Customer Reviews

The Milepost, 2006

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The "Milepost" is a uniquely invaluable resource for travel by road in Alaska and Northwest Canada (Yukon, northern British Columbia, northern Alberta). This guide will be highly useful for the average tourist, RVer, and north country camper.

Alaska and Northwest Canada include a huge area with vast terrain variation and far less travel infrastructure than most travelers are used to in Southern Canada or the lower 48 states. Travelers should not, for example, expect gas stations, restaurants, and franchise hotels at every highway exit, nor should they expect that facilities or even some roads are open year-round, due in part to dangerous weather conditions. Finally, travelers should be alert to both the prospect of viewing wildlife along the roads and the hazards of a traffic jam behind, say, a small herd of bison at Muncho Lake in Canada.

The Milepost provides maps, diagrams, photographs, and most of all, an almost mile by miles travelogue of what to expect in driving the major roads of the North Country. The information provided will allow the traveler to locate the next gas station, campground, hotel, or scenic spot. The advertisements allow some advance planning for areas where few hotel beds may be available. Travelers can also plan ahead for fishing charters on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska or the operating hours of visitor centers or the few but sometimes excellent museums that can be found along the roads. In buying the most recent edition of the Milepost, travelers can expect reasonably up-to-date information on major road construction. The Milepost includes some information on major hiking trailheads just off the main roads, but hikers should seek elsewhere for detailed information on off-road routes. The Milepost includes posted schedules for the Alaska Marine Highway System.

The Milepost is a must-have guide for road travel in Alaska and Northwest Canada and is most highly recommended to travelers and residents alike in a wild and scenic part of North America.

We went to Alaska and stayed briefly with friends before setting out on a two-week drive around the state. We thought we had it covered with other guidebooks and maps, but our friends insisted we take along their dog-eared copy of this year's Milepost. The Milepost is absurdly detailed--it tells you how many feet wide each pull-out on the highway is and where the trashcan at each one is located, for instance--but it is truly indispensable for anyone driving around Alaska. We drove 1400 miles back and forth across the state, and this book never left my lap in the passenger seat while my husband drove. Incredibly useful, even if only for that "it's 5:00, do we really want to drive another 300 miles before hitting ANYTHING?" day which will inevitably come.

We drove about 3000 miles in 11 days this summer and I have to say Milepost was more than helpful. I do have MS Streets & Trips and we rely on that for our most trips. But in Alaska that doesn't work. Luckily, I had got heads up from Alaska residents that if I want to do road trip in Alaksa, I will NEED Milepost. As per the Alaska residents I have talked with on different forums (TripAdvisor, Flyertalk, etc.) - even though they live in Alaska they buy new copy of Milepost every year. I heard similar from people with whom I talked with in Alaska. If you are just travelling from Anchorage to Denali or Fairbanks to Denali - you could just get maps from Local Information centers and go without Milepost but for extensive road travelling - buy this - your money is well spent. Another book you may want to consider buying is Alaska TourSaver (just google on it and you will fine tons of information). It saved us about $600!

The Milepost is an institution for vacationers determined to drive their vehicles in Alaska. This thick paperbound book provides one with important information about everything from the location of the nearest gas station to the facilities available at campgrounds. It details, mile by mile, the views, the history, the resources, the geography, and the people and places that make Alaska the unique, breathtaking experience that it is. If you will be driving in Alaska, you should purchase this book.

Now, this is what you need to do once you have it in hand. First, read through the sections pertaining to the highways you plan to travel. Next, take a highlighter pen and mark each location that sounds intriguing. Then, at every town or city description you pass in the narrative, make a big line at the end of the directions before the city information and then after the city ads stop - right before the narrative for the highway starts up again. There are numerous ads throughout the Milepost, most are quite helpful and informative, but if one is simply driving through a town, one needs to 'skip ahead' to get back to the milepost narrative. It can be frustrating if you get stuck in the ads, trying to find the next part of the narrative.

You won't stop at every place you highlighted, and you may stop at some you ignored on the read-through, depending on timing and weather and interest, but you will always learn something true and useful. We found only one errant comment during our travels; at one look-out point the trees had grown up too much to see the view behind them. Everything else was just as described. Trust what the narrative says about road conditions! The Milepost will enhance your enjoyment of the beauty and grandeur of Alaska.

THE MILEPOST 2006, 58th Editon If you are planning a trip to the North Country: Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories, you simply cannot go without this amazing guide. It lists the food, gas, lodging, camping, fishing, road conditions, bridges, and ferries... all the way from major access routes in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. In the remote, sparsely populated Northwest, Milepost is famous as the quintessential guide, the Bible of how to get there and how to handle any problems along the way. Experienced travelers since 1949 have known You gotta have this one! It is as valuable as the early settler's compass!

We moved up to Alaska and purchased this book for the trip. That was 16 years ago and we still buy a new one every couple of years. It is invaluable for anyone traveling in the state. Lots of information and phone numbers and a mile-by-mile guide to every scenic turnout, recreation spot, campground, etc. Worth every penny!

I go up to Alaska every few years. And every time I go, I get the most recent copy. If you need to find a gas station or a place to stay in Alaska, its in here. If you are going to Denali National Park, get "Discovering Denali". Another good travel guide to bring along is "Alaska's Best Places"

We made our first trip to Alaska this year and bought this book several months in advance. It was a good investment and a big help in both planning and taking the trip. The book (more life a big magazine) is big and heavy due to all the advertising; for our actual trip we just cut out the pages for the routes we'd be driving and put them in a small binder - must more useful and saves a lot of weight in your luggage.

If you have driven to Alaska, have a trip planned to Alaska, or think you might want to...GO TO ALASKA....buy the Milepost now.
The book is a must for the trip. It's also entertaining enough to read while sitting in your armchair at home.
My trip to Alaska was many years ago, yet I still buy and read the Milepost. I see the differences in that first trip, yet can note that some things don't change.
It would truly be unwise to drive that North Country without a Milepost.

To those of us that love to travel, the Milepost is a God send for Alaska travelers. The book is extremely user friendly, catergorizing sights, recreational activities etc. by specific geographical areas.

Invaluable mile by mile descriptions on all major highways as well as some of the lesser traveled roadways. The authors also include information on all types of travel (land, sea and air). I have utilized various websites, phone numbers and resourse information to plan our June 3 week vacation and am looking forward to actually experiencing the Alaska that I have been reading about.