Sometimes a little photo inspiration is all readers are looking for. These Alaska Highway photos should do the trick. They are guaranteed to put your Alaska Highway road trip planning into high gear.
Alaska Highway photos: Week 1
Alan and I began this boomer bucket list journey from Missoula, Montana. We stopped in Republic, Washington, Vancouver, and Port Hardy, BC on the way to boarding the Prince Rupert Ferry. What a scenic ride! And we hadn’t officially startedred the official Alaska Highway itinerary, yet.
Republic, Washington
The first leg of the road trip took us from Missoula, Montana to Republic, Washington. We made a mental note to return to the western-themed town to explore and hike in the mountains of northeastern Washington. What a cute town.
Port Hardy, Vancouver Island
After overnighting in Vancouver, we took the ferry to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island and continued on to Port Hardy. The drive was especially scenic from Campbell River to Port Hardy. I was mesmerized by the sleek yacht parked in the marina.
Riding the Prince Rupert Ferry
A ride on the Prince Rupert ferry was the highlight of our first week on the road. The lighthouses were especially photogenic.
Although we saw numerous whale spouts, this fin shot was the best that either Alan or I could do. We were hoping to photograph a whale breaching or humpbacks bubble feeding but the whales did not cooperate. There’s still a chance to catch a better whale shot on the return trip down the Alaska Marine Highway at the end of the trip.
The ferry ride took about 14 hours from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert. The entire journey was a scenic glide through majestic British Columbia scenery.
Alaska Highway road trip photos: Week 2
The second week of our Alaska Highway adventure takes us on a side trip from the Cassiar Highway to Stewart, British Columbia, at the head of the Portland Canal, which is actually a very long fjord.
Bear Glacier, British Columbia
Along the way, glaciers slip over the mountains of the coastal range, their icy tongues sometimes reaching close to the road as is the case with Bear Glacier.
Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site in Hyder, Alaska
Hyder, Alaska, is a short drive from Stewart. It’s also the location of the Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site in the Tongass National Forest. Visitors walk a wooden platform that parallels Fish Creek to watch wildlife.
From late-July until mid-September salmon arrive in the creek to spawn. The clear waters become the perfect fishing grounds for grizzlies, black bears, wolves, eagles and other bird species.
We were lucky to see a female grizzly roam the creek in the early morning looking for a breakfast. Just as the grizzly finished breakfast, a wolf appeared.
In a flash, the wolf had caught his or her first salmon of the morning and bit into the head to eat the brains, leaving the remains of the fish for scavenger birds like seagulls.
Cassiar Highway, British Columbia
The Cassiar Highway connects the Yellowhead Highway with the Alaska Highway in northern British Columbia. And it’s one scenic but very isolated ride. We seldom saw another car.
Teslin, Yukon Territory
The Yukon Territory can truly be called the land of a thousand lakes. No wonder there are so many mosquitos. This beautiful scene was behind our lodging at the Yukon Motel in Teslin.
White Horse, Yukon Territory
Although our stop in White Horse was intended for rest and relaxation off the road, we did take time to walk the trails at Miles Canyon. It was a fun ending to Alaska Highway Week Two.
Alaska road trip photos: Week 3
On the third week, we experienced Yukon mining history in Dawson City, drove across the Top of the World, gawked at the stunning scenery of Glenn Highway and ended the week in the beautiful Kenai Peninsula.
Dawson City, Yukon Territory
When gold was discovered near Dawson City in 1896, a stampede of an estimated 100,000 prospectors rushed to the Yukon to claim their share of the riches. Many arrived by riverboats like the one we saw parked on the Yukon River. Alan and I enjoyed exploring Dawson City during the two nights of our stay.
Top of the World Highway
Top of the World Highway is a mostly gravel road that travels between Dawson City and the Alaska Highway near Tok. It’s an adventure of a ride on a road with steep drop-offs and no guardrails.
Since the highway travels across the crest of the mountains, we truly did feel as if we were driving on top of the world. The caribou that roam this part of the world remained illusive on our rainy drive but the fireweed put on a spectacular display.
Glenn Highway, Alaska
The Glenn Highway travels between Tok and Anchorage, Alaska; and there’s a stunning view at almost every turn. At Eureka Summit, we stopped to photograph Nelchina Glacier, which flows majestically from the Chugach Mountains. Even in the stark noon light, the scene was a beautiful one.
Kenai, Alaska
The Kenai River runs some 82 miles through the Kenai Peninsula from Kenai Lake to Cook Inlet on the Pacific Ocean. The turquoise-blue waters are popular with salmon fishermen.
We watched the action from the deck of Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge, our home for 3 nights before boarding the MV Kennicott, an Alaska Marine Highway ferry.
Alaska photos: Week 4
Alan and I spent the final week of our Alaska adventure on the waters of the Inside Passage. We cruised on the Alaska Marine Highway from Homer, AK, to Bellingham, WA.
M/V Kennicott, Alaska Marine Highway
Due to damage at the Whittier loading dock, the original departure location, the M/V Kennicott left from Homer, AK.
I might be smiling, but this travel princess and cruiser of small luxury ships is really wondering, “Where’s the champagne to toast our departure?” “Where’s the balcony in the cabin?” “Where’s Raju, our butler?”
Seriously, I did enjoy the ferry ride down the Inside Passage. It even taught me to disconnect from the online world—that’s right there is no internet on the Alaska Marine Highway—and relax.
The weather is changeable on the Inside Passage, but that’s part of the fun. Alan had plenty of opportunity to take moody photographs like this one.
Juneau, Alaska
The sun appeared for the sail into Juneau making it a photographic journey. All the photographers were at the railing when we passed Point Retreat. What a majestic sight!
We’ve sailed into Juneau twice but have never witnessed Mendenhall Glacier in all her glory. Alan couldn’t take enough photos.
Inside Passage sunset
We didn’t have too many opportunities to photograph the sunset, but the weather cooperated on the last day of cruising the Inside Passage.
Ketchikan, Alaska
The last two times we’ve visited in Ketchikan it’s been a sunny, cloudless day. A float plane ride over Misty Fjords is a favorite travel memory of ours. Maybe the citizens would like for us to return more often to this normally rainy destination in Southeast Alaska.
Before you know it, M/V Kennicott had pulled into Bellingham, Washington. The Alaska Highway road trip ended with a determination to drive it all over again one day.