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We will be driving from Chicago to Anchorage next month and are trying to plan out the trip. The quickest/most direct route is about 62 hours, crossing over near Minot, ND/Estevan, SK, going through Edmonton, to Tetsa River Lodge, to Haines Junction, to Anchorage. An alternative route is closer to 66 hours, but stays further south, going through Calgary to Jasper, along AB 93 through Jasper National Park, then up to AB 40 and merges with our original route. We wouldn't really have time to stop for much other than a scenic overlook from the pullouts, so would going through Jasper National Park be worth the close to 4 hour detour?
We will be driving from Chicago to Anchorage next month and are trying to plan out the trip. The quickest/most direct route is about 62 hours, crossing over near Minot, ND/Estevan, SK, going through Edmonton, to Tetsa River Lodge, to Haines Junction, to Anchorage. An alternative route is closer to 66 hours, but stays further south, going through Calgary to Jasper, along AB 93 through Jasper National Park, then up to AB 40 and merges with our original route. We wouldn't really have time to stop for much other than a scenic overlook from the pullouts, so would going through Jasper National Park be worth the close to 4 hour detour?
If you go through Calgary, you'd be hitting the Trans-Canada to Banff and then heading up the Icefields Parkway--which is pretty scenic the whole route as it goes right through the middle of the Canadian Rockies and goes right by places like Lake Louise and the Columbia Icefields(both not far from the highway, though you'd have to take a tour to get to the actual glacier still I believe) and there's other little lakes not far from the highway with nice views one could stop at. Jasper is nice, but from my memory, I think it's even better with more time to see it--I think further down on the highway there's even more scenic terrain close by.
It's a whole lot scenic than driving through the Alberta prairies and you can see a lot right from the highway, though on the other hand, if you're going to Alaska and time is a premium on the road, you'll probably be seeing a lot of mountains once you get up north. Though if it's a 4 hour difference over 65+ hours--I'd say go for it. Even a drive through the Rockies should raise the spirits a little bit, it's beautiful up there.
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