ABOUT THE AUTHORS In fact, there's only one and it's in a place called Eagle Plains, which is located around the 400-km mark. Much of the road will be a two-lane paved asphalt highway with a gravel shoulder wide enough for the typical vehicle. That can give you a heads up to what it looks like. The ferry doesnt actually go into Seward. While I drove this by myself with my kids, if Victor had been with us, he wouldve needed to find a gym along the way to get his swoll on (I couldnt say it with a straight face). As we were driving along Muncho Lake we stumbled upon another gem of a campground. We chose to drive the Alaskan Highway on the way up and the Cassiar to the Yellowhead to the West Access and Sea to Sky Highway on the way back and I cant say enough how perfect this itinerary was. The 450 miles of rugged beauty journeys through northern British Columbia from the Skeena River Bridge on the Yellowhead Highway to just west of Watson Lake on the Alaska Highway. However, the book itself can be super overwhelming, making you feel more confused than youd be without it. Still recommend not pulling a trailer at that time frame? Anyone else have knowledge (or preferably first-hand experience) with the BC winter tire requirements? Take advantage of every fuel station you come across. I hit the brakes. Then we broke up the drive by relaxing at Liard Hot Springs for a few hours. If you dont care about those details and want to know if the ALCAN is for you, skip to the next section. Your email address will not be published. The Dalton Highway, a.k.a., the "haul road", is 414 miles long and connects the Elliott Highway (north of Fairbanks) to Deadhorse, Alaska -- the farthest north you can drive on Alaska's road system. We also took the ferry from Skagway, Alaska to Haines, Alaska, which is only a one hour boat ride but ended up costing almost $300 for 6 of us and our RV. I drove the Alcan February 15, 2017 . Because Ice Rd., Parkway was closed. The streets are very warm so Id say its a 99% chance of being just fine and beautiful with fresh green leaves along the way. What Are ALCAN Road Conditions Like? multiply the Canadian liter price by 4 and take three-fourths of that. . At its fullest extent the Pan-American Highway is a network of roads stretching from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to Ushuaia, Argentina, a distance of around 48,000 kilometres (30,000 miles). Liard Hot Springs is a gorgeous and relaxing as all the hype makes it out to be and its extra fantastic when you think about how few other things there are to do along the highway nearby. Strawberry Flats is one of the most gorgeous campgrounds Ive ever stayed at. The Alaskan Highway doesnt start at the US/Canadian border. We just drove slow and enjoyed the scenery . Not sure how many miles we can put on in a day with the kids. The road was winding and snaked through various tunnels and bridges, while taking you alongside the railroad tracks and all their bridges and tunnels. It dropped to -54 F so screw-ups are not an option. It is primarily in Canada. (U.S) Gasoline Fuel Transfer Tank to use for fueling the G-Wagen. We have a place in NM & with our Tundra pulling a trailer we count on 8 days (although we have made it in less that 5 days without the trailer) going Taos- Raton-Denver-Cheyenne-Billings-Calgary-Grande Prairie-Ft. Nelson-Watson Lake-Whitehorse-Tok- Anchorage. the Northern Alberta Railways); both east and west from Whitehorse after being ferried in via the White Pass and Yukon Route railway. Semi trucks chewed up the snow on the road during the day but the ruts froze at night. Traveling to Fairbanks from Texas starting September 18th returning October 8, 2017. Whitehorse was amazing and I highly recommend at least 2 days here. Driving from Alaska to California in mid May 2018, will we need chains for our car at any point? The highway is 358 miles long and runs through some the grandest and most rugged land in Alaska. As I understand it Canadian law requires that every gas station is required to have diesel as well as gas. Just another note there was no lines to follow the road because the road was snow-covered so you never know if you were on the right side of the road and the roads go straight up and down and sharp right and sharp loves like roller coasters it was so much fun driving them . If you love planning, maps, want every detail of information on detours and alternative routes, or if you love history, I highly recommend buying it. Liard Highway, (Highway 77 in British Columbia and Highway 7 in the Northwest Territories) is an all-weather road linking northern British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. The main reason Id fly to Alaska next time is purely because the absolute best part of Alaska for us was the Kenai Peninsula. While the Alaskan Highway provides so many opportunities to learn about history, its not the driving force in my life right now. Could not even find people on a CB radio. Junction 37 Services. The next day I really didnt have the intention of driving so far, but there really wasnt anything that amazing to stop for except for the 17 bears we saw