Driving To AK from the lower 48.

[chevyman181]

Hello all,

My wife and I are starting to plan a trip to AK for our 10th anniversary. We are thinking about driving from SD to AK and spending 3-4 weeks on the trip..

I saw they did it on one the Fresh Tracks episodes a few years ago because it was cheaper to buy a van and drive up vs renting and flying.

We were wondering how many folks have driven from the lower 48 to AK.

Does anyone know if there is any legal way to get hand guns and suppressors through Canada? I guess that's the biggest question.

If you've made the trip is there anything to account for that you didn't think of in the beginning?

@Twobyfour

 

[Charlie Bob]

I want to do the trip from Florida and have been following several other threads on it .
Maybe do a search ?
Good luck and have fun whatever route you choose.

Thread 'Alaska Highway (AlCan) vs. Cassiar Highway'

May 15, 2026

My son has be assigned to a US Army base in Alaska and I volunteered to help him take his vehicle up from the lower 48. He and I will be driving together, then I will fly back. This will be a great adventure and I am really looking forward to the road trip and seeing so much new (to me) and remote country. The drive from Montana to Anchorage is about 2,400 miles and I hope we will take our time just a bit rather than trying to break the land speed record getting there. My question for anyone who has done it is, after we get as far as Jasper in Alberta, Canada, would you recommend...

• FamilyMan
• Replies: 12
• Forum: Fireside (A Place for Friends)

• 

 

[glass eye]

I did it in 2023 and I took a rifle, shotgun, and Labrador. It was easy just download the forms and follow the rules. Forget about a handgun.
Alaska now requires a Veterinarian Certificate of Health if taking your dog. It wasn’t a thing when I went but it is now.

 

[338win]

Dude, do not try and get a handgun or can across the border. Ship your pistol to a ffl in Ak ahead of time unless you want your rig unloaded at the crossing.

 

[Steiny77]

My buddy and his wife just returned from IN to AK trip. They took 80 days and did 10,500 miles.
3/4 Ton pickup with a big slide in camper. Said they really enjoyed the trip.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Also, you can’t legally stay in any of the Canadian National Parks while legally traveling through with firearms. Two years ago entering Canada to go moose hunting I had followed all the rules and was just about done when they asked where I planned to stay that night. I’ve a reservation at Lake Louise I said. Nope they said you can travel through but you can’t stay. In theory you’re not even allowed to get off the highway for fuel or food. The trip however is worth doing, absolutely.

 

[Salmonchaser]

If you’re a cop and they ask you what you do for work, avoid the question. They’ll toss your vehicle looking for your pistol. God help you if they find that one 45 round that’s being rolling around under the seats.

 

[the nikster]

We have done the trip, both directions, about 6 times now.
No flat tires. Never ran outta gas.
Don’t drive at night in Canada. Too many animals get in the roadway.
Liard Hot springs requires a reservation and is totally worth it.
Ship the handgun.
Take an old license plate for the forest at Watson Lake.
Pets are easy, just get the paperwork done.
Don’t sign any paperwork until the officer is watching. The officer has to watch you sign.
Take your time, it is a beautiful thing.

 

[mtmiller]

If you’re a cop and they ask you what you do for work, avoid the question. They’ll toss your vehicle looking for your pistol. God help you if they find that one 45 round that’s being rolling around under the seats.

or a box of steel #2's. They did a lot of digging to not find the 12ga shotgun. My fault though.

 

[chevyman181]

Dude, do not try and get a handgun or can across the border. Ship your pistol to a ffl in Ak ahead of time unless you want your rig unloaded at the crossing.

This is about what I figured but I thought I'd ask...

 

[chevyman181]

If you’re a cop and they ask you what you do for work, avoid the question. They’ll toss your vehicle looking for your pistol. God help you if they find that one 45 round that’s being rolling around under the seats.

I didn't think about about pistol ammo, or any other ammo that might be floating around. Thanks

 

[FairWeather]

I drove the AlCan from Alaska to the lower 48. The answer is no on the handguns.

Robust tires & a spare are a good idea. Blew the tire on my trailer twice in the Yukon. That was in winter, though, so there was a lot of gravel on the road. Might be better conditions in the summer.

 

[Salmonchaser]

It was 60 or 61 we, Dad and I, were on our way from ft. Wainwright to Illinois to visit my maternal grandparents. The Al can was barely two lanes wide then and all gravel. We had four spare tires, used them all and 15 gallons of gas. I was 7 years old. Fantastic adventure. At one point not far from white horse we happened upon a native guy all bloody, looking near death. Dad had a good medical kit, got him patched up and loaded in the truck. We didn’t camp that night, Dad kept driving until we reached Whitehorse and got him to the hospital. He had tangled with a bear he said.

 

[MTGomer]

Never driven to Alaska, but I’ve been to Canada with a gun several times and back to the states with guns. I’ve always found the Canadians to be great and the American customs to be the pain in the ass.

 

[vanish]

In 2023, we bought a popup camper and took my year and a half old daughter to Homer and back. Once there, we stayed with family and I worked remotely. Had to go up the Cassiar and back on the Alcan due to fires. Great trip overall.

We essentially had 9 days on each end for driving and it would have been nice to have more as we essentially didn't stay in any location, aside from when we were waiting in Tok for new slipper springs for our camper. The potholes once entering Alaska finally did them in. ( The ones they installed got us to Homer but I had to put in better ones while there. ) We tried to limit driving to 8ish hours a day, so it certainly could be done in less time depending on your priorities.

Other than that one section of road, the driving part was routine. We mostly boondocked each night, though we stayed at a state park near Anchorage and a town park in Southern Alberta.

3 weeks is pretty short. You'd spend most of that time just getting there and back.

 

[Johnny Bravo]

Can't take a handgun, but you can have crazy guns like this....mental !

 

[F250]

I have a Canadian Possession and Acquisition license for Unrestricted firearms (most long guns) and restricted firearms ( most handguns). I can possess and purchase both types of firearms in Canada. However, even with that license, the rules regarding the transportation of handguns are so strict, I would not take one on a trip.