Fall colors in Alaska...

[indiesmom]

We are hoping to experience fall in Denali National Park. Any suggestions as to a date range of when we should try to go would be appreciated. How late does the shuttle run to Wonder Lake? To Eilson (sp)? We also hope to go to Seward and Valdez. Can anyone tell me if fall arrives sooner or later in these areas? This info would be very helpful in planning our route. :o

[pizzalady1]

These were taken on the road to Denali and in Denali Aug 31 to Sept 2009

[Tricia724]

We were at Denali on Sept. 5-8 last year, and the colors were extraordinary. On Sept. 8 before we left to drive back to Anchorage, we drove to Savage River for one last look for moose, and it was obvious that the colors were deepening and the groundcover was starting to look dry. We could see a difference between the first day and the last day we were there.

 

We live in Pennsylvania and have beautiful fall colors.....most years. However, weather conditions can affect the timing and variety of color. I assume the same is true of Alaska, and the timing can vary, but if I were planning another fall trip to Denali, I'd try to be there the first few days of September.

[Budget Queen]

The fall is a very short season in Denali. I have seen "colors" from the very end of August until about the through the first week of Sept. You may want to consider in that range, to at least hit part of the season.

 

Wonder Lake shuttle buses are still running until about mid Sept. http://www.nps.gov/dena

[indiesmom]

Thank you all for your replies. Do any of you know if the fall colors comes earlier, later, or about the same time in Seward, Valdez, or Homer?

[Tricia724]

Thank you all for your replies. Do any of you know if the fall colors comes earlier' date=' later, or about the same time in Seward, Valdez, or Homer?[/quote']

 

This was our timeframe for Alaska: We rented a car and drove from Anchorage to Homer on August 29. On September 4 we drove from Homer to Talkeetna then to Denali. We returned our car to Anchorage, and on September 10 we took the Alaska RR to Seward where we spent a couple of days before our cruise sailed on September 12.

 

I don't know where you live or what you are expecting for fall colors, but I would not characterize our driving back and forth to Homer or our train trip from Anchorage to Seward as having much in the way of fall color. It is a beautiful drive and train trip, and there was certainly a variation of color in the mountains and meadows, but it was not the vivid reds and oranges and yellows most people attribute to fall. Does it come later? I don't know.

 

The real color we saw was in Denali and the Denali area, and it was different than our color at home. In western Pennsylvania, the leaves on our trees turn color. In Denali, the bushes and groundcover turned color. And the Denali colors were different.....they were red and gold and pink and rust and mauve and purple and every combination in between. With the mountains in the background, the blue sky, and the stark whiteness of Mt. McKinley as a frame, it was a beautiful sight. I think it's worth it to focus on Denali and just let the rest of the trip fall into place.

[mapleleaves]

Our experience in late August was similar to what Trish reported; not much color around Anchorage or on the Kenai Peninsula. Our visit to Denali was followed by a drive to Fairbanks, Valdez, Palmer, then the Kenai. Lots of color ! and small lakes surrounded by the colorful shrubs of red and gold. And in one lake was a large bull moose!