Alaska - but when?

[lee8553]

Hi, am planning cruise & land trip to Alaska, but unsure when best

 

to travel of my 2 options, which are to cruise either last few days of June into early July or late Aug early Sept. as I can see pros & cons to both. So I'm hoping for any advice from previous cruisers.

Thanks:)

[Keith1010]

Of the two I would go with June because it is still early on the season.

 

In the end though I would go with the dates that work best for your schedule.

 

There is a higher chance for rain in late August or early September but weather can vary day to day and even year over year so you just never can guarantee what it will be like.

 

Also more daytime hours in late June into early July.

 

Keith

[Coral]

June-July. For hopefully better weather and longer days.

[AKStafford]

Hi, am planning cruise & land trip to Alaska, but unsure when best

 

 

to travel of my 2 options, which are to cruise either last few days of June into early July or late Aug early Sept. as I can see pros & cons to both. So I'm hoping for any advice from previous cruisers.

Thanks:)

I like late August/early September. The fall colors at Denali are pretty amazing.

[JT1962]

Hi, am planning cruise & land trip to Alaska, but unsure when best

 

 

 

to travel of my 2 options, which are to cruise either last few days of June into early July or late Aug early Sept. as I can see pros & cons to both. So I'm hoping for any advice from previous cruisers.

 

 

Thanks:)

 

 

 

June / July for what is usually better weather than Aug / Sep.

 

 

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[DougH]

June-July. For hopefully better weather and longer days.

 

What she said :)

[olemissreb]

We went Mid June to early July. AK was having a freakishly warm summer 5 years ago. I thought we'd get away from the heat of GA and got the same in Alaska. It was really nice though. We were in Denali for the Summer Solstice and Super Moon - way cool! We had rain in the morning in Skagway and then coming back from the Yukon in the afternoon. But other than that, we had great weather.

 

Not sure when Denali starts closing the road - I think it's much later than either of your plans - but might want to keep an eye out on that if you go with your later dates. Pretty sure it's in October though.

[new_cruiser]

We went Mid June to early July. AK was having a freakishly warm summer 5 years ago. I thought we'd get away from the heat of GA and got the same in Alaska. It was really nice though. We were in Denali for the Summer Solstice and Super Moon - way cool! We had rain in the morning in Skagway and then coming back from the Yukon in the afternoon. But other than that, we had great weather.

 

Not sure when Denali starts closing the road - I think it's much later than either of your plans - but might want to keep an eye out on that if you go with your later dates. Pretty sure it's in October though.

 

They haven't published the 2018 shuttle schedules for Denali yet. In 2017, they reduced the number of shuttle buses on Sept 6 and ended shuttle service Sept 14.

 

The opportunity for some excursions ends some time in Sept or late August too - e.g. Tracy Arm boat excursions. The longer Kenai Fjords boat trips end in late August to early Sept. The 6 hour Kenai Fjords tour runs until Sept 23. (I only checked Major Marine's schedule, perhaps Kenai Fjords Tours is different, but when I checked both for spring they were similar.)

 

Days are shorter in Sept than for June so you may have less touring time (though perhaps a chance of seeing the northern lights).

 

Late June, early July is closer to peak season so late August early Sept is likely to cost less. If doing the later dates, it might be best to do the land part first.

[mytime53]

Not sure when Denali starts closing the road - I think it's much later than either of your plans - but might want to keep an eye out on that if you go with your later dates. Pretty sure it's in October though.

 

Definitely not October. This is from the park's website:

"Getting Here, Access Into the Park

 

Daily train and bus service to the park from Anchorage and Fairbanks typically ends in mid-September. Fall visitors will almost certainly need to rent a car and drive here on their own.

 

Shuttle bus service traveling along the Denali Park Road ends the second Thursday after the Labor Day holiday each year. After shuttle service ends, the park hosts a four-day event called Road Lottery.

 

After Road Lottery, the park road remains open to Teklanika River (Mile 30) for private vehicle traffic as long as conditions allow. Snow and ice are possible throughout September, however, so feel free to contact us for weather and road information before journeying to the park."

 

• The dates for this year’s road lottery are September 14, 16, 17 and 18, with September 15 designated as Military Appreciation Day.
  

It appears that there is a bus running during road lottery to Teklanika, but that might only be for campers. I'm not sure.

[xlxo]

Another vote for June/July. I like dry port weather.

[olemissreb]

They haven't published the 2018 shuttle schedules for Denali yet. In 2017, they reduced the number of shuttle buses on Sept 6 and ended shuttle service Sept 14.

 

.

 

Definitely not October. This is from the park's website:

"Getting Here, Access Into the Park

 

Daily train and bus service to the park from Anchorage and Fairbanks typically ends in mid-September. Fall visitors will almost certainly need to rent a car and drive here on their own.

 

Shuttle bus service traveling along the Denali Park Road ends the second Thursday after the Labor Day holiday each year. After shuttle service ends, the park hosts a four-day event called Road Lottery.

 

After Road Lottery, the park road remains open to Teklanika River (Mile 30) for private vehicle traffic as long as conditions allow. Snow and ice are possible throughout September, however, so feel free to contact us for weather and road information before journeying to the park."

 

 

• The dates for this year’s road lottery are September 14, 16, 17 and 18, with September 15 designated as Military Appreciation Day.
  

It appears that there is a bus running during road lottery to Teklanika, but that might only be for campers. I'm not sure.

 

Thanks for the info. I know my brother got to take part in the road lottery when he visited with friends, I guess I thought that was in October. We were there in June, so I didn't have to worry about opening or closing dates. :)