Two weeks on Land tour, which time would you choose?

[CM_Mom]

We're trying to decide between May 26 - June10, 2007 or September 1 - September 16. 2007 for an independent land tour of South Central Alaska, Anchorage, Denali, Kenai Penisula, etc. Costs seem to be comparable (we're renting an RV) unless we find lots to use the Toursavers for on the earlier trip that would be expired on the later one so cost probably isn't a major factor. Can some of you tell me which you think is the best time for seeing the most variety of wildlife, best weather, availability of tours we might enjoy, etc? Also any thoughts on what we might miss at one time or the other.

[GlacierLady]

May-June ...#1 reason.. daylight would be alot longer than in Sept. Weather is usually decent with things greening up vs chances of snow in Sept. Fishing would be better in fall. Better chance of seeing more cows with calves (moose) in the spring, and you won't find crabby locals from all the tourists all summer long...lmao..j/k :)

[Budget Queen]

If your Denali Park plans are for after 5-31, I too suggest your earlier date.

[poolwife]

We did a land portion last year from June 9 - 24 and then got on the ship on June 24 through July 1 and sailed southbound from Seward to Vancouver. The weather was great both on the land portion and the cruise. Great time to go. Four years earlier we had gone May 19 for the land portion and was disappointed in how dry it was from Anchorage towards Denali. Not at all what we expected. This time in June it was much prettier. The best time to go was definitely in June.

[NancyIL]

This is what Frommer's Alaska has to say about when to go:

June is the driest of the summer months, July the warmest, and August generally the rainiest of the brief summer, but warmer than June. In most respects, June is the best summer month to make a visit, but it does have some drawbacks to consider: In the Arctic, snow can linger until mid-June; in Southcentral Alaska, trails at high elevations or in the shade may be too muddy or snowy; and not all activities or facilities at Denali National Park open until late June. It's also the worst time for mosquitoes.

From the same book regarding May and September:

More and more visitors are coming to Alaska during these "shoulder months" to take advantage of the lower prices, reduced crowds, and special beauty. May is the drier of the two months and can be as warm as summer if you're lucky, but as you travel further north and earlier in the month, your chances of finding cold, mud, and even snow increase....

 

Somewhere between late August and mid-September, weather patterns change, bringing clouds, frequent rainstorms, and cooling weather, and signaling the trees and tundra to turn bright, vivid colors. For a week or two (what week it is depends on your latitude), the bright yellow birches of the boreal forest and the rich red of the heathery tundra make September the loveliest time of the year. But the rain and the nip in the air, similar to late October or November in New England, mean you'll likely have to bundle up; and September is among the wettest months of the year.

[CM_Mom]

Thanks to everyone for the replies. We were aware of the rain issues for fall from following the flooding threads. We're trying to squeeze an extra day by going over Memorial Day but from everyone's comments we may need to rearrange our schedule. If we did the May 26 - June 10 time should we do Kenai peninsula first and then head up to Denali instead of the other way around?