Welcome to our new series: Road trip to Southeast Alaska.

Our new five-part series starts with a road trip from Anchorage to Tok. We will take you with us on our truck camping road trip to the two main ports that connect to the Alaska Marine Highway: Haines and Skagway. We will break the journey down into five parts with additional posts for topics that you have emailed us with requests for more information.

All road trips to or from Alaska involve the joy of spending some time visiting Canada. Be sure to check out our free white pages resource sheet about border crossings between the United States and Canada. The paper gives general information that will help you navigate through a hassle-free border crossing. It is strictly informal information about our experiences that may help you along the way. Full disclaimer here; it is not any legal or official information advice. Border Crossing For RV Campers will help you plan your road trip border crossings by having a general idea of what to expect, and how to prepare for international travel with your RV.

Anchorage to Tok

A road trip from Anchorage to either Haines or Skagway can take as little as two full days of travel. But why? With so much to see and enjoy, spend some extra time and enjoy the journey. This first post is the Anchorage to Tok leg.

Anchorage is a huge city. A road trip through rural parts of Alaska starts with some time provisioning in Anchorage. Follow our Anchorage Camping Scene post, and get some ideas for preparing for road trips to rural Alaska. Also, take a look at our Parks Highway Part 1 post for additional information.

Anchorage to Tok Driving Directions:

The Anchorage to Tok leg includes a portion of the Glenn Highway. You can take a longer route through Fairbanks on the Parks Highway and then turn southeast on the Richardson Highway. We featured both of these highways in the following posts:

• Parks Highway Part 2
• Parks Highway Part 3
• Richardson Highway: Fairbanks to Glennallen
• Alaska Interior RV Adventures: Fairbanks as Base Camp
• Fairbanks to Glennallen: Richardson Highway

Take the Glenn Highway north until you reach Glennallen. At Glennallen, take the Tok Cutoff. This highway is one of two roads to Tok. The other one is the southbound highway (Richardson Highway) from Fairbanks.

Since we featured both the Glenn Highway and The Richardson Highway in other posts, I will focus on the Tok Cutoff Road.

Tok Cutoff Road

Be sure to fuel up at Glennallen before turning onto the Tok Cutoff Road. While you will have ample fuel, things can happen. Last year we waited for close to two hours when they had to close the highway temporarily due to a fatal traffic accident. Every summer the road crews work on the highways in Alaska. Expect a section to be under construction, and expect some traffic delays. Having extra fuel will make the stops a minor inconvenience rather than a nail-biting ordeal.

On the Tok Cutoff, there are a couple of side trips that may interest RV truck campers. We have not been to them in many years, but will be looking at checking it out next summer. Like many people, the summer was just too short, and we have to save some fun side trips for another season.

Nabesna

A side trip to Nabesna on the Nabesna road is about 40 miles. The Nebsesna Road will take you into the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. The only other way into the park other than an airplane tour is to drive down the McCarthy Road from Chitina. We visited McCarthy and put that road trip into the McCarthy via Chitina & Glennallen post.

Nabesna Road has some magnificent scenery, and it is off the tourist map. Part of the road is paved, but the rest is gravel. There are turnouts and opportunities for some free boondock camping. Like the McCarthy Road, do some research about road conditions before getting your heart set on this side trip.

Mentasta Lake

A shorter side trip is the loop to Mentasta. This quick jog will still get you off the beaten path to see somewhere very special. On a clear day, the mountains are spectacular. The last we heard, there is some good fishing at Metasta Lake. Like all things Alaska, many fishing and hunting places are closely held secrets, and often people will exaggerate good fishing on an area that is fished out. So check it out yourself. Be sure to follow the latest Fish and Game regulations before casting out that irresistible lure!

Tok

Tok is famous for its roadside amenities. It is the main junction where people arrive from Canada and then choose between the Richardson Highway to Fairbanks or the Glenn Highway to Anchorage. Roads join from Chicken/Eagle, Glennallen, Delta Junction, and of course, Canada. Tok has fuel, groceries, and RV parks. Auto repair can also be performed if necessary. If you fuel up and ask very politely, The gas station with the car wash in the back will let you park out back past the car wash for just overnight. This was a godsend since we arrived very late.

Camping

Boondocking for truck campers is a breeze with overnight camping along the highway. Just stay clear of any areas with private property signs and “No Camping” signs. Please do the right thing and leave your camping place with no trace.

Anchorage to Tok is an easy day trip. In the summer expect daylight all night. If you leave Anchorage a bit later than planned, you will have ample light to guide you to Tok.

Next week we will continue our Anchorage to Southeast Road Trip Series.

Leave a comment or email us if you would like us to include something that we have neglected. Also, we love your ideas and input, so please share your thoughts with everyone. We are very much a community-centric blog, and we dream that everyone enjoys RV truck camping as well as we do.