Spending a few days in and around Fairbanks
I made this page to provide some suggestions for people who are coming to the 2013 CIG-QUEST-IRIS seismic imaging workshop and have some extra days to spend in Alaska. Feel free to email me to add any useful links that you have found.
Fairbanks is the gateway to Interior Alaska. It's called "Interior" because it is a flat region between the Brooks Range and the Alaska Range. Summer tourism is big, so some suggestions below require some advance planning. Keep in mind that there's a lot of daylight, in case you want to plan a big day.
Map of roads, faults, and seismicity in Interior Alaska.
Exploring this region requires at least a full day.
The highest mountains are along the Denali fault (labeled).
Hiking options (requires transportation to trailheads)
Creamer's field (right in Fairbanks, low key walking through the woods)
Road-trip options
Purchase the Milepost book for $20 in Fairbanks if you want to know what's ahead on the road. Don't count on cell phone coverage!
WARNING: Alaska is remote. Gas stations are irregular, service stations are scant, and several "highways" are actually very rough dirt roads. On some of these dirt roads, semi-trucks drive 60 mph and kick up gravel that can go through your windshield. Several rental car companies will have you sign paperwork saying that you will not drive on certain roads (such as the Dalton Hwy and Denali Hwy).
Denali. The Denali Park entrance is a <2.5-hour drive south of Fairbanks. Vehicles are only allowed 15 miles into Denali National Park; the most spectacular settings are far beyond this and only accessible by buses. All reservations (especially the bus) should be booked in advance. There are "tour buses" and "shuttle buses" -- you want the shuttle bus. (It will feel like a tour anyway.) There is a rigid schedule. I recommend going at least as far as Eielson Visitor Center. This stop is short of Wonder Lake, commemorated in an epic photo by Ansel Adams, but chances are you won't see the mountain like this, though you'll probably see bears, moose, dall sheep, caribou, and more.
Stop in Healy for a very good meal at the 49th State Brewery.
Denali Highway. Best road-trip in Alaska (for the effort). Three segments:
Fairbanks-Delta-Paxon (Richardson Hwy, paved, 175 miles, 3-5 hours)
Paxon-Cantwell (Denali Hwy, dirt, 135 miles, 4-6 hours)
Cantwell-Denali-Nenana-Fairbanks (Parks Hwy, 150 miles, 3-4 hours)
The Denali "Highway" is a rough dirt road (see warning message above) that connects the Richardson Hwy in the east to the Parks Hwy in the west. (It is notthe bus road into Denali National Park.)
The trip could be supplemented with a bus ride into Denali National Park.
Don't forget to stop at the Denali fault crossing on the Richardson Hwy, where the pipeline was offset by the 2002 Mw 7.9 Denali fault rupture. There is a pull-out with a low-key exhibit just opposite Milepost 216. Also, further to the south, consider a 1.5-hour hike to the terminus of the Gulkana glacier (ice guaranteed).
Kennecott. 8-9 hours from Fairbanks you will find yourself in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. 9 of the 13 highest peaks in the U.S. are in these mountains, most of which are not well known. The setting at the abandoned Kennecott copper mineis a breath-taking combination of history and glaciated landscapes. You will pass the world-class salmon fishing locale of Chitina (Copper River) on the way.
Brooks Range. Take the Haul Road (or Dalton "Highway") north to Prudhoe Bay oil fields. This road follows the pipeline and all the truckers hauling equipment back and forth. If you want to see how big and remote Alaska is, this trip is for you. You need several days to enjoy this trip. Plus, things get pretty boring north of the Brooks Range (the "North Slope" is the gradual slope to the northern coast). See warning message above.
Flightseeing Tours
Flightseeing is an efficient, albeit more expensive, way to view Alaska. If you only have a few hours or a day, then this is a great way to view Alaska. Some tours even land right on glaciers. Most Denali flightseeing companies fly out of Talkeetna. I put some links below for companies that fly out of Fairbanks.
Arctic Circle: Alaska Tours, ...
Denali: Northern Alaska Tour Company, ...
Trip options without your own vehicle
Denali: Scenic train to Denali National Park entrance, then bus into Denali. See Denali info above. Probably the train schedule will be the limiting part of the plan.
Tours: Alaska Tours, Northern Alaska Tour Company, ...
What to do in Fairbanks
Museum of the North. definitely worth a visit; plenty of interesting Alaska history, with emphasis on Native peoples. Unmistakable architectural building on UAF campus.
drive to top of Murphy Dome. Murphy Dome Road: 30 min drive one way to the top of the highest point close to Fairbanks. You get a very nice view of interior Alaska. You see tundra vegetation at the top (no trees). Look-out for blueberry pickers.
Chena Hot Springs. something for everyone: outdoor natural hot springs, year-round bear made 100% of ice, geothermal powered, local hiking. The 53-mile drive from Fairbanks is worth it -- watch out for moose. Supplement with hikes along the way (see above). Best one-day excursion from Fairbanks.
Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitor Center. definitely worth a stop if you make it to downtown Fairbanks. This has a free mini-museum that does well in capturing life and history in Fairbanks and Interior Alaska (even a snow machine on display). Take a walk along the Chena River if the weather is nice.
float the Chena River. see Alaska Outdoor Rentals & Guides; super chill, great way to travel; even featured in the BBC (note: the photo there is NOT the Chena)
Creamer's field. nice walking options in summer; peak migratory bird viewing is spring (May) and fall (late Sept)
Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum. if you love cars
Unique bars. Blue Loon, Golden Eagle Saloon (Ester), Hoodoo Brewing, ...
Pump House restaurant. On the Chena river, National Historic Site where water was pumped from the Chena up the hill toward Ester for gold mining; worth a visit even without food or drink
Silver Gulch brewery (and dinner). good food, good beer, nice remote setting in Fox, Alaska, 12 miles from Fairbanks
Fishing options
There are many, but I'm not the person to ask. Google?
Mountain-biking options
There are many, but I'm not the person to ask. Google?