For the longest time, I thought that the road north from the U.S. northern border up through Canada to Alaska was a vast wasteland. Almost unpassable. Much like outer Mongolia. However, driving to Alaska is becoming increasingly popular and easy to achieve. Get in on the untapped wilderness now kids, before the tourists overrun one of the last vestiges of the uncharted world.
Alaska road trip itineraries have to be carefully planned – maybe not down to a tee, but you do have to make sure you have stuff on hand, as there will be mighty long stretches of lonely road. The Alaska Highway is by far the most popular way to reach the 50th state by car. The entire route is paved, most of it by a two-lane highway. The roads are generally in good condition, but this could change from year to year depending on how badly the previous winter wreaked havoc on the roads.
The best guide book you can have here is called The Milepost. Trust me, this will be your friend and trusty informative companion on your epic drive through Canada. You will travel over 1,500 miles (each way) depending on your route.
Most people make the drive on the Alaskan Highway, The Alcan. People come from all over, but the Alaskan Highway starts at Dawson Creek. I will mostly include stops on this highway in this post.
Best Stops
If you are coming up from Banff National Park to Dawson Creek, be sure to stop at Icefields Parkway. This 232km stretch of road offers some of the most scenic in Canada. If you drove straight through, it would only take 2 hours. But don’t do that! Place about a day to really savor this section, as there are countless places to stop, take photographs and enjoy the scenery.
Just north of the Icefields is Jasper National Park. Plan to spend 1 to 3 days at the park. Pyramid Mountain is the shining star here, and the hiking is superb.
Dawson Creek. The beginning of the Alaska Highway, or Alcan. There are a few things to do here. Be sure to stop at the Alaska Highway House for a history lesson in how the highway was built. Mile Zero Park (not actually mile zero, that’s about a mile and a half away!) and Walter Wright Pioneer Village for a taste of a bygone era.
Fort Nelson, British Columbia. About five hours’ drive up the road is Fort Nelson. With 4,000 residents, in its heyday, it was a bustling trading post when the highway was being built. Visit the Heritage Museum with historic buildings, artifact, and cars from back in the day.
Watson Lake, Yukon. Another roughly six hours’ drive northwest from Fort Nelson and you’ve just crossed the border into the Yukon. Leave your mark at Signpost Forest (or your sign, rather). Lucky Lake has the Yukon’s only outdoor waterslide (summer months only, obviously!)
Whitehorse, Yukon. Another six-and-a-half-hour drive takes you to Whitehorse. This town has several museums and cultural centers to explore. Hiking, rafting and wildlife viewing are some of the recreational activities here.
Tok, Alaska. Another six-hour drive and you’re in Alaska! See, that wasn’t so bad, was it? Visit the Tok Mainstreet Visitors Center. A huge building with educational exhibits and information for your trip. Mukluk Land is great for the kids, with an activity museum and miniature golf.
Some Things to Consider:
Allow at least one week to see some of the sights and not be rushed. More than that if you want to really take your time and savor the incredible sightseeing throughout your journey. Devise a general, day-by-day itinerary of where you want to be depending on what you want to see.
Cell Phone Service. Most U.S. cell phone carriers will extend service into Canada without roaming charges, but be sure to check with your individual plan. Having said that, once you get north of Calgary you are entering some remote areas where cell phone service is spotty at best until you get to a small town.
Your Car. Be sure you have a reliable car. Even though the roads are paved, you don’t want to break down in the middle of nowhere, and there can be very little traffic on the road with you, even during the summer months. Also, it’s preferable to have a full-size spare tire for added peace of mind. For gas you should be fine, you will not go more than 200 miles without running into a gas station. Just be mindful of your gas tank, and try not to let it ever go below a quarter of a tank. Having said that, it would not be a bad idea to carry along an extra gas can, in case of emergencies.
Clothing. This obviously depends on the time of year you make the trip. But even during the summer months, bring a couple of warm outfits, as the temps can dip quite low after dark, especially in the Yukon territory.
Winter Driving. Unless you are a season winter driver, but to keep to the late Spring/Summer months. Temps in the Yukon territory will be in the single (or minus) digits, and the road often covered with ice and snow.
Will you be camping or staying in motels? Or a bit of both? Here is where the Milepost book comes in really handy. Campgrounds along this route are generally really good. Check ahead to see if you need should be making reservations at either the campground or motel of your choice.
Now the only question is, will you be driving back? If this seems a little bit like torture for you and you feel you’ve logged enough hours behind the wheel, opt for taking the ferry back to Seattle.
Here is a tiny sampling of the killer views you will encounter on your epic road trip to Alaska.
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2 Comments
I’m looking for a list of rv campgrounds in location order along the Alaska Highway.
That will be the subject of a future post!