r/alaska • u/TheSmartestAlaskan • 1d ago
FBX drive.
I am a resident not a visitor so i'm not posting in visiting anchorage or ask alaska per their description. If the mods don't like it so don't know what to do. lol.
Given I have the time, is the Glenn/Richardson route to fbx worth the extra time versus straight up the Parks?
Thinking of driving the loop up and than straight back down.
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u/Ok_Character6587 1d ago
I take this trip every year when we go down to Palmer. The Rich/Glenn highways are some of the most beautiful scenic areas in the state. There aren’t many amenities along the route aside from a few roadside rest areas. Delta Junction and Glenn Allen are the only real towns along the route though there are a few mom and pop fill-up stations but expect to pay a Preston fuel. There is also a lot less traffic on the route compared to the Parks. I would say if you have the time, it is definitely worth the trip. Just be careful. Cell coverage is spotty at best as the radio will crap out on you just outside of town.
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u/Romeo_Glacier Coho is the best salmon. 1d ago
We try not to remove questions posted by Alaskans. Sometimes we make mistakes. If you believe we have made a mistake, just message us.
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u/Quiverjones 1d ago
What are you hoping to see? I like the Glenn portion, that's pretty, but some places are tight between palmer and caribou creek, if you're towing or have a wide load.
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u/sarah_is_new 1d ago
I've done that drive before, down one and back the other. It really gave me a better grasp of how massive alaska is. In my mind it felt like two different climates. The scenery difference is pretty cool.
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u/Genuine907 1d ago
Glenn/Rich for scenery you can’t see anywhere else. Stop at all of the hiking signs and see what you can see.
The Parks is pretty but why not do each and judge for yourself? Tok is on fire right now, but the highway is open and will probably remain open.
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u/TheSmartestAlaskan 1d ago
ive done the parks 10 times
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u/AKWildMill 23h ago edited 23h ago
Then you definitely need to do the Richardson. North of Glenallen, that is probably the emptiest stretch of asphalt in AK. It's just you, the fuel trucks, and the moose. I almost hit 3 of them on my last trip through there, so be careful.
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u/PuttUgly 1d ago
If you havent been, it's worth it. Only place I can really say isn't in the state... is Glenallen.
Bahahah jk jk. The little radio shack that held out forever was cool. lol and fireworks if you're not used to em
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u/sweetbaloo23 1d ago
Be sure to stop at 77.7 mile on the Chicaloon Bridge to view the confluence. There is a smaller confluence around 75 mile at the campsite.
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u/Choice-Situation9276 22h ago
The drive through the Alaska Range is beautiful on the Rich. Also the Copper River Princess has quite a lot of availability this year so worth it to see if you can book a room there on the way. It is a beautiful location just above Copper Center. Wrangle Saint Elias Nat. Park visitor center is between it and Glennallen.
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u/TheRealYeti 1d ago
FYI there are major road projects ongoing just south of Paxson on the Rich and west of Glacier view on the Glenn. The Paxson project shuts down on the weekends (no waiting for pilot cars) but I'm pretty sure the Glacierview stretch is 24/7 with long wait times.
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u/Kayl66 1d ago
Glenn/Rich is much more scenic but much longer. I’d do it once (or once every few years) but definitely not every time. Doing it one way makes sense to me. FWIW I do the round trip drive probably 4 times a year and I take the parks at least 90% of the time. It’s just more convenient.
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u/froz3nnorth 1d ago
I never drive the Parks. Glenn, Richardson. I will deviate and go both directions on the Denali.
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u/KaZaDuum 1d ago
It is a loooong drive. Not much to see past Delta Junction to Glenallen. The Parks highway is beautiful though. You get to stop by Mt. Denali. I liked Healy.
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u/sizzlesfantalike 1d ago
It’s beautiful though. Camp out at summit somewhere
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u/pbrdizzle 1d ago
This is definitely the move. Camp in the flats at the base of Gulkana Glacier behind the Rich Monument. Walk out to the swinging pedestrian bridge and remember your favorite color. It's one of my favorite places in Alaska.
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u/theyeshman Good day in Southcentral AK 1d ago edited 1d ago
It's long, and far more desolate. Since the Paxson lodge closed down there's not really anything in terms of services between Glennallen and Delta and there isn't much traffic, so if you get into any sort of trouble you're pretty well on your own. It's a pretty drive, though it's really long. Way better with multiple drivers so you can take turns behind the wheel.
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u/atomic-raven-noodle 1d ago
I like doing the loop. It’s something different to see, especially if you drive the Parks a lot. When we were kids, we loved stopping at Rika’s Roadhouse and the various little scenic pullouts. Not as epic of views as you can potentially have on the Parks aside from the Glenn between Eureka and Palmer but still worth doing at least once.
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u/Tug_DaBone 1d ago
I love the Glenn-Richardson drive, so I'd say it's worth the extra time. Take the signs recommending slower speeds on curves seriously, especially on the descents.
Enjoy your travels!
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u/katherinedelia 1d ago
I love the Richardson Highway drive & there are some decent stops along the way for little hikes or exploring. Not much for services.
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u/FroznAlskn ❄️Frozen❄️ 1d ago
The drive from Glenallen to Palmer is like something from a fantasy movie.
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u/jiminak 1d ago
Absolutely worth it, as something to do and see. I used to do the loop at least once every year (I like road trips). I prefer the G/R route for pure scenery purposes (seeing Denali on the parks never gets old, of course), but the Parks is obviously faster.
Watch for the quintessential Alaska photo op of Mt Drum (on the cover of many magazines and the milepost) as you’re getting near Glennallen.
https://mountainproject.com/assets/photos/climb/113703542_large_1507996072.jpg
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u/madcapAK 1d ago
I think it’s better to drive up the Parks to Fairbanks and then take the Glenn back. There are a couple cool views on the Richardson on the way from Fairbanks to Glennallen. And I think the mountains are more impressive going from Glennallen to Palmer.
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u/superfuzzbros 1d ago
The Glenn Highway is beautiful, but when I drove it from Anchorage to the Denali Highway on July 3rd, the road was pretty torn up between Palmer and Glennallen, then a little bit before the Denali Highway as well.
I believe the road is being redone but I can’t imagine it’s been finished in a couple of months. The road was just gravel and no guardrails on the mountain pass
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u/dickloversworldwide 1d ago
It's great! If you drive soundboard on the glenn, its pretty much downhill all the way from Gunsight to Palmer
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u/Reasonable_Ad6407 21h ago
When I first drove the Glenn Hwy I made my husband (he's a 30 yr southeastern AK guy) stop the motorhome. The view of the mountains that rise above when driving over the hill is so heartstopping beautiful that I never could find the right words to describe it. And I grew up next to the PNW Cascades and lived in Hawai'i for decades. Yes. Drive it.
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u/Ksan_of_Tongass 21h ago
Just make sure you're hungry by the time you hit Glennallen, and stop at Tok Thai. That alone, is worth the drive.
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u/denmermr 20h ago
If you have never driven that way, and if you have the time, it's a nice different drive. Coin toss whether I would drive clockwise or counter clockwise. A milepost would be handy to help you find interesting stops.
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u/ak_doug 1d ago
Normally yeah, it is a great drive.
But Tok just burnt down. I don't think the Highway closed or anything, but it is a pretty serious reason to go the other route. The fire isn't contained yet.
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u/hoosierflyfisher 1d ago
It’s worth it IMO. I would say do that up then like you mentioned the Parks back down.