skagway to emerald lake yukon road trip review

[echotumi]

great trip if you like beautiful drives took us 7 hrs round trip . we started out around 9.15 am .going early to avis was a bit of a hassle i think if i would do it again i would have waited till like 10. just really pretty . how people do it in less than 6 hrs i would have felt rushed . renting a car is the way to go for us .. the tour vans stopped sometimes quick stops no time to savor the pretty place your in .. total for car and gas was like 140 ish worth it . any ? be happy to answer we did see sourdough car rentals on the road as well . lets just say i was glad to spend the lil extra for a newer car . :)

[plmbaskets]

great trip if you like beautiful drives took us 7 hrs round trip . we started out around 9.15 am .going early to avis was a bit of a hassle i think if i would do it again i would have waited till like 10. just really pretty . how people do it in less than 6 hrs i would have felt rushed . renting a car is the way to go for us .. the tour vans stopped sometimes quick stops no time to savor the pretty place your in .. total for car and gas was like 140 ish worth it . any ? be happy to answer we did see sourdough car rentals on the road as well . lets just say i was glad to spend the lil extra for a newer car . :)

 

We are planning that same trip when we are there in a couple of weeks. Did you stop much along the way or did you just drive straight? Any tips or suggestions on where to stop?

 

Thanks. Patti

[JimmyVWine]

Any tips or suggestions on where to stop?

 

Thanks. Patti

 

We did the trip on a tour with Frontier Excursions and made quite a few stops. But one thing to take note of is that the sun will be far more favorable for your viewing and picture taking in the afternoon, so plan to do more of your stopping on the way back to Skagway. Here are a few photos from Emerald Lake And Tagish Lake (at the Bove Island viewpoint.) The photos of Tagish Lake would not have looked nearly that nice had they been taken under the glare of the morning sun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[madera1]

Wonderful photos

[Mingus]

Great pictures on a beautiful sunny day (wow, you were lucky).....would it still be worth the time and expense to take this trip on a cloudy or rainy day?

We have an Avis car booked for next Tuesday.

Has anyone used the Murray's Guide to the South Klondike Highway and how was it?

What was the hassle with picking the car up at 9:15 am?

Thanks for your help.

[Len B]

We made the trip as far as Carcross. The murray's guide is a must. I had my daughter in law reading it on the Ipad in the back seat,it was like having a tour director on board.If you do use the guide zero out your odometer at the start of the trip so it will match the mileages in the guide.

[JimmyVWine]

Great pictures on a beautiful sunny day (wow, you were lucky).....would it still be worth the time and expense to take this trip on a cloudy or rainy day?

 

Thanks. The weather for our entire trip was off-the-charts great for this part of the world.

 

Would I do the trip on a cloudy or rainy day? Yes, as to cloudy. If you get the Murray's Guide, (and you should...the download is really inexpensive), you will see that most of his photos are from days far less spectacular than the weather we had. Rainy? That's a different question. It depends on how hard it was raining. If it raining so hard that visibility was cut way back, that I wouldn't take my camera gear and lenses out of my bag, and that driving was a pain in the butt, no, I would find something else to do.

 

Which segues into my last point. We are "drive yourself" people. We take road trips all over the place and love the freedom of having our own car. But when I finally balanced out my lack of desire for hustling off the ship to beat the crowd to Avis, having to pay to put gas in the tank at Alaska prices at the end of the trip, going through customs with a rental car, and the possibility of driving on unfamiliar, winding roads in heavy clouds and rain, I ultimately came out on the side of taking a private tour. The cost was very similar, and it's not as if there are many side roads that you can wander down. You are likely going to go straight up the Klondike Highway, and then back down again. Maybe you could detour toward Dyea if you had your own car, but you can probably find a tour company that will do that too. We made many, many stops along the way up and down, and saw everything that I was hoping to see. I had a copy of Murray's Guide, had read it in advance, and read it while we were traveling the Highway. I could not have done that if I were driving, and my wife would not have appreciated being in charge of reading the book while we were touring instead of gazing at the scenery. So if you are at all on the fence about driving yourself, I would strongly suggest that you see if you can find a tour company that will suit your needs. As long as you book privately and not through the ship, there should be something for everyone, all the way from off-road Jeeps to private vans, to 20-person stretch vans.

