Looking to cool off this summer? With our Travel Tuesday Featured Destination, you can do exactly that! Located in Fairbanks, Alaska, River’s Edge RV Resort is the perfect destination for your summer road trip. This beautiful campground maintains a homey feel and allows a peaceful escape from the busyness of life. With summer temperatures averaging out at about 60°F, this is a great way to escape the heat of summer and experience nature in a new way!
About
River’s Edge Resort is positioned in one of the Final Frontier’s focal cities, Fairbanks. This centrally located campground makes for the perfect base camp to enjoy all of your Alaskan adventures. At only 140 miles south of the Arctic Circle, River’s Edge encompasses a portion of the Chena River and even allows you to camp right on the banks. With a variety of camping sites and hookup options to choose from, you are sure to experience a personalized stay when you park your RV here.
The campground contains 167 sites that include 10 tent sites with no hookup, 42 basic sites with water and utility, 61 full hook-up sites with 30-amp water and sewer, and 54 super hook-up sites with 50-amp water and sewer. Prices per night vary from $26.95 per night to $59.95 per night. The resort is pet friendly and even has multiple dog walking paths so your pup can experience the beauty of the surrounding nature too! You can find a picnic area on the shore of the river and other amenities in the check in center. The park features clean bathrooms, free showers, 24-hour coin laundry, a dump station, free Wi-Fi, a car and RV washing facility, and a gift shop so you can buy all of your souvenirs at a convenient location. Every Wednesday night, the campground hosts and antique car parade that all visitors are welcome to enjoy.
Cooking on the road isn’t easy and everyone deserves a break! River’s Edge houses 2 on-site restaurants for guests. Every morning in the Lodge, Miner’s Hall holds a continental style breakfast buffet that includes everything from cereals to assorted breads and pastries. Eating here is guaranteed to start your day off on the right foot and fuel you for whatever expedition you wish to embark on. If you’re searching for an upscale restaurant that features traditional Alaskan cuisine with a twist, there’s no need to travel off your campground. Just a short walk from the RV site, Chena’s Alaskan Grill is the perfect place to have a meal with a view. The menu features local fresh caught fish and handpicked wines precisely paired to compliment your entrée. Indoor and outdoor riverside seating both offer a spectacular sunset view while the attentive staff ensure that your meal is perfect and your experience is relaxed.
Local Activities
During the summer, the tour office at River’s Edges is open and ready to provide you with a connection to various different activities. The office is conveniently located by the RV check-in and is open from May 15 – September 15 this year. While there are many onsite activities like hiking and canoeing, this campground encourages you to go out and explore Alaska. They have partnered with tour companies to offer you the opportunity to leave your RV plugged up and embark on a day journey.
For the history buffs, they suggest taking the Fairbanks Historical City Tour. This staff-led motorized tour leaves the resort every morning at 8:30am and makes stops at the notable landmarks around the city. Through this tour you can explore the historical Pioneer Park, downtown Fairbanks, the Yukon Quest Head Quarters, and the Morris Thompson Cultural Visitor Center. After, you take a short ride outside of Fairbanks to view the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline and end the day with a visit to the University of Alaska – Fairbanks Museum of the North. The tour costs a total of $39.95 per person and includes admission to the museum.
Why not try your hand at gold panning while you’re in the state that is notorious for gold mining? The resort offers the Gold Dredge 8 tour for anyone looking to learn about the history behind one of Alaska’s most prosperous industries. This tour occurs twice a day from a location outside of the campground, so transportation is required. Once you reach the site, you will be able to view the Trans-Alaskan pipeline, ride a replica of the original Tanana Valley Railroad, and even dredge for gold yourself. The tour is $50 per person and includes the guarantee that every visitor will find their own gold!
If you love the water, the campground offers a Riverboat Discovery tour twice a day with complimentary transportation to Steamboat Landing. This day cruise will take you through a journey of Alaska’s unique history along the Chena and Tanana Rivers. On the tour, you will take a Chena Indian Village walking tour that will explain the Athabaskan culture and provide an opportunity to experience their way of life. While back on the boat, you will witness a bush pilot demonstration where a native Alaskan bush pilot will take off and land right next to the boat and share his stories. You will view the Susan Butcher Kennels where four-time Iditarod champion, Susan Butcher trainer her dogs and be able to watch a dog mushing demonstration! This tour is $64.95 per person and gives every individual a glimpse of what everyday life is like in Alaska.
Arctic Circle Expeditions
Not only does the tour office offer local adventures, but it gives you the opportunity to go on Alaskan expedition days as well. Partnering with Northern Alaska Tour company, River’s Edge is able to offer you an arctic experience unlike any other. Although a bit pricey, these tours pick you up directly from the campsite and are all inclusive. Don’t miss your chance to experience life in the Arctic Circle while you are in Alaska!
