The Most Scenic Drives in Alaska: Routes Worth the Windshield Time

Alaska has more than 14,000 miles of paved road, and some of the most dramatic scenery on the continent sits just outside your car window. Whether you’re driving a rental, a camper van, or your own rig off the ferry, a road trip here is less about getting somewhere and more about what you see along the way. For a deeper look at route options and seasonal tips, Silvertip Lodge’s guide to Alaska’s most scenic road trips is a solid place to start planning.

Seward Highway — Anchorage to Seward (127 miles)

This National Scenic Byway hugs Turnagain Arm before climbing through the Kenai Mountains toward Resurrection Bay. Watch for Dall sheep on the rocky slopes above the road and beluga whales in the silty tidal flats below. Budget at least three hours one way — more if you stop at Exit Glacier or the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.

Sterling Highway — Soldotna to Homer (142 miles)

The Sterling picks up where the Seward Highway forks south of Cooper Landing and follows the Kenai River through Soldotna before descending to Homer and the shores of Kachemak Bay. The final stretch into Homer offers one of the most photographed views in the state — a long, slow drop toward the Spit with glaciers and volcanoes stacked across the water.

Parks Highway — Anchorage to Denali (237 miles)

This is the corridor most visitors take to reach Denali National Park. On a clear day, Denali itself appears around mile 135 and stays visible for nearly an hour of driving. The road passes through Wasilla, Talkeetna junction, and the wide-open Susitna Valley before climbing into the Alaska Range foothills.

Richardson Highway — Valdez to Delta Junction (266 miles)

Alaska’s oldest road crosses Thompson Pass — which holds the state’s single-day snowfall record — and winds through Keystone Canyon, where waterfalls pour directly onto the roadside. The drive between Valdez and Glennallen is one of the least crowded and most rewarding in the state.

Planning Your Drive

Summer daylight gives you 18+ hours of visibility, but road conditions and wildlife crossings demand patience. Bring a paper map as a backup — cell service drops out for long stretches on every route listed here. Fill up on gas whenever you see a station, especially on the Richardson and Dalton.

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*Alaska SEO is a content strategist at Alaska SEO who has driven every mile of highway listed above.*