Things to Consider When Looking for that Rural Alaska Cabin (Part 1!) (LONG READ)
By Natalie S.
(Estimated reading time: 15-20 min)
If there is one thing I've gleaned from the sudden popularity of my Instagram account this past year, is that my lifestyle is a major dream for many people all over the world!
There are many that just want to visit, ones who want to get off the grid, and those who want to go full rural year-round as a permanent lifestyle change. It has definitely changed my life for the better and suits my goals, beliefs, and personality. When my boyfriend & I drove up the Alaska Highway with everything we owned five years ago & moved into a dry cabin a half a mile off the road system, it was a big transition to say the absolute least!
We have SO MANY benefits we did not have in our urban life in the Lower 48, such as control over our energy & resource use, freedom from zoning laws, seclusion, a tight-knit community where everybody knows everybody, and a more hands-on life directly connected to nature! But there were also challenges we didn't anticipate and/or underestimated (such as how bad the mosquitoes are in June/July lol) things that no one could prepare us for, that if we'd known we would have been able to plan for more effectively.
I feel that by sharing what I learned it could be helpful to those working towards a dream of that little cabin in Alaska, whether you are already here looking for a place to live, you have a little travel trailer and are going to park it on a piece of land to build a cabin yourself, you're not here yet, or its just a dream you are contemplating making into a reality.
Additionally, maybe I can provide insight on some things that you may not read about in Google articles, see in Alaska-themed tv shows on the Discovery Channel, or hear about from realtors. Please know that I am only giving tips regarding my area, which is Southcentral Alaska (below the Arctic Circle, north of Anchorage). Other areas of the state will differ when it comes to details and extremes, I will not be covering these.
You will definitely have your own unique Alaskan experience, and for those already living rural off the grid elsewhere (especially in a cold climate) you probably know a few of these things already. But if you've never lived in an Arctic climate before, haven't been off-grid yet, or never lived in a place where you need to head down an old trail in the woods to get to there, this information may be useful to you, preventing unnecessary difficulty from impacting your homesteading plans.
Let me be clear, I am not here to scare you or to convince you not to move to Alaska! I just want to help you be prepared and have the experience you want to have. See Part Two for more tips!
In rural Alaska, don't think that "road/trail access" to a cabin with a street vehicle is a guarantee!
You often see these words in several tantalizing ads for cabins up here. The craziest thing about it is that most realtors don't or can't really give you a straight answer about whether you can drive into a property! There are so many rural dry cabins for sale in Alaska, that on the face of it look like great deals, but realty companies mostly want to get them sold, not match you to the property that's the right fit for your personal homesteading goals.
"Unmaintained trails" are common in Alaska, and you have to be prepared for them.
Many cabins here are often located off the main road system, down a small dirt road or trail. It can appear promising because the price is right, it looks liveable, and of course the idea of that secluded little cabin nestled in the woods, with land that's never been developed, where you can drive right to your front door is so attractive to many new homesteaders. But the access and land quality can be a big issue down the road, if you'll excuse the pun.
Many rural trails in Alaska are known as "unmaintained", are very muddy with no gravel of any kind, haven't been worked on in decades (& won't be anytime soon), and are often unsupportive of anything heavier than an ATV. This isn't purely an Alaska problem, many rural areas can have this issue, so its important to think about.
Getting stuck once far from the road system could cost you a big piece of your homestead savings.
I have seen it many times on my own trail, where there is someone curious about a property (or has already purchased it without being able to visit it first) and the realtor has assured them that its fine to drive to the cabin. Then that individual attempts the trail in a car/truck/RV/bus (yes bus, I've seen it) and before they know it, they're buried up to the mirrors in mud! 😱
At this point since they're off the main road, AAA or other emergency road services will not touch the situation with a 40 foot pole. Local neighbors may not be able to help, because they may not have the necessary equipment, or they might not live there year-round, or there aren't any neighbors for miles! So at that point it's down to going into the nearest town for help, on foot or by cab. If someone can help, it could take hours, perhaps days, and cost thousands of dollars that the person may have saved for starting up their homestead, or ring up tons of debt on a credit card that they never wanted to spend in the first place.
Always play it safe in rural Alaska!
Most importantly, the further out you are, your personal risk is much higher (and for any others with you), due to sudden changes in weather conditions, potential lack of phone service, not to mention being surrounded by dense woods with resident grizzly and black bears, and wolves.
Basically, NEVER attempt any off-road trail in Alaska with a street vehicle without walking it first! And if you do walk it, stay on the trail, venture in during daylight hours, bring a map/directions and pack with basic survival gear, alert someone in the area that you are exploring/going to a property, and be proficient with/bring a firearm/ammo capable of taking down a bear. Its not a walk in the park, this is serious wilderness! This is also a good general practice for going into the woods anywhere in Alaska, and a visit to a rural property is no different in my view.