If you love a scenic drive, then we suggest taking the Arctic Circle Drive Adventure. You will get to experience travelling into the Arctic Circle by a van our tour coach along Dalton Highway. Also known as the North Slope Haul Road, the Dalton Highway is one of the most notorious roads in the state. This 414-mile road travels parallel to the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline and stretches from just outside of Fairbanks all the way to the Prudhoe Bay oil fields in the Arctic Ocean and only passes 3 towns along the route. For $219 per person, along the way, you will experience the tundra, visit the Yukon River, cross over into the Arctic Circle, and stop at the Arctic Circle Trading Post.
If you’re looking for an experience that includes a scenic drive and a vast wilderness experience that will leave you speechless, the Arctic Circle Fly/Drive Adventure include everything in the previous expedition, but adds an fun twist. Instead of driving both ways, you fly one way in a private airplane from Fairbanks to Coldfoot to provide you with an experience you will never forget. The flight takes you over the vast Alaskan wilderness and departs at 5am and 1pm. This tour costs from $399-$449 per person and is all inclusive.
The ultimate Alaskan experience awaits you with this opportunity to embark on the Barrow Expedition. This trip is a day long journey which takes you to the Inupiat Eskimo village that is home to the northernmost point in the United States. You will travel by air to the village and once there, have the opportunity to learn about the history of the coastal peoples of Alaska. Before you leave, you will travel near the northernmost point where, you will be able to walk on the shores of the Arctic Ocean and have the chance to dip your toes into the frigid waters. This experience of lifestyle in the Alaskan Arctic costs $989 per person and is guaranteed to leave you with unforgettable memories.
On Your Own
If you enjoy making your own schedule of tours or if the resort doesn’t offer the exact experience you were looking for, there’s no need to worry! River’s Edge offers shuttles into town where you can find access to many other activities in Fairbanks and other touring offices as well. If the activity you were going to do is in a different city, Alaska has a railroad that can take you from Fairbanks to just about any other major city in the state. You can also find vehicles for rent to explore on your own. The city also has implemented a “Meet & Greet with a Real Alaskan” program where you are matched with an Alaskan to give you a personal experience of the city.
Fairbanks averages about 20 hours of functional daylight a day during the summer and 70 full days of 24-hour light with the summer solstice taking place on June 21st. The city celebrates this unique part of nature with the Midnight Sun Season. The culture changes and you can find hikers, dog walkers and even baseball games taking place during the night hours. The festival to celebrate solstice takes place on the Sunday closest to June 21st. At the festival, you can experience local food, artist and activities that all come together to form the culture of Fairbanks. With the option of pony rides, wall climbing, and gold panning, this is a great place to take your kids. During the event, you will have the opportunity to hear 30 different musicians play on all of the three stages throughout downtown.
If you’re looking to experience more of the everyday culture and history, we suggest taking a trip to Pioneer Park. Even locals love how fun and historical this park is! This destination is great for someone looking to have an authentic Alaskan experience close to the RV Resort! Inside the park you can find the Bear Art Gallery, relics from the gold rush, original log cabins made into stores and restaurants, a Stern-wheeler, Carousel, and a mini-golf course. During the summer, the park holds “Gazebo Nights” where you can hear a new artist almost every night!
A great way to relax on vacation is to get outdoors. If you don’t want to take a fancy expedition, there is no need too! There are plenty of outdoor activities right in Fairbanks that you can try – some of which are even inside of the RV park! The hiking trails are endless and range in scenery from the city to the surrounding forests and mountains. If you want to experience the native flora and fauna, you can hike down Chena River State Recreation Area or White Mountains National Recovery area. Mountain biking is also very popular so we suggest going for a ride at the Birch Hill Recreation Area. You can also canoe down the Chena River that runs through the campsite. If you love running and your trip is near the summer solstice, sign up to participate in the Midnight Sun Run! The race begins at 10pm to celebrate the 24 hours of daylight.
Who doesn’t love Christmas in July? This summer, include the North Pole on your travel list. North Pole, Alaska that is. Just a short trip outside of Fairbanks, this town is the perfect home for the world’s largest Santa Claus which was featured as one of the 5 most bizarre roadside attractions in America on our blog. The town prides itself on its unmatched holiday cheer and the endless letters to Santa they receive each year. The Santa Claus House is also located here where you can find personalized letters from Santa, endless Christmas decorations and souvenirs, a life-size nativity scene, and even the opportunity to buy the deed to one square inch of land in North Pole!
Of course, how could you not visit the heart of the Alaskan wilderness on your trip? Take a train ride to Denali to experience the vast solitude of the rural Interior. In the national park that encompasses the area, you can find the North America’s highest peak: Denali. You can only explore a limited amount of the six million acres that make up the park but you are guaranteed to get a great view of the mountain known as the “High One.” In the surrounding city, there is a Husky Homestead Kennel Tour that gives you an inside look at the kennel which is run by four-time Iditarod champion, Jeff King. At the kennel, you can learn the history of the race, experience dog mushing practices and training and have the opportunity to play with the puppies that are the future runners of the Iditarod.
This campground is the ideal destination for a peaceful getaway. Here, you can experience both city and wilderness while seeing a band new side of the American culture.
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