Northwest Van Campers will get you to Denali National Park
It’s a great drive north from Anchorage to get to Denali National Park. The scenery along the way is beautiful and you’ll have the opportunity to stop off in Talkeetna to see where most Mt. Denali expeditions leave by plane.

You’ll be able to see into the park long before you get to it. Here’s a look at Mt. Foraker from south of the park along the highway.

Mt. Foraker, Denali National Park

Once you get up to the park, you’ll want to stop at 49th State Brewery before you head in to find a bus.

49th State Brewing Company

To get into the park, you’ll leave your van in the lot and take one of the tour buses in. This encourages the animals to keep coming around so you can get a true wilderness experience on your van camping adventure.

The Tour Bus in Denali Park

You’ll want to ride the bus in as far as you can, and stay in a campground so you have time to go for a hike. Along the way you’ll see valleys and mountains, rivers and wildlife.

The Great Wide Open Denali National Park

Here, some caribou are spotted near river in the evening.

Caribou

Once you leave Denali and head south, you might want to stop at one of the lakes along the way which are known for their fishing. Alternately, you could continue heading northeast and visit Fairbanks, which would open up lots of recreational activities. The beauty of renting a camper van in Alaska is that you make the schedule and you set the itinerary.

Nothing beats a van road-trip up the Parks Highway into the Matanuska/Susitna Valley. The beautiful views of the Alaska Range open up as you pass Willow northbound to Talkeetna. Make sure to get off at the Talkeetna Junction and drive 14 miles into the downtown area where you can walk down Main Street to check out the local art dealers and try some delicious local cuisine. The Denali Brewing Company offers locally brewed beers as well as a sampling booth. This festive town allows you to enjoy a relaxed atmosphere while you view the climbers getting ready to make their attempt at America’s largest mountain: Mount McKinley. Take advantage of other activities while visiting, such as whitewater-rafting, fishing, flight seeing or even landing on a glacier.

Continue North to Denali State Park which begins at Little Troublesome Creek where you can camp or begin the 37 mile hike along Kesugi Ridge. Ten miles beyond Little Troublesome is Byers Lake, which is a secluded lake, packed with wildlife and a state owned campground. Northwest Van Campers makes it easy for you to bring your canoe and fishing pole as you explore all ends of the lake while the loons swim past and sound their call. After a tasty meal at the camp go explore the 5.1 mile trail that surrounds the lake before sitting down around the campfire, making smores or watching a movie on your computer while van camping. See our Facebook page for pics!

Hope is a quant, little town with population of just 200, located at the end of a 17 mile paved road which runs parallel to the 6 Mile River. As you wind into the forest, look for the private campsites perched along the Turnagain Arm; perfect to park the van and set up camp. Continue to Mile 16 where you’ll find Main Street, Hope. The Sea Fair Inn offers a great place to grab a drink and have a meal as you overlook the Arm. Live music is usually offered every Thursday night with special guests showing up to play occasionally on the weekends. There is a campground located at the end of Main Street where you can park the van, set up camp near the Resurrection Creek and listen to the live music by the campfire.

If you head 1 mile past the Main street turn off, the road will end at the Porcupine Creek Campground and the trailhead to Gull Rock, a 5 mile trail to scenic views. If you’re up for a longer hike or mountain bike ride go to the Resurrection Pass trailhead where along the 37 mile trail you’ll pass lakes, cabins, and wildlife.

Hope offers many types of adventures: whitewater rafting, hiking, fishing, or learning the history of the gold rush city where many of its buildings date back to the late 1800’s, early 1900’s. Van-camping at Hope should be near the top of your to-do list in Alaska! Check out our Facebook page for pics!

Alaska’s community is filled with very active people and these groups love to see just how far they can push their bodies! They are constantly challenging themselves with aggressive competitions throughout the year. For example: the Iditarod, a 1200 mile journey where racers use a dog sled team to cover the distance over 9(ish) days in temperatures far below zero. Then there’s the Iron Dog. This is a 2000 mile snowmobile race where teams of two face the arctic wilderness at speeds exceeding 100 mph. If you’re an individual who wants to “blend” with the locals on your travels and have the athletic ability to compete these races are for you.
Now, all the races are not as extreme as these and not all include snow. Almost all the communities throughout Alaska have events that occur during the long summer days. Click on the link to view the calendar of events.

