Part 1: The Last Frontier Ultimate Adventure 2019

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Ultimate Adventure, so Petersen’s 4-Wheel & Off-Road editor Christian Hazel wanted to do something special to celebrate.

- Harry Wagner

Having visited 47 of the Lower 48 states over the past 20 years, the UA finally made its way north to Alaska. The goal wasn’t to find gold or catch king crab though. The two dozen 4-Wheel & Off-Road readers, sponsors, staff, and cronies at UA were instead searching for the toughest wheeling, idyllically remote locations, and the most beautiful scenery that Alaska is famous for.

For those who are unfamiliar with the UA, it’s Petersen’s 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine’s flagship event. The premise of has always been to run what you brung. Hardcore rock crawling and trails one day, followed by hundreds of miles of road driving to the next destination. All with no trailers allowed! If your rig breaks during the week-long adventure, you have to figure out how to fix it and get back on the road.

Where do they value that pioneer spirit more than anywhere else? Alaska. Being self-sufficient and knowing your vehicle are critical to success on the Ultimate Adventure each and every year, but this year more than ever due to the remote locations that were visited.

DAY 1: KNIK GLACIER

The Ultimate Adventure has visited a lot of different terrain over its 20-year history. Sand dunes, ferry rides, countless rock crawling trails, you name it. One thing we have never done before is visit a glacier. In the Lower 48, glaciers are pretty hard to come by, but in Alaska there are an estimated 100,000. Some of them you can even drive to, like the Knik Glacier. And that is exactly what we did.

Located at the northern end of the Chugach Mountains, the Knik Glacier field averages over 25 miles long and 5 miles across, making it one of the largest glaciers in south-central Alaska. The Knik Glacier and the headwaters of the Knik River are managed under the Knik River Public Use Area (KRPUA) Management Plan as part of the State of Alaska’s Department of Natural Resources.