along the highway. From Fairbanks, hop on the Elliot Highway approximately 70 miles past historic gold mines to Livengood, where you'll pick up the start of the Dalton Highway. I needed more of a reason to take on the challenge of driving 7000 miles round trip. The length of the Alaska Highway is 2,432 km. To keep your towing. Another time I didnt like the vibe was when we were parked across the street from Liard Hot Springs. Unfortunately though, there was a horrible incident only a month after we finished our trip where some people who had broke down on the side of the road were murdered. All rest areas must contain the following: Our RV can go about 400 miles on a full tank so topping off in each of the cities above plus in Teslin was perfect for us. The Alaska Highway is the road connecting Alaska with the rest of North America. Plenty of opportunities to get into trouble. My daughter and son and law have made the trip x2 and are very nonchalant about driving that Alcan. It is important to plan ahead and make sure you have enough fuel to reach the next station. Whitehorse in itself is a great destination. In general, its always a good idea to fuel up when available as some stretches between stations can be quite long. We pretty much drove the stretch from Dawson Creek to Muncho Lake in one day. Probably the least scenic way in my opinion. Big Delta State Historical Park and turn off to Rika's . Not a gun guy so dont know if you can bring them through or not. Always take Route 97. Ford f159 pulling 7x14ft enclosed trailer. Additionally, its worth noting that gas prices in remote areas can be higher than in urban areas. Over the course of the 4 month road trip we got an Airbnb for one night four times. Range Reserve. This highway runs between US 95 and Denio, NV. This really is a trip of a lifetime and most everyone who does it once wants to go back and do it again. It was a tough trip. This highway runs between US 95 and Denio, NV. Learn how your comment data is processed. Strawberry Flats Campground: This is definitely one of the most scenic campgrounds on the entire Alaska Highway. I believe the longest distance in Baja is about 250km, and that includes a few stops consisting of "a guy with a barrel by the side of the road". Is The Alaska Highway PAVED? at Beaver Creek, Yukon; north then west from Dawson Creek (an advance group started from Fort Nelson, British Columbia after traveling on winter roads on frozen marshland from railway stations on Well-known member Apr 4, 2010 #10 Two Hands said: We made the drive to Alaska this last summer with our 2007 Big Horn 3055RL and 2007 Chevrolet 2500HD diesel which gets about 11.5 when towing. Today I will answer for these questions. Construction and RV traffic can cause significant delays in places during the summer and winter driving can make it slow in winter depending on the conditions. This sign is at the start of NV state highway 140, about 31 miles north of Winnemucca off of US HWY 95. Especially pulling a 34 ft trailer! Do one of the many short hikes to glacier fed lakes or past meadows filled with wildflowers. It continues on to Delta Junction at mile 1422 (km 2288), where . There are some short sections though that are under construction and may be dirt road or bumpy for a bit. Its another bear. Crossing into Canada from Alaska the frost heaves are terrible for many miles. After taking a picture in front of the famous Dawson Creek Mile 0 statue, we drove an hour up to Fort St John so that the kids could swim and we could workout at the recreation center there. Frasier Canyon British Columbia Hey! Honestly, most of this was in Whistler and Squamish. It is the longest portion of the US Interstate system without services. Like I mentioned at the beginning, I was really torn on whether I should drive to Alaskan or just fly up and rent. Due to the highway's isolation and rough surface, you must do some planning before you go. We love sharp, jagged peaks, lush forests, and alpine lakes nestled under glaciers so naturally it was time to explore Alaska. This highway provides direct access to Denali National Park and Preserve which contains Denali, the tallest mountain in North America. Route 66 RV Trip The 10 BEST TIPS for RVing on the Mother Road How to prepare? Highest Pass: Summit Lake, 4,250 feet. Ha! In Ontario it's 130 miles between Hearst & Longlac on Hwy. Check out our blog 15 Things to Do on the Kenai Peninsula: Alaskas Best Destination for help planning that part of your itinerary. Thank you. I asked many people, most of whom happened to be retired, who all raved about how great it was. Starting in Anchorage, the route meanders generally south 127 miles (204 kilometers) from sea to mountains to sea across the Kenai Peninsula, ending in the harbor town of Seward on . With stops, this can take a full day. Theres a reason the destination is Alaska. Michael, youre foolish to try that drive in January/February. Any advice for us, number of spare tires to bring & so on. Most of this highway is freshly paved though, so even though its a little windy and requires driving it at a slower pace (we averaged more like 45mph/70kph