Alaska Guidebooks and Resource Suggestions?

[truenorth]

Hello All,

Please post your lists of top "must-have" guidebooks, maps, websites, publications or other resources for researching before hand and taking along for traveling Alaska by road.

Comments about strengths and weaknesses of each will be appreciated, as will the best place to buy/find them.

Experienced roadtrip/RV'ers (to Alaska or similar): please describe what kind of information I won't be able to find in guidebooks etc and will end up writing in columns, developing on own or hacking together from other sources.

Thank you!?

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

You "must have" The Milepost.  The Milepost

We also found the maps and guides from Karo-Ent.com to be handy.  These are practical guides rather tan slick pubs, but the authors have been over every inch or the roads (and campgrounds) themselves in their Rv and re-visit them almost every year.  See Karo-Ent

 

[rhmahoney]

On our current trip, we find this too be very good:
Traveler's Guide to Alaskan Camping: Explore Alaska and the Yukon with RV or Tent, Mike Church, Paperback, Traveler's Guide Ser., 2, Book, ISBN: 0974947113

Milepost is also good.

See the ongoing trip report of our travels by Betty Brewer.

 

[Tom]

A number of forum members have written logs of their Alaska trips and some of these can be found in our library. Click the Library button in the toolbar and select Trip reports.

You might also wish to follow along with several folks who are currently on a trip to Alaska - their progress together with photos appears in this topic.

 

[Len and Jo]

We used the following for our 2003 Alaska trip:

The Mile Post
Jorden, Peters,Tarkin RV Forum Trip Logs
Scenic Driving: Alaska and the Yukon by Eric Molvar
Scenic Driving: Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks by Susan Springer Butler
MS Streets and Trips w GPS

Since that time there has been many more Alaska trip logs (including ours) posted to the RV Forum.  I would recommend reading several of them.  Different people have different interests, so reading several trip logs could help you to find the specific things that would interest you.

 

[truenorth]

Thank you for all the great suggestions.

It seems that traveling by road in Alaska requires multiple guidebooks. Is there a particular combination that works well? For what reasons?

Another question - it seems that seeing Alaska section by section over several trips is common. Is there a particular order that you recommend? What is a good pace? How many days/weeks for each region?

 

[Betty Brewer]

It seems that traveling by road in Alaska requires multiple guidebooks. Is there a particular combination that works well? For what reasons?Another question - it seems that seeing Alaska section by section over several trips is common. Is there a particular order that you recommend? What is a good pace? How many days/weeks for each region?

I think you could get by with just The Milepost.  But we liked the Mike Church book  Camping in Alaska for it's simplicity.  The maps leading into town that give a  pictorial representation of the  location of the RV parks, which side of the road etc was a helpful orientation as we entered towns.
Alaska is so big people might be constrained by time and need to make a couple of trips  I don't think there is a "best" order of places to visit. I like the circle we are taking but others we have met were going in the opposite direction and it worked. The number of days or weeks per each section is highly individual and I think in part  dependent on weather.  If a place has had nice weather we have tended to enjoy it more and thusly , stay longer.  Seems to me there are no PAT answers for Alaska.  Except I recommend everyone go there.

Betty

 

[Tom]

Betty,

I have the 2006 Milepost, but I've read so many good things about Mike Church's book that I'm going to order it today.

 

[Betty Brewer]

I have the 2006 Milepost, but I've read so many good things about Mike Church's book that I'm going to order it today.

Tom,
Our book has a 2005 copyright date.  See if there is a more recent one as many of the  prices he quotes are too low.  The phone number in our book to order is (425) 822-7846. .  They have a website  www.rollinghomes.com

The  complete title of the book is Traveler's Guide to Alaskan Camping.  Lorna bought one up here in Fairbanks at Barnes and Noble. I don't think it is  an "in stock item" down south.

Betty

 

[Tom]

Thanks Betty. The one on amazon.com and the one on the Church's web site both say 3rd edition. Amazon shows a publication date of April 1, 2005 and the newest review quoted on the Church's web site is July, 2005. I wonder if Lorna has a newer version?

 

[Lorna]

Tom

Mine is a Third Edition.  I picked up one for Russ at Barnes and Noble in Surprise last March but don't remember the edition.

 

[Tom]

Thanks Lorna. Looks like the 3rd edition is the latest.

 

[Barb]

I think the visitor centers are a very good source of info. Stop at a prov. center, and a local center. Most of the colored tri-fold maps we have read have been invalualbe.  And very rv friendly. They have trailer drop sites, dump staions. rv parking, local sites to see, washrooms (restrooms), and a ton of other info.

Barb
Currently in Lake Louise, AB,CA

 

[Tom]

I've emailed the Churches asking if they have an update planned.

Edit: I guess they don't retrieve their email very often. Received an "undeliverable mail" notice saying "account is full (quota exceeded)".

 

[Tom]

Most of the colored tri-fold maps we have read have been invalualbe.  And very rv friendly.

Barb, where did you get the tri-fold maps?

 

[Barb]

Tom,

Tri-Fold Maps.  At the Visitor Centers.  Really great source of information.  Also if you contact the Camber of Com. in advance, in any town where you will  be traveling, they will send you a wealth of information.

Barb

 

[Ned]

We use those city maps a lot when travelling.  They show clearly all the important points of interest, not just tourist stops but grocery stores, gas stations, etc.  Our first stop is always the visitors center to pick up maps and brochures on anything we might be interested in seeing.

 

[Tom]

Thanks Barb.