A sign I made myself for the trailhead to help others avoid problems.
Raw land in Alaska is pretty raw.
Our trail and land threw us for a loop when we first arrived, lucky for us we were able to drive in on moving day because the ground was almost frozen, but then we found out later on that it was not a year-round thing we could do. We couldn't park our truck near the cabin because it promptly sunk into the mud on day 1, and so we spent the first two days at our cabin digging our truck out by hand in 28°F weather! We didn't realize our land was so swampy, even though we had physically visited it two months earlier, and it was near a ridge. If we'd known better, we wouldn't have attempted to drive in and saved ourselves alot of time and trouble.
How to find land that is suitable for homesteading, because not all of it is!
There is alot of cheap raw land in Alaska, but its not all ideal for homesteaders. If you have plans for a garden or to construct outbuildings on your new raw piece of land, be careful of swamps and low-laying areas, and steep inclines near mountains where there can be more erosion, rock slides, and heavy snows.
In Alaska there is type of swamp called "muskeg", which acts like a giant waterbed most of the year. There are hundreds of ads for muskeg land available to buy for low prices in Alaska. You cannot build anything stable on them, and daily travel across it with anything other than a special tracked vehicle is near impossible if it isn't frozen in winter. In pictures, cabins that are located in or around muskeg appear as if they're in an open grassy field, and often drops the price of the land. Bottom line, if you have to cross muskeg or swamp to get to your place, you should reconsider unless you have appropriate equipment to handle this. Low elevations also mean that when you dig a hole, it will immediately fill with water!
Finding land with a good incline that isn't too steep where water runoff can drain away from your cabin or cabin site, is definitely ideal. It will make everything easier, from construction to gardening, and more. Dirt and gravel are a valuable resource in Alaska, and you'll get more of it on your land if you're not struggling with mud and swamp.
Get ready, mosquitoes are bad in Alaska, especially in the deep woods!
The swampier the land is, and especially if it's on the edge of a lake, the mosquitoes will be MUCH worse. Backwoods mosquitoes are always thicker because there is less intrusion by humans, and people often underestimate how bad they can get in summer. Higher elevations won't have as much of this problem. We use bed net canopies, mosquito hoods, repellent, sealant for cracks and egresses in the cabin, and mosquito coils. If you have an allergy to mosquito bites, sensitive pets and children, or just don't want to deal with competing with them for half your summer, then consider being closer to a town, far from a waterbody, or at a higher elevation.
The seasons change the land access.
Here's one more very important thing about rural trails: they behave differently throughout the seasons. Many of them are not plowed at all during the winter, making snowmobiles the only form of travel in and out (other than snowshoes/skiis/dogsleds) in the winter months.
When spring thaw ends, our trail and many others become completely impassable for about a month, and the only way in or out is on foot only. We found this out the hard way, so now each May we stock up on extra groceries, propane, along with anything else we need that's heavy and get it in before we can't do anything but use a backpack & walk supplies in for the 3-4 weeks where it finishes drying out & firming up. After that its ATVs all the way until the first snow, with occasional truck use but only as far as our property, the trail beyond our cabin gets even more hairy.
You may not be the only one who uses the trail in!
When you live off of one of these remote trails, you can't help but become protective of it when others navigate it roughly, or when strangers show up that you don't know. In early spring when the trail is in its most delicate state, folks who want to recreate at their cabins for a holiday weekend will often come in with ATVS and heavy loads, often get stuck and spin their tires in the mud. This then digs deep holes that stay that way for the entire year & years to come, which is frustrating and inconvenient.
In winter those that traverse it have a snowmobile or come in with skiis/snowshoes, but in winter we "groom" the snow to keep it packed and smooth. When folks who want to recreate and go fast on snowmobiles come in, they often don't think of yearround residents and what they have to do to maintain the trail, and tear through it recklessly, leaving large bumps (called "whoopdeedoos") that make it difficult for us to go quickly if we need to down the trail, and shakes all our supplies out of our sleds. So this could be an issue for you if pure privacy is something you are seeking.
To sum it all up, I don't want you to find out the hard way that the secluded little cabin you found isn't such a good investment after all because of something like bad access! If you have the resources to select a place just off a quiet maintained road (there alot of those around to choose from), it may be a better fit for you and your family in the long run for many reasons. But if you have the know-how and the right equipment to deal with this, which some do, then by all means go for it!
Read on to find out how we get around throughout the seasons!
A snowmobile and an ATV are going to be essential, and so will learning how to operate and maintenence them!