along the Cassiar), it was nice not worrying about potholes like we did on the Tok cutoff (seriously, that highway is horrible). We intend to drive from Fairbanks via Whitehorse to Dawson City the last 2 weeks in April. Stay at the lodge on Lake Mac Donald and enjoy gorgeous sunrises, sunsets, and boating. Are you driving from Alaska or to Alaska? Whitehorse is part of the Golden Circle which encompasses Whitehorse, Carcross, Skagway, Haines and Haines Junction. There's a lot of straight road the first 300 miles of highway, between Dawson Creek and Fort Nelson. Its important to plan ahead and make sure you have enough fuel to reach the next station in case one is closed or has limited hours of operation. :-). The road is gravel, the steepest grade is 12 percent (a 12 foot rise in elevation for every 100 foot of travel), the highest summit is Atigun Pass . Top tips and advice for EV road trippers in 2022. If your RV is in good shape, it might be ready for a long journey. Falfurrias to Edinburg on 281 or 77 Kingsville to . Not a common drive for members of this forum. We had 3 feet of snow in one day here in Anchorage about 10 years ago. There are four main routes that you can take to get to the start of the Alaskan Highway: West Access Route: The West Access Route takes you from Seattle through Vancouver BC, Cache Creek, Williams Lake, and Prince George BC. Summer. The highway winds through the Yukon for about 885 km (550 miles) and crosses into Alaska at mile 1221 (km 1964). There is seriously a lifetimes worth of hiking, climbing, off roading, and mountain biking in these mountains. Detouring from here to the Golden Circle was a really nice change of scenery for us. Take your time, keep your tank filled when possible and enjoy the ride. I am trying to decide what month(s) are the best for making this trip. The mountains were still fully covered in snow so we couldnt hike at the pass, but in the town of Valdez we did a short hike to this incredible viewpoint and discovered a free camping area at the base of a glacier. More than 100 years ago, gold was the reason people headed north. The Alaskan Highway ends at Delta Junction, AK, which is right before Fairbanks. From a financial standpoint, it saved me a good chunk of money by paying the gas to drive there and back instead of flying 7 people up and renting an RV. It can freeze overnight starting mid-September up there so icy roads are possible in the mornings. Are you curious what grand adventures await for you in The Last Frontier? But, dont quote ME on that! Gas stations can be found at regular intervals along the Alaska Highway, but it is always a good idea to fuel up when available as some stretches between stations can be quite long. TIL that a 106-mile portion of I-70 in Utah has no gasoline or exits. Its important to keep in mind that prices for gasoline can be significantly higher in remote areas, so its a good idea to fuel up when available. During the summer, gas, food, and lodging are available about every 20 to 50 miles. You fill up at each town, then you drive, and you never skip filling up in a major junction. John I could sure use some of your wisdom. Cant wait. This was our total fuel expense from San Diego, California all the way to Denali (including all our detours) and back. Any other advice? Warm weather, beautiful green leaves, and all of the gas stations are open. Some gas stations may also close during the winter months. Keep plenty of gas. Visit 202 places on the ALCAN with Scan QR and go for easy navigation. Not to worry though, finding RV washes along the way are easy and inexpensive and due to the common windshield cracking issue, there are a variety of places to get minor repairs down quickly. Another reason is that Alaska has a small population density, so there is less demand for gasoline, so refineries and wholesalers charge more for gasoline to compensate for the higher cost of business. The road surface endures extreme freeze and thaws you may encounter potholes and stretches of the road under construction. The trip between the Canadian border to Fairbanks, Alaska, is a stretch of nearly 1,500 miles, and the trip from Seattle, Washington, to Fairbanks is a whopping 2,313 miles. Cross Valley Plaza LLC, based along Highway 315 in Plains Twp., is seeking a variance for a gas station, convenience store and fast food restaurant at the site of the former Duke's Garage along . Although we did see about 40 bears in Canada just on the side of the road. If you like to drive during the day and stop in a campground or motel at night, youre covered. 