Fairbanks to Glennallen: Richardson Highway
Richardson Highway: The alternate route to Fairbanks
Whenever we take off on road trips, we plan circle routes so that we don’t have to backtrack. I wrote about the Parks Highway that connects Anchorage and Fairbanks. Traveling south back to Anchorage, we often take the longer route on the Richardson Highway. I am fond of North Pole, where Christmas is year-round. It is one of the starting attractions for going down the Richardson Highway.
The Richardson Highway runs from Fairbanks to Valdez. I wrote about our road trip down to Valdez in an earlier post. I won’t repeat that part of our trip in this post. Instead, I will focus on The portion between Fairbanks and Glennallen.
Th3 portion of the Richardson Highway between Fairbanks and Glennallen is 247 miles long. It is an easy day’s travel as long as there isn’t too much road construction going on. For road construction, check out the Alaska road construction links that I provided in the Parks Highway Part II post. While a person can call 511, calls can be sketchy. Unfortunately, unless you have a satellite phone, cell service will be difficult to access unless you are close to a community. Check any details before leaving a community if you have questions about the conditions of the highway. Here are some quick tactics to use when looking for up-to-date highway conditions:
1. Chat with other campers who have just arrived from the direction you are headed.
2. Ask locals such as clerks at the gas station or campground officials.
3. Use the above links; they may be dated by the time you are on the road.
4. Listen to a local radio station for major disruptions.
North Pole
One of the best parts about taking the Richardson Highway south from Fairbanks is visiting North Pole. That’s right; North Pole is a real place. The town of North Pole was established as a commercial project to capitalize on Christmas. The vision was only partially realized with the establishment of the Santa Claus House. So, if you want a taste of Christmas all year-round, this is a fun place to visit. Children an adults send letters to Santa. If you would like a letter back, that is possible too. For more information take a look at www.santaclaushouse.com.
We like to visit North Pole for that taste of Christmas in the middle of the summer. If you visit North Pole, be sure to stop by to at least view the reindeer. North Pole is a must visit place for children of all ages.
Eielson Air Force Base
Once you drag the family away from North Pole, travel south. You may see the fighter jets as you pass by Eielson Air Force Base. Once in awhile, we get lucky, and they are out practicing. If you have military clearance, the base is a good spot to take a break and get bragging rights for visiting the farthest-north US Air Force Base.
he base was named after Carl Ben Eielson. He and George Hubert Wilkens shared several firsts. They were the first to deliver mail between Fairbanks and McGrath in 1924. The flight took 3 hours. At the time, dog teams averaged a 30-day trek. They were the first to cross the Arctic Circle to land on the North Slope. Eielson and Wilkens flew from Point Barrow to Spitsbergen, Norway over the Arctic Ocean in 1928. They also crossed the Antarctic ocean in the same year. Unfortunately, the following year Eielson and his mechanic, Earl Borland crashed and perished in Siberia while assisting the vessel “Nanuk.” It was trapped in sea ice at North Cape.
I don’t usually dwell too much on history, but I find the early aviation history of Alaska important since everyone depends on air service for one thing or another. I often take small planes into remote villages. It is challenging enough for our modern bush pilots. I can only imagine the difficulties that the early aviators faced!
Camping at Eielson Air Force Base:
There is a campground at Eielson for active and retired military personnel and their families. Camp at the Eielson AFB Bear Lake FamCamp.
Delta Junction
Delta Junction is the start or the finish, depending upon how you look at it, of the Alaska Highway. The Alaska Highway stretches from Delta Junction to Dawson Creek. If you drove to Alaska, this is the highway you arrived on. Check back soon. I will be posting a series on the Alaska Highway soon. Fuel up and take a break at Delta Junction. There campgrounds if you need electricity, a dump station, and water. There are also ample off-highway turn-offs for boondocking. Either way, it’s a long dry spell between communities.
While you are traveling along the Richardson Highway, you can’t help but notice the pump stations and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline that stretches from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez. There numerous places to stop for photos as well as information placards along the way.
Paxon & Denali Highway
Paxon is a small community where you can take a turn-off onto the Denali Highway. This is an option that connects back to the Parks Highway. The Denali Highway is 134 miles long between Paxon and Cantwell. It is one of my old favorite road trips. Tangle Lakes is steeped in Native Alaskan Culture. While most of the highway is not paved, it is well worth the effort to get off the beaten path and enjoy Interior Alaska. I like to fantasize about what it must have been like when the mastodons and mammoths ruled the steppes. The views are stunning, so charge up those camera batteries. Be aware; Denali Highway is closed during the winter.
The Denali Highway is mostly gravel. The road may be a shortcut on paper, but do not take this road lightly. It may be called a highway, but it is mostly a gravel road. The Denali Highway is in fairly good shape depending upon the previous winter. Expect deep ruts, wash-outs, tons of dust, and potholes. Slow down, and you will be just fine with a truck camper. For larger rigs, check ahead with others who have recently driven this road before deciding to go.
Glennallen
Glennallen is about 73 miles from Paxon. See information about Glennallen in a previous post for expanded information about the area and the Glenn Highway to Anchorage.
All along the Richardson Highway, you will find plenty of turn-offs and opportunities to boondock. Keep your eyes out for caribou, moose, and bears. They all frequent this area. Keep those binoculars handy for identifying birds that frequent the area. Chances are you will see ptarmigan in the high country.
While taking the Richardson Highway may be the long route between Anchorage and Fairbanks, to me, it is the most scenic. be sure to check out our previous posts: