who can also perform weddings.

Denali National Park is another fine setting for a wedding, offering restaurants, campgrounds, some wilderness lodges and a range of hotels. 

Wedding parties who head for the backcountry of Denali -- or any other public lands -- can have nearly absolute privacy. 

On the Kenai Peninsula, Homer is often considered a romantic location. 

Cloud-shrouded mountains, a seashore and Homer's artistic, iconoclastic community at the end of the road create a romantic setting.

Lodges along the turquoise Kenai River also draw praise for their settings. 

Closer to Anchorage, the Alyeska ski resort in Girdwood attracts wedding parties. Tram cars carry wedding parties up from the Alyeska Prince Hotel to the Seven Glaciers Restaurant, 2,350 feet up 3,939-foot Mount Alyeska with a grand view of Turnagain Arm. 

North of Anchorage, a viewing deck near the Eagle River Nature Center in Chugach State Park is scenic site that has seen its share of marriages. 

License: The fee for a marriage license is $35. Both the bride and groom generally must be 18. 

There's a waiting period of three business days after the notarized application is received by the Bureau of Vital Statistics offices in Anchorage, Fairbanks or Juneau. The license is good for 90 days anywhere in the state. 

Who can marry: The Alaska Constitution recognizes marriage only if it joins one man and one woman. 

What are Alaska's national parks?

Alaska has 10 national parks, 16 national wildlife refuges, four national monuments, three national preserves, two dozen national wild rivers and the Chugach and Tongass national forests:

National parks and preserves
Denali National Park and Preserve, in the Interior between Anchorage and Fairbanks. Its best-known features are grizzly bears and Mount McKinley, at 20,320 feet the tallest peak in North America.

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, in Northern Alaska west of the Dalton Highway.

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, in the northern part of Southeast Alaska, west of Juneau. Glaciers are the big attraction, obviously, and whales feed in the area for several months each year. 
Katmai National Park and Preserve, on the west side of Cook Inlet in Western Alaska. Thousands of people each summer visit the park's volcanic Valley of 10,000 Smokes and watch grizzlies stand in the Brooks River to catch salmon. 

Kenai Fjords National Park, west and south of Seward on the Kenai Peninsula. It has glaciers, whales and millions of seabirds. 
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, in Skagway.

Kobuk Valley National Park, in Northern Alaska northeast of Kotzebue. 
Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, on the west side of Cook Inlet in Western Alaska. Rugged scenery, good fishing, lots of animals. 
Sitka National Historical Park, in Sitka.

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, in the southeastern part of Southcentral Alaska. Wrangell-St. Elias is the nation's largest national park and is part of a World Heritage Site, along with Glacier Bay National Park and Canada's Kluane National Park. 

Only Denali, Kenai Fjords and Wrangell-St. Elias national parks can be reached easily from the road system. 

Determined hikers can make their way to Gates of the Arctic from the Dalton Highway. Glacier Bay is reached most often by floatplane, cruise liner or passenger tour boat from Juneau. 

Katmai, Kobuk and Lake Clark are most frequently reached by small plane. 

National monuments

Alaska boasts four national monuments:

• Admiralty Island

• Aniakchak 

• Cape Krusenstern 

• Misty Fjords 

Are there ATMs? Are credit cards accepted?

Banks in Alaska have the same features as they do in the Lower 48. In fact, most of the banks are part of national or regional chains. 
Automated teller machines are found at many banks and savings and loan offices, as well as at grocery stores, gas stations and some hotels. Some ATMs have fees of $1 to $2, in addition to any charges from your home bank.

Visa and MasterCard are accepted statewide. Quite a few businesses also accept Discover and American Express. Traveler's checks are usually accepted. 

Canadian money may not be accepted at many businesses. Larger banks may be able to change currency.

Where can I check my e-mail?

The Internet is available at public libraries all over the state. 
Libraries provide the service for free, but users who drop off a buck or two at the desk "for the book fund" will get a nice thank you. There may be a sign-in sheet and an assigned time period. 

Many towns on the tourist track have coffee shops and cafes with for-a-fee Internet service. In Southeast Alaska, look for Internet services near the cruise ship docks. 

