Our Gang

When the cruise lines shut down for the year the shops all try to get rid of their merchandise. That is when my wife loves to go. Great bargains for the shoppers. You just never know what the weather will be no matter when you go.

olddutch Loc: Beloit, Wisconsin

my suggestion would be to go earlier because of the haze from forest fires, which was a problem when I was there in mid-August, 2004

PH CIB

Just came back from the month of July in Alaska,,,for Grizzly Bears, Caribou, Moose and Dall Sheep the eight hour Tundra Wilderness Tour in Denali is great,,,it does not go out to Wonder Lake that is an even better 12 hour tour,,,the more time You spend in Denali and the more distance You travel in Denali the better your chances of seeing Wildlife,,,Bear in Mind pun intended this is on a school bus with hard to open and close windows and animals showing up on the side opposite You so Photography Conditions are not ideal...next trip to Alaska will do Katmai National Park and Brooks Falls from what I have heard the best for Photographing Brown Bears,,,,definitely recommend the Neets Bear Tour out of Ketchikan for Black Bears it is a small boat with Photography off the bow or stern and as it is along a fish hatchery you will probably see many Bears and Eagles and some Seals the Captain of the Boat is excellent....Have Fun !!!

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

Generally speaking, the best weather up here, at least in south-central Alaska is May and June. July is somewhat of a transition month, and the weather is a bit of a potluck. Often it's sunny with late afternoon showers. August would not be the month I'd recommend. The weather tends to be poor, with cooler temperatures, lots of cloudy skies with rain often, and a few nice days. September is sort of like July, transitioning into Fall with plenty of pleasant weather, and the possibility of frost and even possible light dusting of snow on the higher elevations late in the month.

The boat cruise is a nice way to go, as you also go through southeast Alaska, and when it's nice in southeast Alaska, there's no place a lovely as there. The bus trip into Denali is fun, but as someone posted, you may or may not see wildlife, and when you do, don't expect the critters to be next to the road waiting to be photographed. Also, everyone wants to see Denali/Mt. McKinley, if you will, however, you will only have about a 30% chance, at best, to see the mountain as it tends to manufacture its own weather, due to the sheer huge size of the landmass. Even on a clear cloudless day, it may be not be visible!! A lot of people are disappointed.
The weather up here is always in flux, so take warm gear and rain gear. If your outside and it's raining, an umbrella is a good idea so you can protect your camera gear when shooting. And there can be some very warm days ups here ( a couple years ago we had a great summer and one day it was 95 degrees at our house!!) so don't forget cool gear as well.

If you have the time to drive, I recommend that. Going through Canada is great and the weather is best in May and June, and the Alcan Hwy is good paved road. It will also allow you to explore on your own, and you can also take advantage of things like the train ride, glacier tours out of Seward, and all, without the worry of meeting schedules for the tour line.

I can't tell you what camera(s) or lenses to take, as that will depend on what you want to shoot. Certainly if you want to go to Brooks Falls and photograph the bears, then a good long lens is a must. Otherwise, what you take will depend on how much gear you want to lug around. I normally have the 18-140 lens on my D7200, and I have a Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 zoom that I occasionally use. Nothing longer. But then, I'm not all that into wildlife photography, so 200mm seems adequate for me. YMMV, of course.

bthomas42 Loc: North Ridgeville Ohio

I have been on Princess Alaska cruises twice. One the first 2 weeks of July and the second the last week of August and first week of September had good weather on both trips. Enjoyed the land trips both times after the cruise both to Denali and Copper Canyon

Fayle Loc: Seward, Alaska and Rionegro, Colombia

For anyone planning a cruise check out this book.

https://www.amazon.com/Becker-Elizabeth-Overbooked-Exploding-Hardcover/dp/B00J5UN4M2/ref=pd_cp_14_1/130-9276179-8336556?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=EJSN49E8JWR9597WS85D

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

For all of you who took a cruise, or otherwise visited Alaska this year, we have had an unusually poor summer, weatherwise. It's normally a lot nicer than it has been this year. Blame it on El Nino, La Nina, or whatever. Last summer was gorgeous. Here's hoping next summer is a nice one again.