If driving your vehicle to your new home isn't an option, then it will have to remain parked elsewhere. This can be a problem, meaning you can't be sure of its security, which you will probably be uncomfortable with, especially if there is no parking lot at the beginning of the trail.
There are properties that aren't too far off the main road, that if it's in your budget, you can bring in your own gravel and an excavator to create decent access to your place, and the same tools are perfect for clearing land for a gravel pad. Trust me you will need ALOT of gravel and the best heavy equipment for the job, these woods are hard to clear and the ground is very tough to work with here! But this is very expensive to accomplish so you will need to factor it into your budget.
Not having a sturdy dedicated trail will directly affect moving heavy items into your place, such as generators, building materials, furnishings, and so on. An atv or a snowmobile (seasonally dependent) will become a necessity, & have to make multiple trips, only when the conditions are good. One vehicle that can manage all-weather conditions out here is a tracked Argo, or anything else with tracks. But these can be costly, require alot of maintenance, and they're often slow.
Think about how you will get supplies in & be able to get off the property quickly for emergencies.
Once you are moved in, you will STILL need to be able to move heavy things here & there all year-round! This includes firewood, maybe hauling water, groceries, gasoline/propane, building materials, and the most important thing which is being able to get off your property quickly in case of emergencies (injuries, wildfires, etc.)!
An ATV & snowmobile may be outside your budget if you don't already have them, and know that these items are high in demand in Alaska, often costing more up here than in the Lower 48!
Trust me, I've had to do a couple of years walking supplies in and out through all the Alaska seasons, and it is not something to take lightly, if you'll excuse another pun. This task also might not be possible for you due to age, certain health conditions or disabilities, having small children with you, etc. So it something major to consider, especially in winter, when manual labor gets much more challenging.
You will be your own mechanic & rescue service!
If there's also one thing I know a little too well, is that these vehicles love to break down, often when you need them most, and usually in inclement weather. It is good for you and/or someone you'll be living with to have the ability to repair small engines. It is an empowering and necessary skill, will save you oodles of money, and you won't have to worry about who can fix your essential survival tool quickly. Being off the grid and rural means we are our own repair service, and that makes us more self-reliant, which is the primary goal of living this way!
You will need to keep tools/fluids/extra gas at your place, and in a kit that rides with you in either vehicle at all times. With snowmobiles we always bring a snowshovel, to dig ourselves out if we get buried off the packed snow. With the ATV, we religiously bring a winch and come-along. Good trailers are also important, one for summer with the ATV (preferably with high sides to hold alot of items such as gas cans, groceries, etc.) and an "Otter" (large plastic freight sled) which can attach behind a snowmobile in winter.
As I mentioned earlier, a vehicle with tracks can handle most conditions and terrain throughout the year, but they are expensive and not always fast. In the event that you need to get out of the woods quickly, a snowmobile or ATV could be much more effective. So all in all, these tools will make this kind of life much much easier, believe me. Also, let's not forget that they're FUN!!! Being able to go off road, knowing you can get your things in & out, zipping around through the frozen tundra on a gorgeous winter day, and feeling the freedom of wind on your face & the vastness of the woods...yeah, it's amazing!!!
There are politics surrounding snowplows.
Many backwoods trails are not plowed in winter, but parking areas are, and this is done by private citizens usually. It is also not free. If you do have to park your vehicle in a lot away from your property, there may be politics surrounding who plows the parking area. It is not often a service provided by the city/town in rural areas, so its down to the residents in a specific spot to pool their money and arrange/pay for someone to come plow the parking area. We have a couple of guys that do it, but if there is a particularly heavy snow event, they can get backed up and then no one is getting out for at least a day, sometimes two or three! So this is another thing to consider about cabins off the road system.
See Part Two for more info!
In Part Two of this article, we will go over water needs, toilet options, and Alaskan winter preparation. I urge you to continue for more tips, and I thank you for appreciating the things I've learned living this life in The Last Frontier!
Thank you for reading, follow more of my Alaskan off-grid journey on Instagram!
Helpful Links:
Great article from An Off Grid Life.com, outlining the importance of building homestead skills/knowledge BEFORE attempting this life for yourself, and to get your expectations clear on what it will actually be! She lives in the Northwest Territories of Canada, so that's basically the same circumstances as me! Off Grid Living Mistakes I Made and How to Avoid Them (by Sarita Harbour)
More from An Off Grid Life: Living Off Grid in Winter and How We Prepare
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Disclaimer: I am not an expert, do not have professional training, and have only experienced rural life inside Southcentral Alaska. These articles are based on my personal experience of the last 5 years in this part of the state. The contents of this article are intended to assist those seeking more information about off-grid life in rural Alaska year-round. I always advise due diligence, do not rely on my sole opinion. Enjoy and thanks for reading!