Can I see a glacier closeup?

A number of Alaska's coastal and landlocked glaciers can be seen close up. 

Cruise ships carry their passengers close to glaciers and icebergs in Glacier Bay National Park, at Hubbard Glacier near Yakutat and Columbia Glacier near Valdez. 

In addition, day-tour companies carry hundreds of passengers a day on glacier and wildlife tours from Juneau to Glacier Bay, from Whittier into Prince William Sound and from Seward into Kenai Fjords National Park. 

Several land-locked glaciers, notably Exit, Matanuska, Worthington and Kennicott, are close to the highway system. People willing to hike a short distance can walk up to and touch several other glaciers as well. 

Helicopters carry passengers onto glaciers from Juneau, Haines, Seward, Anchorage and the Denali area. 

Can I see the Northern Lights in the Summer? 

Usually not because of the daylight. To see the Northern Lights it needs to be dark, cold and clear out. The best time to see them is in the winter between November - March. 

Does Alaska take US Currency?

Alaska is the 49th state in the US. We do take US Currency, we also take personnal checks for deposits and final payments on tour packages and major credit cards like discover, visa and master card. 

How do I get to Alaska?

There are three different ways to get to Alaska. One way is flying from the lower 48 into Anchorage or Fairbanks. The second way is by cruise ship from Vancouver and the third way to get to Alaska is by driving the good old Alaska Highway. 

How many hours of daylight in the summer?

May - between 17 and 18 hours 
June - between 19 and 21 hours 
July - between 18 and 20 hours 
August - between 15 and 16 hours 
September - between 12 and 13 hours

How much do meals cost?

For the cost of meals it depends on where you eat and what you like, but on average meals can cost: 
Breakfast - $7.00 to $10.00 per person 
Lunch - $8.00 to $12.00 per person 
Dinner - $10.00 to $30.00 per person 

How much does gas cost? 

Gas can cost anywhere between $1.35 to $1.93 a gallon. 

Is Denali and Mt. McKinley the same thing?

Yes. Denali the "High One" is the name Athabascan native people gave the massive peak that crowns the 600 mile long Alaska Range. Denali is also the name of an immense national park and preserve created from the former Mt. McKinley National Park. The changes in the names and boundaries that have occurred over the years can be confusing.

What is the time difference in Alaska?

Alaska has its own time zone and we also have daylight savings. Alaska is: 
4 hours behind the Eastern Time Zone 
3 hours behind the Central Time Zone 
2 hours behind the Mountain Time Zone 
1 hour behind the Pacific Time Zone

What is the weather like in Southcentral Alaska? 

Southcentral Alaska includes Anchorage, Kenai Peninsula Matanuska and Susitna River Valleys. 
May - 54' high / 38' low 
June - 61' high / 47' low 
July - 65' high / 51' low 
August - 63' high / 49' low 
September - 55' high / 41' low

What is the weather like in the Interior? 

The Interior of Alaska includes Denali National Park and Fairbanks. 
May - 59' high / 38' low 
June - 70' high / 49' low 
July - 72' high / 52' low 
August - 66' high / 47' low 
September - 54' high / 36' low

What type of animals might I see in Denali? 

Denali is known for its land wildlife such as: 
Caribou 
Wolf 
Moose 
Grizzly Bear 
Dall Sheep 
Arctic Ground Squirrel

What type of animals might I see in Kenai Fjords? 

Kenai Fjords National Park is home to many animals such as: 
Sea Otters 
Orcas 
Humpback Whales 
Harbor Seals 
Steller Sea Lions 
Tufted Puffins 
Black Oyster Catcher 
Dall Sheep 
Black Bears

When should I make my reservations? 

You should make your reservations as soon as you know your dates of travel. By doing this early you will not have any problems booking tours, lodging and tranpsortation. Even though you are booking early you still have up until 45 days prior to your arrival to cancel and get a full refund on most activities. 

Can I bring my dog and cat?

It's perfectly OK to bring your dog or cat to Alaska, as long as it has a veterinarian-supplied health certificate stating that the pet has had its shots. Pets arrive daily on airliners, the ferry system and the Alaska Highway.