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Driving Alaska's Highways
If you're planning on sticking to
Southcentral Alaska and the Interior,
a car could be your best option. First
off, it's easy; simple, two-lane highways
connect Anchorage, Fairbanks, Denali,
towns in between, and points further
east and north. See our Alaska Highway
Maps for detail on Alaska's most scenic
drives and where to stop along the
way.
Second, you get to go at your own
pace, spend more or less time where
you want, visit small towns and out
of the way places, and do your own
discovering.
Third, renting a car and
driving in Alaska is breathtaking and
fun-roads here aren't like highways
of the Lower 48. Alaska's highways
are more like thin ribbons of civilization
winding through wilderness. On many
Alaska roads, you can often drive for
miles without seeing other cars.
Safety Tips for Driving Alaska's
Highways
- Keep your headlights on at all
times; most roads are two-lane -
it's just safer.
- Don't drive fast. You never know
when a caribou or moose will wander
into the road. Also, you may encounter
jarring dips and bumps known as frost
heaves, and you don't want to hit
them at high speeds.
- Pull over if five or more cars
are trailing you; it's the law.
Why Drive Alaska?
Beyond the glaciers, the magnificent
waterways, and abundant sea life lies
an Alaska even more rugged, more remote,
and more personal. It’s Alaska
on the road – the open road.
Alaska’s rugged network of highways
beckons travelers into its heart. Unlike
any road trip in the lower 48 states,
you’ll journey into a wilderness
that completely surrounds you on all
sides. Rabbits, foxes, eagles, and
other wildlife appear before you then
fade into the landscape. Moose browse
alongside creeks. Bears forage in the
distant hills. Scene after scene unfolds
as a movie projected onto your windshield.
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