See Denali National Park, Mount McKinley, Fairbanks, and for the brave, the Arctic Circle–a new definition of “scenic route.”
Driving the stretch of Alaska north to south is definitely not a proposition for the faint-hearted. We’ll take it in three detailed stages. Start off simple in Anchorage, and take Route 3 north. You’ll experience the grandeur of the nation with a selection of fine scenery. Prepare to spend some time at Denali National Park, home of Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America. A pit stop in Fairbanks will end this run for most first timers. If you want to push the limits a little more, pick up Route 2 to the Dalton Highway north out of Fairbanks for the next destination: the Arctic Circle. Once you get out of town, the road turns to gravel, but when you take a vehicle to Alaska, you’ve already made the decision to forsake Read more . . .
Trying to see Alaska by motor vehicle definitely has its limitations. When looking at a map of the state, only a relatively small portion is accessible by road. Nevertheless, the panorama of Alaska can still be experienced from the highways, and Route 1 is considered as one of the best. Driving into Alaska, Tok is the first major crossroads and where you pick up Route1, better known as the Tok Cut-Off. As a freeway, Route 1 is as well maintained as can be for one that experiences such extremes of temperature. The pavement is just about glassy but the underlying ground bucks the road into a mild roller coaster effect. If you’ve driven up the Alaska Highway to get here, it’ll be the smoothest road you’ve seen in days. As Route1 rolls through the magnificent forests of Alaska, the first thing you begin to notice is how big everything is.