Suggestions for 16 days from Calgary to Whitehorse

[Jon_esp]

We are from the UK and are completely new to this RV thing but thought we ought it give it a try. 

So we have booked a rental vehicle from Canadream picking it up in Calgary in mid august and dropping it of in Whitehorse 16 days later.  We have booked flights in and out of Calgary and local connection from Whitehorse.

What we are looking for now is how to make the best use of our time and would be very grateful for any suggestions.    We have managed to get hold of some Bells Travel Guides which are certainly a start.

What we had in mind was to take about 5 days working our way through the Rockies, Radium Hot Springs,  Jasper,  Lake Maligne etc.    We suspect that this part will be very crowded so wont linger.  Then 3 days and 2 nights to take us down the Yellowhead highway to Prince Rupert and understand the best bit is around the Hazeltons.  At Prince Rupert we were going to jump on the Ferry firstly to Petersburg where we would stay for 2 nights and then to Juneau for another 2 nights.  Finally we thought we would make the last ferry trip from Juneau to Haines driving up to Haines Junction and across to Whitehorse.     

We thought I might hire the bike rack and then buy a couple of cheap mountain bikes in Calgary only to sell them in Whitehorse when we get there.  Bikes are quite cheap here so I thought I should pick up some basic ones for under 100$ each.  Or perhaps I'm dreaming.

Where will we go wrong apart from not having more time?

? Will we be able to get into camp sites / RV parks in the Rockies or will they be full?
? Outside the National parks are you allowed to just pull over for the night somewhere or are camp sites compulsory?
? What are these ferries like and how far in advance do we have to book them?
? What is driving these RVs like    Are some of the roads in the Rockies and on the islands narrow?    we have booked one of the larger RVs.

Any thoughts from anybody who knows the area

Thanks

Jon

 

[rhmahoney]

Where will we go wrong apart from not having more time?

? Will we be able to get into camp sites / RV parks in the Rockies or will they be full?
? Outside the National parks are you allowed to just pull over for the night somewhere or are camp sites compulsory?
? What are these ferries like and how far in advance do we have to book them?
? What is driving these RVs like    Are some of the roads in the Rockies and on the islands narrow?    we have booked one of the larger RVs.

There is never enough time!

Size is rarely a problem. Your rig will be 36 ft/12 m or smaller. At 10 m/30 ft you are able to handle almost all small CGs. paved roads are wide relative to what can be found in rural UK.

Roadside parking is OK. In Alaska, must be 10 ft off roadway. In Canada, roadside rest areas are marked no overnighting and OK if unmarked.

Ferries are side entry drive on and off and have 6 lanes. Since you are not towing a car, nothing to unhook and drive on separately. By late August, Northbound travel may not need far ahead booking.

I liked Sitka better than Juneau.

Haines is a delight. I prefer the one row CG on the water, just N of the marina. The health food store has a superb wine shop. You can only take 2 bottle into Canada. For bear viewing, go N from the ferry and up the river at the head of the fjord, stop when you get to the crowd.

Rather than 300+ miles to Whitehorse by road, take ferry one hour to Skagway. The town is part national park and very touristy. Great 3 hr narrated train ride up to the top of white pass.

Whitehorse is a modest drive due North from there.

Bear viewing. one of the best spots is 5 miles N of Hyder AK/Stewart BC. You stand on an elevated walkway along fish creek and shoot downward at the bears. Got a very good pic of an eagle feasting on leftovers on the far bank.

 

[Jon_esp]

Thanks rhmahoney

Ferries are side entry drive on and off and have 6 lanes. Since you are not towing a car, nothing to unhook and drive on separately. By late August, Northbound travel may not need far ahead booking.

so I don't have to be panicked into making booking yet

I liked Sitka better than Juneau.

We wanted to try and work Sitka in but it just takes too much time to get there and the ferry schedules just don't seem to work out.   

Is Juneau very touristy?    there seem to be lots of cruise liners in and out.  We had thought of giving it a skip and spending more time elsewhere.

Petersburg sounds good. 

We had hoped to get one of these tour boats to take us humpback watching.  My teenage daughter is determined to do this somewhere and Juneau may be the place.

Rather than 300+ miles to Whitehorse by road, take ferry one hour to Skagway

 
I looked at that and wasn't sure which was the most interesting road.  By what you say Haines is a nicer place to stop but is the drive on to Whitehorse better (and shorter) from Skagway.

Jon

 

[ArdraF]

Whitehorse has some really interesting museums, including about Beringia and Alaska-Canada transportation (ranges from sled dogs to seaplanes to building the Alcan Highway).  Also going up to Dawson City is fun.  Touristy because it's part of the Canada-USA park about the gold rush, but nevertheless interesting.  The White Pass train ride is great IF the weather is clear and you just have to take that as it comes.  When clear the views are stupendous; when foggy or rainy forget it.  Juneau is the capitol of Alaska but you can see it in a few hours.  [Correction] Ketchikan has an interesting area along the waterfront that had bordellos.

There's so much to see and do that 16 days will just get you interested in coming back for more at a more leisurely pace.  On the Icefields Parkway be sure to take a ride in the Snocat out onto the glacier.  Really neat!  Also, lovely Lake Louise has a wonderful old Canadian Pacific railroad hotel that gives you an idea of how railroads played a role in developing tourism in that part of the world.

ArdraF

 

[BernieD]

Our 2 favorite stops along the intercoastal waterway were Sitka and Ketchikan. Either is far superior to Juneau. We've been to Haines twice and can't wait to go back. The only reason to go to Skagway is the 1 hour ferry ride from Haines and the White Pass train ride. It is a don't miss if possible and weather permitting. Leaving Skagway for Whitehorse you drive up the other side of the pass from the train and see what was below. The scenery along the route up to Carcross, YK (which is a nice stopping point) is outstanding.

 

[ArdraF]

The only reason to go to Skagway...

Sorry, Bernie, but I have disagree with you.  For visitors coming from another country, Skagway is worth some time because it's where the Klondike gold rush to the Yukon started.  The National Park Service has a visitor center there for the Klondike Gold Rush National Park which starts in Seattle and ends at Dawson City in the Yukon.  This park is a joint effort between the Canadian and USA national park services.  Had it not been for the gold rush, the area still might not be developed and accessible for us RVers!  We've been there twice and the second time spent a couple of days roaming around, including hiking half a mile at the start of the Chillkoot Trail, going to Dyee which was a thriving port back then, and taking the White Pass train ride.  Yes, a lot of cruise ships come in and turn the place into a zoo, but I still believe it's worth spending some time there.

And, by the way, Parks Canada in Dawson City has wonderful docent-led tours of the historical area.  We stayed there longer than anticipated too.

ArdraF

 

[Jon_esp]

Thanks everyone for their replies  This looks like a good forum.

Juneau is the capitol of Alaska but you can see it in a few hours.

So is the general consensus that we would be better leaving out Juneau and perhaps trying to work Ketchikan in instead    I will look again at the ferry timetables.  Nobody has commented on Petersburg which we thought looks interesting.  Have we got that wrong?

When the ferry stops at a port for a couple of hours I take it that there is no reason why we cant get of for a walk around as long as we are back onboard before it sails again.

The scenery along the route up to Carcross, YK (which is a nice stopping point) is outstanding

My son is keen on this White Pass when taking the road out of Skagway so maybe we should look at spending a day in Haines and then back on the ferry to pop up to Skagway.  That seems to be the best of both worlds.

I seem to be getting lots of ideas about the Alaska Marine highway section but what about the Rockies and the Yellowhead highway. 

Thanks again

Jon

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I think you would enjoy spending more time on the Icefields Highway (Banff to Jasper). Jasper and Banff are spectacular and the wildlife viewing (elk. moose, mountain goats and sheep, etc) is incredible. It WILL be crowded, though, and the Canadian National Parks do not take reservations for campsites - you have to get in line early in the a.m. for whatever sites become available that day.

We loved the Haines area (spent a week there) and the drive to Whitehorse from there is scenic. Skagway is supposed to be equally nice, though "touristy" because of the large number of cruise ships that stop there. You can ferry from one to the other if you want to do both.

The Bear Viewing at Hyder (off the is outstanding when the salmon are running, which is a bit unpredictable at that time.  Theere are runs throughout the summer, but timing is not exact.  You would have to detour up the Cassier Highway from the TransCanada Hwy west of Hazelton.

The Hazelton area of the TransCanada is nice enough, but you can see/do most of it while passing through. Not an extended stay area, in my opinion, unless you are a fisherman.

The problem in this sort of trip is that nearly everywhere is a nice area, so you end up passing up good spots because there are even better ones elsewhere. You could easily spend 4-6 weeks on the route you have outlined and still not see it all. I think the geography, wildlife and lifestyle are different enough that a visitor from the UK will be pleased with just about any area there.

Addendum:  It is now possible to make reservations at Canadian National Parks in Jasper and Banff. They are always real busy, so I heartily recommend you do so!

 

[Jon_esp]

Thanks Garry

This is all useful stuff

the Canadian National Parks do not take reservations for campsites - you have to get in line early in the a.m. for whatever sites become available that day.

This having to go to a site in the morning doesn?t sound much fun.

What I had envisaged was each day leaving a site (or where we have stayed) in the morning and winding our way along until the afternoon and then stopping for the night.  But if we then have nowhere to stop because we can?t pre book and we should have been in a queue by the morning but they are all now full then this is going to go pear-shaped.

I was reading some other posts about parking up in places other than camp / RV sites but I don?t think I can do that in the national parks, or have I got this all wrong?  How do I get round this?  Or can?t I?