May | June | July | August | September

The calendar does not list any competition less than 5 miles, however there are many more events scheduled. Contact Northwest Van Campers for more information and to reserve your van today!!
Listed below are just a few of the many events:

27 May – The “Summit to Sound” an adventure race in Valdez that covers 40 miles by skiing, biking, kayaking, and running. (Solo or 4-person teams)

16 June – “Bushwhack This!” A 12-hour/50 mile adventure race in Cooper Landing on the Kenai Peninsula. Events include pack raft or canoe, orienteering, trekking, mountain biking and one mystery event.

17 June – “Robert Spurr Memorial Hill Climb” One of many events organized by the Alaska Mountain Runners, this one only goes up! 3400’ vertical gain over 3 miles!

23 – 24 June – “24 hours of Kincaid” A 24 hour mountain bike race in Anchorage, of which much of the race is on single-track!!

14 July – “Fireweed 400” This is a 2-day road-biking event if you choose to do the entire race. It starts on the Glenn Highway at Sheep Mountain Lodge and goes 200 miles to Valdez….then back. On your way you have to climb the 2800’ Thompson Pass. You can elect to do a 50, 100 or 200 mile distance too and enter the race solo or on a team. You’ll definitely need a support van from Northwest Van Campers for this one!

21 July – “Crow Pass Passing” An epic 24 mile trail run that starts in Girdwood where you’ll encounter bear, moose and mountain goats while running past glaciers and crossing the glacial water of “Eagle River” before finishing in the town of Eagle River.

28 July – “Chena Hot Springs Run and Soak” An 8.5 mile trail run that ends at the amazing Hot Springs where your entry fee will get you a free soak and a pot luck BBQ!

4 August – “Santa Claus ½ Marathon” That’s right, hang with Santa at the North Pole as he works off all the extra weight he gained from milk and cookies!

7-8 September – “Klondike Trail of 98’ International Road Relay” This is an awesome 110 mile running race that starts in Skagway, Alaska and ends in Whitehorse, Canada…the capital of the Yukon Territory! Teams of 6-10 cover the distance 10 legs of varying distance. Talk about a good time, 2011 drew over 1300 competitors… all of which were very thirsty and ready to party at the end!

8 September – “Alyeska Climbathon” Alaska’s premiere ski resort hosts a 10 hour, most laps up the mountain, brutal test of endurance. You must hike a 2.2 mile trail that gains 2000’ to get to the top of the mountain where you’ll then catch a tram ride to the bottom just to do it again…and again…..and again!

The Alaska road-trip season is fast approaching and as the snow melts the summer activities will begin. Fishing in Alaska is an adventure that many come back for year after year and one-time visitors remember forever. The Alaskan delicacy white fish “Halibut” really begin biting in May. We suggest heading to Whittier, Seward or Homer where you’ll not only catch Halibut, Ling Cod and Rock fish but you’ll witness the breathtaking landscape, awesome marine life and natural wildlife that walk the shores of the coast.

The King Salmon also begin running as early as May. These hard-fighting fish will make you sweat before you land one of them. The world record King Salmon was caught on the Kenai River in Cooper Landing on the Kenai Peninsula and we suggest you start there.

The Sockeye (Red) Salmon follow the Kings and typically have two runs in the July timeframe. If you’re lucky enough to be in the river when a large run comes in you can almost walk across fish. Reds make for a delicious meal!

After the Reds come the Coho (Silver) Salmon which run in the August/September timeframe. These are another hard-fighting fish that attack your line in an aggressive manner.  In 2012 from 11-19 August the town of Seward hosts the “Silver Salmon Derby” where the potential prize is $50,000.

The other gem of the Kenai Peninsula is the Rainbow Trout. These monsters can easily exceed 28” on a consistent basis and put on “one hell of a fight!!” If you love to fly fish you don’t want to miss this opportunity.

If getting off the beaten path is more your style there are thousands of small lakes and streams that are accessible from the roads or by hiking in on the trails. Dolly Varden, Grayling, and Northern Pike are abundant amongst the northern waters.

What ties this entire fishing adventure together perfectly is a van from Northwest Van Campers. It allows you to set up your base camp while you catch any or all of the above. Once you get back to your home on the road you’ll be able to prepare a delicious meal while you relax under the midnight sun. Plan your fishing adventure now!

Check out our Facebook page for pictures of previous year’s catch.

We’re happy to announce the launch of our official site at http://www.northwestvancampers.com for our company, Northwest Van Campers LLC. You can plan a trip here or request a reservation here. We look forward to hearing from you!