[Budget Queen]

We are planning that same trip when we are there in a couple of weeks. Did you stop much along the way or did you just drive straight? Any tips or suggestions on where to stop?

 

Thanks. Patti

 

This trip is not about, fixed stops. If something catches your eye- pull over and stop. Simply the freedom of a car rental.

[Budget Queen]

).....would it still be worth the time and expense to take this trip on a cloudy or rainy day?

We have an Avis car booked for next Tuesday.

Has anyone used the Murray's Guide to the South Klondike Highway and how was it?

What was the hassle with picking the car up at 9:15 am?

Thanks for your help.

 

It is "worth" the drive anytime. AND you can not predict what weather you are going to encounter thinking you would figure it out from Skagway.

 

Murray's Guide is a must, in my opinion. I have used it for many years.

 

Not sure what your "hassle" reference is about? Most people are in line by 8am picking up cars.

[bermudiana]

We did the trip on a tour with Frontier Excursions and made quite a few stops. But one thing to take note of is that the sun will be far more favorable for your viewing and picture taking in the afternoon, so plan to do more of your stopping on the way back to Skagway. Here are a few photos from Emerald Lake And Tagish Lake (at the Bove Island viewpoint.) The photos of Tagish Lake would not have looked nearly that nice had they been taken under the glare of the morning sun.]

 

I have been meaning to tell you how much I enjoyed your review and photos...just breathtaking!! Will be going to Alaska shortly for the first time. We are taking a ship tour in Skagway to the Yukon and White Pass back. Really looking forward to a different type of cruise experience! Thanks for sharing.

[kwis29]

We are planning that same trip when we are there in a couple of weeks. Did you stop much along the way or did you just drive straight? Any tips or suggestions on where to stop?

 

Thanks. Patti

 

We just returned from our cruise on August 30th. We arrived at Avis a little before their 8am opening time. There was one other couple waiting with us. We were in our rental car in less than 10 minutes. We thought all the Avis workers were very friendly. You should purchase and print Murray's Guide and stop at as many (or as few) places as you would like. One of our favorites was the beach mentioned in the Guide. We used Carcross as our restroom stop and to stamp our passports. Have a great time!

[echotumi]

We are planning that same trip when we are there in a couple of weeks. Did you stop much along the way or did you just drive straight? Any tips or suggestions on where to stop?

 

Thanks. Patti

 

yes there is a beach boat ramp turn off turn down it and go to the beach walk along the shore line maybe its 5 mins and the vista is just amazing . one tip i would say dont book anything else for that day as we lingered at most stops on the day we where there getting back in to the US took around 20 mins or so

[echotumi]

Great pictures on a beautiful sunny day (wow, you were lucky).....would it still be worth the time and expense to take this trip on a cloudy or rainy day?

We have an Avis car booked for next Tuesday.

Has anyone used the Murray's Guide to the South Klondike Highway and how was it?

What was the hassle with picking the car up at 9:15 am?

Thanks for your help.

 

just lots of ships 3 of them lots of people and they have like 3 agents its a lil cramped office and one lot person

[echotumi]

It is "worth" the drive anytime. AND you can not predict what weather you are going to encounter thinking you would figure it out from Skagway.

 

Murray's Guide is a must, in my opinion. I have used it for many years.

 

Not sure what your "hassle" reference is about? Most people are in line by 8am picking up cars.

 

just a line up wasnt a big deal was just a busy day at avis i guess.

also depends on how many ships are in i would guess we where to have 4 ships we had that the next week as well 4 ships in yikes we just strolled the side streets and walked some paths real pretty

[Budget Queen]

just a line up wasnt a big deal was just a busy day at avis i guess.

also depends on how many ships are in i would guess we where to have 4 ships we had that the next week as well 4 ships in yikes we just strolled the side streets and walked some paths real pretty

 

This is how this pickup is. You should have been there before the computerized records which are recent in the last few years. Then, you had to wait for everything to be hand written. The last several trips I have been on, have had 4 ships in dock. FEW people rent cars, and the rentals can only be up to Avis's supply with isn't much. So, your point is helpful to first timers, which the repeaters seem to forget. :)