All Alaska Route
select a community to start planning your trip
Glennallen/Delta Junction Alaska
Glennallen lies at the western edge of the huge Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Glennallen is the informational hub for the Copper River Valley. Those planning treks into the Copper River Basin or Wrangell Mountains should stop in Glennallen for local information or to learn about the guiding services. Travel north on the Richardson Highway to reach Delta Junction, the official end of the Alaska Highway. This is a great place to fish for lake trout, Arctic char and King salmon. The town is also home to the 90,000 acre Bison Sanctuary, and you can learn about life in Alaska during the early 1900s at the Sullivan Roadhouse Museum.
Copper Center, Alaska
The Old Richardson Highway will take you to Copper Center. This community was originally founded as a government agricultural experimental station, and later served as a transportation center during the Gold Rush. Copper Center is home to the ranger station for the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, the largest national park in the United States. Some of the best fishing in the state can be found at the Klutina River, the King salmon runs are from late June to the end of July. Also be sure to visit the Chapel on the Hill, which offers free admission and a slide show. For information on the history of the area, the George I. Ashby Memorial Museum is also a great place to check out.
Valdez, Alaska
The city of Valdez has all the services and amenities you will find in a larger city. An easy drive on the Richardson Highway, your visit will provide you with sights such as Thompson Pass and Keystone Canyon, a gorge cut by the Lowe River with hiking and rafting available. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline can also be seen clearly, running alongside the highway. Venture out onto Prince William Sound by taking a cruise on one of the many vessels, go on a fishing excursion, or rent rafts and kayaks. In August, the town holds its annual Gold Rush Days, with dancing, concessions and fish dinners.
Driving back into the town of Tok brings your Alaska journey to an end. As you travel back into Canada, treasure the memories of your tour within Alaska.
SIDE TRIPS
With so many places to visit in this massive state, it makes sense to take a few side trips and enjoy as much of it as possible. We’ve highlighted a few options for you to consider:
Kenny Lake/Chitina/McCarthy
From Copper Center, take the Edgerton Highway to Kenny Lake and Chitina. Try your luck at fishing in area lakes for trout and grayling, or stop by the Copper River to fish for salmon or just watch the fish wheels operating on the river. Then retire for the night in one of the many public and private campgrounds. From Chitina, you can continue along the gravel road to McCarthy to visit the historic Kennicott Mine. You will also find an abundance of hiking trails, river rafting and animal viewing at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.
Alaska’s Scenic Byway
The Scenic Byways program was started in 1993 and has named 11 byways, totaling more than 4,700 miles of the most beautiful and historic routes through the state of Alaska. These include the Alaska Marine Highway, the Alaska Railroad, and the Glenn, Seward, Steese, Richardson and Taylor Highways. We encourage you to consider these routes, and the state’s other Scenic Byways when you are driving through Alaska, as they offer unique perspectives into the splendor of the Alaskan landscape.
Kodiak Island
The fishing community of Kodiak can be accessed via the ferry out of Homer, or a short flight out of Anchorage. Kodiak is Alaska’s oldest European settlement, with Russians arriving here as early as 1763. There is also a rich archeological history here, as the Alutiiq Natives lived here for more than 8,000 years and research sites unearth new discoveries regularly. Spend a day on the brisk and inviting sea, hooking into some halibut to take home. Or investigate some of the abundant history by visiting the Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository. The National Wildlife Refuge Center provides information on the natural resources of this area, and on cabins for rent in the wildlife refuge.