We don?t want to find that come dark on our first couple of nights we have found nowhere to stop and the local Police, Park Rangers or what ever they have are getting stressed out with us.

Jon

 

[rhmahoney]

My 2 trips along the Yellowhead were at the end of 2 month and 3.5 month Alaska trips. Both days, I started from Hyder. In 2001 I got to Prince George and overnighted at a Walmart. In 2006 I got to Jasper and overnighted at a pullout along the river east of town. See Betty Brewer's log of our 2006 trip for details of our choices for boondocking and CGs.

I did Juneau by cruise ship in 1999 and it was not very memorable.

Call the ferry svc and ask about how far in advance to book the trips.

Absolutely the wrong direction for you is the Royal Tyrell dinosaur museum in Drumheller, 60 miles NE of Calgary. Outstanding.

Can't comment about the road between Whitehorse and Haines Jct. because I used the Haines-Skagway ferry both trips for the return home leg. Outbound I went  Whitehorse-Dawson City-Chicken-Tok. both times.

Ketchican walking tour was enjoyable. I seen to remember reading that the local grocery store (Fred Myers) let you boondock in their parking lot.

Just west of Jasper, I came around the curve and was astounded by the view of Mt Robson in the late afternoon sunlight. worth a half hour stop.

Outbound 2006 we stayed at national park CG at Banff and had no problems?in late May! Our CG for Jasper was Whistler, just S of town, forested and with many elk, some still pregnant inside the CG. Enjoyed the tram ride to the mt. top just west of town.

"Nobody has commented on Petersburg which we thought looks interesting.   Have we got that wrong?"

Well, my 199 cruise did not stop there, so have no help.

 

[Jon_esp]

Thanks again especially as I am undoubtedly asking some questions that may seem pretty daft to a lot of you.   

Boondocking sounded to me like a procedure lifted from one of the international space station operation manuals but the forums glossary helped to put me right.   

So in general we should perhaps not even try to get into a campsite in Canadian Rockies but rely on pullouts and WalMart.    We will however need to dump our waste water and top up with fresh.  Are there many places that this can be done?

I am also struggling to get hold of decent guide books and maps.  I have managed to get the Bells Guides which although their website said they would not post outside of the USA / Canada were very helpful when contacted and did post them to me.  Amazon in the UK have come up with the AAA Alberta and British Colombia as well as the Lonely Planet and Michelin guides whilst I am still awaiting delivery of the Jasper National Park Visitors Map and also Fodors Compass American guide Alaska Inside Passage. 

Could anybody recommend any other maps or guides as we have a customer in Alaska who has kindly offered to post things to us if we let them know what we want?

Thanks again

Jon

 

[rhmahoney]

The Milepost, published annually in March, is the gold standard for the roads to Alaska. I like the Church's book on Alaska CGs.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=the+milepost&box=the%20milepost&pos=-1
        This is last year's edition.
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Travelers-Guide-to-Alaskan-Camping/Mike-Church/e/9780974947167

 

[BernieD]

Boondocking is a function of your holding tanks. In most cases you could boondock (not more than overnite at Wal-Mart unless permitted by store manager) for 2-4 nites and then stay in a campground to dump, load fresh water and clean up.

 

[ArdraF]

When the ferry stops at a port for a couple of hours I take it that there is no reason why we cant get of for a walk around as long as we are back onboard before it sails again.

In most of the towns our ferry stopped, the dock was somewhat removed from town and there really wasn't a way or time to explore.  The exception was Juneau where four of us hired a taxi with a very nice driver.  He drove us all over town and really gave us a nice guided tour.  At the end he dropped us off downtown so we could shop, said he'd be back in 1/2 hour to take us back to the ferry, and there he was - right on time.  It was a very positive experience.

Definitely get the Milepost.  Also I agree with Gary that the Icefields Parkway is spectacular and with Russ about the Drumheller museum.  There's far too much to see and do in just two weeks, so you'll have to start planning your next trip!

ArdraF

 

[mariekie]

Gary,

Just one little correction. One CAN make reservations for the campgrounds in the Canadian National Parks. In fact it is recommended. August is prime time there!

Mariekie

 

[Jon_esp]

Thanks Mariekie

One CAN make reservations for the campgrounds in the Canadian National Parks

This makes quite a difference so now I think I will work on a route through these Parks and where to stay.  I guess more guide books and maps will be required but now that I have been pointed by rhmahoney in the direction of this Barnes and Noble website who say they will post to the UK things are looking up.

More homework for me during these cold evenings!

Jon

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Just one little correction. One CAN make reservations for the campgrounds in the Canadian National Parks.

Thanks for the correction and I now see on the CNP site that is the case. As I recall when we went to Jasper and Banff, we were told it was first come, first served, but maybe that was "back then" (2002) or  only for certain sections.