oldfella1962
Senior Member
Oh I see. Well you are going for the best reason, no doubt! Pretty much wherever direction you go with Fairbanks as the beginning point you will see big changes in vegetation, critters, and scenery in general. If you are going all the way up the north slope haul road, once you cross the Brooks Range you are in the true arctic and it's literally like another world. I think for safety reasons you can't drive all the way to Prudhoe Bay unless it's for commercial reasons- I would research that thoroughly.We`re going to Fairbanks simply because it is closest to what we want to see-the animals, rivers, mountains, lay of the land, the Arctic Refuge. I almost went in 1974, to homestead somewhere in the Chandalar River area. Before I die I`d like to see just what I missed.
That said air travel (tiny planes, often float planes) is sometimes the only way to get to the really beautiful places because there just aren't many roads - it's not cost effective to keep them maintained. But it's the best way to "take it all in" if you're only going to see the place one time.
It would take a lifetime (several lifetimes) to take in all the natural beauty of Alaska. But you picked a good area to want to see - pretty much all the different animals, mountains, rivers, ecosystems, etc. (like the Gates of The Arctic Refuge you mentioned) are closer to Fairbanks than they are to Anchorage. You are going to love your trip, that is an absolute guarantee!