The waterfront bustles with cruise ships, fishing boats, and floatplanes zipping in and out. With no road access to Juneau, it is the only state capital in the United States that can only be reached by airplane or boat.
People Also Ask
The absence of a road network is due to the extremely rugged terrain surrounding the city. This in turn makes Juneau a de facto island city in terms of transportation, since all goods coming in and out must go by plane or boat, in spite of the city's location on the Alaskan mainland.
Juneau is Alaska's capital city and it should be high on your list of places to visit when you are in Alaska. It is unfortunately inaccessible by road so you will need to take a plane or boat there. If you want your own car there and want to skip the expense of renting a car, you will need to ship your car to Juneau.
This question, because of the specific requirements and details of “driving to”, and “not passing through Canada” has only one answer - NO, it is not possible! Cars/vehicles transit from the Lower 48 to Alaska all the time, but the ONLY WAY TO DRIVE THEM for that trip is to take the ALCAN, in whole or in part.
Juneau is a very walkable city. Most cruise ships dock right in downtown, and visitors can leave the ship and walk all throughout downtown, shopping and exploring.
If you drive to Alaska you must drive through Canada. If you drive to Alaska you will need to drive through the province of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory. The Alaska Highway is 2,224 Km/1382 miles long and stretches from Dawson Creek, British Columbia to Delta Junction, Alaska.
Only 20 percent of Alaska is accessible by road. Despite a land mass of 586,412 square miles, Alaska only has 12 numbered highways. This means most of Alaska is wilderness – untamed, untouched wilderness, rare to find anywhere else in the US. When planning your Alaska vacation, distances can be deceptively large.
Which Alaska cities Cannot be reached by car? Unfortunately, there are several areas in Alaska that you can only travel to by plane and/or boat. These areas include: Dutch Harbor, Kodiak, Bethel, Nome, Barrow, and Sitka. You can travel to and from Juneau by car, but you will need to cut through Canada to do so.
While many people go to Mendenhall Glacier with a tour group or on a shore excursion, you can also get to the glacier on your own. You can take a taxi from Juneau, drive to the glacier with a rental car, or take the city bus to Glacier Spur Road and walk the rest of the way (1.5 miles).
Generally, two to three days in Juneau is enough time to explore the city and visit the local attractions. However, if you plan to include a day trip to nearby areas such as Glacier Bay National Park or the Mendenhall Glacier, you may want to plan for four or more days.
Walking on a glacier in Alaska is an activity that every adventurous traveler should experience firsthand. Juneau is one of the best places for this with many glaciers and different types of excursion options.
Have you ever driven the Alcan — or just wished you could? The 1,520-mile road through Canada and Alaska is a magnet for adventurous travelers. There are some hardships: rough pavement, dust, mud, and long empty stretches between the few settlements supplying food, gas, and a place to stay.