Alaska for the independent traveler

Travel Guidebook of the Month

Lonely Planet: Alaska, by Jim DuFresne and Aaron Spitzer

Alaska is home to the most rugged and remote wilderness in America — a vast sprawl of mountains, forest, rivers, and glaciers — as well as a distinctive local culture that blends native and Russian influences with American ones.  Statistically, most people experience Alaska by cruising the Inside Passage — but this sprawling northern state offers much more for the intrepid independent traveler.  With Lonely Planet's Alaska guide now in its 8^th edition, I emailed author Jim DuFresne for insights about traveling in the land of the midnight sun.

Around this time of year many people are planning Alaska trips for the summer, but few people think to journey north in the winter.  What destinations and activities might you recommend for a winter trip to Alaska?

Jim DuFresne: Alaska is trying hard to promote winter tourism, but it just hasn't caught on. Having said that I took a trip with my son three years ago in February and it was one of the best Alaskan experiences I have ever had. The highpoint was a three-day sled dog adventure in Denali National Park in which we each had our own sled and team of six dogs. We spent the days mushing to remote trapper's cabins. We also downhill skied at Alyeska (where Tommy Moe learned to race) and did a full-day snowshoe adventure in Turnagain Pass. The best part was no tourists, unbelievably cheap prices for lodging and transportation, and the locals were relaxed and friendly.

Denali National Park is Alaska's marquee natural venue, and with good reason.  But what are some lesser-known public nature regions in Alaska that might reward travelers hoping to get off the beaten path?

JD: Chugach State Park is the third largest state park in the country and on the doorstep of Anchorage. Yet most visitors just pass it by. There you can find a number of great backpacking trips (the Historic Iditarod Trail is the best), or spend the day hiking (Flattop Mountain Trail), yet still be back in Anchorage for happy hour. Denali National Park is a wonderful place — but to escape the crowds, head to Denali State Park on the east side of the George Parks Highway. From its ridges you get the best views of Mount McKinley. For those with wilderness experience Lake Clark National Park can be an easy place to organize a float or long trek...it's just across Cook Inlet from Anchorage.

Unless one takes the Al-Can highway, most American travelers will arrive in Alaska without their own transportation.  Is renting a car a necessity, or is there good public transportation to the major attractions?  Would one need to rent a more rugged car than if, say, one was traveling to California?

JD: Bus transportation and bus companies are dismal at best in Alaska. The Alaska Railroad runs from Seward to Fairbanks (with a stop at Denali of course), and is a great train ride, but a bit expensive. The Alaska Marine Highway is the state system of ferries in southeast and south-central Alaska, and is a wonderful way to travel to these roadless regions. In the summer you need to book reservations in advance! In the end many visitors rent cars and also small motor homes or pick-up trucks with campers on them. Best place for a long-term rental of either is Anchorage, and you should expect to pay $40 to $50 a day for a car. Any car that can travel in California can be used for 90 percent of the roads that interest tourists in Alaska.

Alaska is a huge state, and much of it lies above the Arctic Circle.  How accessible is this northern region, and what would you recommend seeing there?

JD: Much of Arctic Alaska is not accessible to the average tourist. The best way to see many of the great wilderness areas (such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) is through a wilderness guiding company. Two towns in the bush where independent travelers can visit and find fascinating are Barrow and Nome. Neither is cheap even at Alaska standards.

Anchorage is a pretty big city, all things considered.  Is it worth one's travel time to indulge in the nightlife there, or is one's Alaska time better spent in the wilderness?

JD: Anchorage is a young and very active city. It has the best restaurants, bars and entertainment venues in the state. Plus within a bush-plane ride away you can do almost anything, including an afternoon of wilderness fishing or bear-watching. I like Anchorage because it's so close to the mountains and great hiking. The only city with better hiking close to its center is Juneau.

I've always been fascinated with the far-flung Aleutian Islands.  Is it possible to get to the Aleutians without spending a ton of money?  What do the islands have to reward the visitor who makes it there?

JD: The Alaska Marine Highway has a special run once a month during the summer that leaves Kodiak and follows the Alaska Peninsula to Unalaska of the Aleutian Islands. The history here is fascinating — the Japanese bombed the town during WWII, and you can still see much of the military build-up that resulted from the attack. Because so many people don't realize that the Japanese bombed and captured a couple of Aleutian Islands during WWII, it's often called "the Forgotten War." On the three-day boat ride out to Unalaska you'll see lots of marine wildlife (sea lions and whales) and birdlife. But keep a barf bag handy. You travel through the North Pacific, in an area known as the Cradle of the Storms. 

More information on Lonely Planet: Alaska ($21.99) can be found at LonelyPlanet.com.

Note: An earlier version of this article referred to Alaska as the 50th state. In fact it was the 49th state to join the union.