Markncorryton

We did a cruise with Holland America in mid August. The weather was excellent, with very little rain. We visited the inside passage, Tracy's Arm was amazing. Also visited Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan, all were beautiful with too much to see and do in such a short time. Stopped in Victoria, British Columbia on our return it also was beautiful. We arrived back in Seattle and spent an extra day enjoying it's sights and sounds, before boarding our flight back to Corryton. Have fun and take lots of pictures.

dpfoto Loc: Cape Coral, FL

I would only want to go during their SUMMER, but I'm not sure which week that is.

Dr. Dan

I am a first time visitor to UHH. I have been to Alaska on a 2 week cruise-land tour and also driving on my own for 2 weeks. First for the cruise tour the weather the last week in May and first week in June was much better than what I experienced in July. If photography is your main interest in Alaska, I prefer driving myself. I start in Fairbanks, then drive to Denali. If you really want to experience Denali, stay at North Face Lodge in the park at the end of the road. They offer a 3day, 4 day, or 7 day package. Everything is included meals, room, transportation, and all activities. I stayed on a 4 day package, each day they took us to a different area to photograph. We saw every animal you could imagine, even a wolf close enough to photograph. You are near Wonder Lake and should get a view of Denali. I then drive to Seward to visit Kenai Fjords National Park. You take an all day boat ride to see all the marine wildlife and the tide water glaciers. You can also take an easy hike to get very close to Exit Glacier. Drive to Whittier, the drive thru the one way tunnel is interesting. Take an all day boat ride to see Prince William Sound and its wildlife and glaciers. The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center on the road between Anchorage and Seward is a must stop for photography. You will see all types of wildlife in natural settings for great photography. Bears, Moose and everything else you can wish for. I enjoyed my cruise, but had much better photography experiences when driving Alaska on my own. I am sure you will have a great trip to Alaska-it is impossible not to.

bigguytf

Have been three times in the lower part of Alaska, July to August.

Some hints, Juneau has the most rain it seems.
Try to find out when the Salmon run, many animals come out do to the salmon.

I took lens I could use a cover with. Canon 70-200 and 24-105 with a 1.4 teleconverter Worked great

Tinkwmobile

We went late part of May and early June for about 12 days. We flew into Anchorage and used Anchorage as our lodging for trip. We took several rail trips and drove south and north. Advantage to driving, stop whenever you want and wherever you want. We drove up to Denali, but did not opt for any trips there.

We saw some wildlife, but really did not get any great pics. To me, at least trip trip was more about landscape.

Took day cruise from Whittier. Great landscapes, whales and other wildlife. When we return, we will go same time of year.

Seal

insman1132 Loc: Southwest Florida

We took that Princess 10 day cruise back a few years and it proved to be a great choice. They had their own railroad cars for the Denali trip. We went in July. Tundra trip is a yes!

MTG44 Loc: Corryton, Tennessee

Thank everyone for your advise and helpful replys.

pilot64 Loc: Atlanta, GA

Want a cruise for photography or a cruise for luxury? If you want pix, go the small boat route. The small boat gets closer to the glaciers, whales, wildlife. My small boat (Admiralty Dream) had 62 passengers, 21 crew members. We saw bubble feeding whales up close, glaciers almost so close you could touch them. Plenty of time for shore trips in Sitka, Janeau, and several islands on the inland passage. Bears? lots. Eagles? too many to count. The big boat says "We have some whales on the starboard side!". Everyone runs to the starboard side to view them. The small boat says "We have some whales on the starboard side! Let's go get 'em. Food? A great chef. Not as comprehensive as the big boat but more than adequate. Yes, the rooms are small. Yes, it does cost more. But, best seven day cruise I ever had... Do take the Denali side excursion. See the dog shows, Take a helicopter ride, Try to get a guide to take you into the park as an alternative to the bus ride. Take your long lens.