AK in August

Hi, I'm trying to plan a trip to Alaska in late August, probably for around 10 days or so. I would be going with my wife and young daughter, so it would mainly be a family vacation, and I would probably go out by myself at dusk and dawn to do some shooting. I have heard so many different ways to see this great place and there are so many places to see I am feeling a bit overwhelmed trying to plan an itinerary for 10 days. Most people I know have done the cruises, which I've heard are cattle calls and the land portions of them generally poor. Someone else suggested renting an RV and spending the time in Denali. If anyone has suggestions on what would be best for that amount of time and time of year I would appreciate the input. Thanks!

Hey Chris

Late August is a great time for a visit to Alaska.

There's actually quite a bit of info on this forum already on this kind of trip - just browse through it and see what you find.

In short, it depends on what you want to photograph, what kind of 'vacation' you're wanting, whether you like to camp, etc.

At least, I'd suggest a few nights at Teklanika if you're RVing it - if you are up for tent camping, Wonder Lake is a better choice, IMO. You can't go wrong, photographically-speaking, with a 10 day trip to Denali, or Wrangell - St. Elias National Park, or the Kenai Peninsula, or just tooling around for 10 days. Most of the places you've no doubt heard about are all spectacular.

Cheers

Carl

Another possibility is to drive the Denali Highway between Paxson and Canwell. It's a mostly gravel road, but terrific scenery - especially the eastern half - and a lot fewer people than Denali N.P.

If you want to avoid crowds but see equally fantastic nature to the Denali Road, take a trip up the Steese, then the Elliott Highways. They're gravel of course. There are side routes from those you can explore to find something different from the common Alaska subjects. -r

Depends on what your interested in photographing. If your daughter is over six then a trip to Brooks Camp be a really fun family photo trip. Denali is also good, Kennicott is a great place for the family and photographer, plenty of things to explore for everyone.

Thank you all very much, in taking your thoughts into consideration I'm piecing together an itinerary. I REALLY wanted to see Brooks Camp but won't be able to with my daughter along. will save it for another trip. Thanks again.

Chris,
August is my very favorite time of year to visit Alaska! A cruise is a nice way to go IF you haven't been there before because it takes the guess work out of where to go and what to do. It also can be a money saver since if you had to arrange transportation in between the towns you'll visit on a cruise, it can really add up fast. Plus, the food is all included with a cruise vacation which may be of interest when traveling with a family. Cruises are not for everyone but it's worth considering if you want to see the the inside passage, glaciers, and the coastal towns such as Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, Haines, Seward...

Another nice way to see Alaska is with a motorhome rental. You can do just the motorhome rental and self drive or you can combine a motorhome rental with a cruise.

Feel free to contact me direct if you need more information or help with reservations.

Thanks a lot for your advice. That is pretty much what we settled on, just because its our first visit and the logistics with transportation get complicated. We are going to take the Princess cruise from Vancouver to Anchorage, then take the Alaska railroad to Denali. we are staying in the Kantishna lodge which is the only lodge in the park and right next to Wonder Lake. That should give me some good photo ops during the nice light without having to take the bus into the park from the outskirts. Thanks so much for your input.

PS: I'm also looking to rent a good lens for wildlife. I currently have the 70-200, 300, and 1.4 extender. I generally shoot FF with my 5D II, but also have a Rebel T1i crop body that I probably will bring. I was thinking of renting the 500mm from borrowlenses.com, its a few hundred $ for two weeks.

Hello Chris -
Just so you are aware, Kantishna Roadhouse Lodge is not the only lodge in the park - there is also the Northface Lodge, Camp Denali, and the Denali Backcountry Lodge. Just wanted to make sure you are aware of all the options.