11. This is very sad but it is a singular case and I dont think it is a fair representation of whether the Alcan is safe or not. There are actually a lot of recreation centers along the way, but not all of them were the best in terms of workout facilities. Valdez is a bit out of the way but you get to drive over the pass and one of my favorite parts of our Alaska road trip were all the passes we went over. Joined Nov 28, 2006 Messages 21,509 Reaction score 3,045 Location North of Weird First Name . Alaska Highway. And found that it was better to pull over to the right and slow way down when passing trucks because they put sand and rocks on the road whenever it snows and it cracked our windshield . The Highway is also known as the Liard Trail and starts two hours from Alaska Highway. I haul RVs to Anchorage from IN Yes the roads can be a B.., but common sense, caution and a good vehicle with good tires can make it most any time of the year. Although travelling the 2,000 miles between Seattle, Washington and Fairbanks, Alaska is an amazing experience, there are alternatives. All depends on the snow and ice in Canada when it comes to a trailer. Alaska is a remote state, and the cost of transporting gasoline to the state is high because it must be shipped by boat or plane. For us, when we are on long road trips in our motorhome, we tend to average only 80kph (50mph). I want to hook up on a round trip from Seward to Anchorage & turn to Seward on the train, I want to find out if I can return via ALCAN highway driving back to the lower 48. Copyright 2023 Nomads With A Purpose | Trellis Framework by Mediavine. The roads were bad totally covered in snow we had several snowstorms . In Alaska, the distances and signs are posted in miles and miles per hour. A post shared by Adventure Travel Family (@nomadswithapurpose) on May 16, 2019 at 10:33am PDT, Glacier National Park is one of our all-time favorite national parks for a good reason. The driving distance from Anchorage to Fairbanks is 360 miles. When we drove back, even though it was via the Cassiar and Yellowhead Highways, it only took us three days of drivingAnchorage to Whitehorse, Whitehorse to Dease Lake, and Dease Lake to Prince George. Alaksa Marine Hiway MV Malaspina. . In fact, one the way out of Alaska, we did Anchorage all the way to Whitehorse in one day, but it was a long day of driving. Road Surface: Paved (Mostly) Camping at Strawberry Flats campground, which is at mile market 437 when driving from Dawson Creek, was certainly a highlight for us mountain lovers. While we were eating lunch, a couple in the RV next to us started getting in a very loud altercation and it took less than a minute for us to grab our belongings and get the heck outta there. The Golden Circle refers to the area of Whitehorse, Carcross, and Haines Junction in the Yukon, and Skagway and Haines in Alaska. We have 2 cases of wine we want to bring with us as the moving company wont ship them. Get a copy of the "Milepost" it says where pretty much every fuels stop in the North is located. Finally, Alaska is a state with harsh weather conditions, which makes the maintenance of pipelines and drilling more expensive. The Alaska Highway begins (Mile Zero) at Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and runs 1,387 miles to Delta Junction, Alaska. The Alaska Highway is plowed in the winter by both the Canadian and the Alaskan governments, so it is in good condition and driveable year-round. Even though there are places you can stop along the way, theres nothing thats that really worth stopping for plus, the hikes and bike rides I planned on doing werent going to be fun because it was raining on and off most days. This was also only a half day of driving because we had spent most of the day hiking Kings Throne near Haines Junction. But we travel on a budget and seeing this many bears for free was worth the cost of gas and long boring sections of open road. . Just an hour past Glacier View you will arrive in Palmer. They have regular gas in the winter for snowmobilers, not sure about the rest of the year. I truly hope I helped you plan an amazing Alaska Highway road trip! Logged live from sunny San Diego. He is an author of bestseller books on Amazon: Route 66 Travel Guide 202 Amazing Places and Alaska Highway 202 Best Stops. Its nice on long road trips to have a day in a big kitchen to cook huge meals, catch up on laundry, take long hot showers, and get WiFi to write blogs. It was a long time between gas stations and finding restrooms was nonexistent for hours so we had to potty outside Several times . but be aware that some gas stations can be far between. The campground has pull throughs with hook-ups, fire pits, tables and dump station. For crossing here by Beaver Creek it probably doesnt matter but I know the border crossing by Skagway can get really long with all the tourists off the cruise ships. 450 - Junction 37 Services - 60 miles - Junction with Alaska Highway Stewart BC - station open set hours only - at end of Hwy 37A . A post shared by Adventure Travel Family (@nomadswithapurpose) on May 29, 2019 at 3:47pm PDT. And from the midpoint (the town of Coldfoot) to the end of the road (Deadhorse), you won't find gas stations, restaurants, rest stops, or hotelsin fact, you won't find services of any kind over this entire 240-mile stretch. In the cities it is usually around $3 American/gallon. Ive been told by a few people that British Columbia now REQUIRES studded/winter tires. One of the main reasons is the cost of transportation. In the end, I basically saw the forecast for Whitehorse, sunny and seventy, and hightailed it there. Youre joking right? One thing I do tell friends when they ask me about if I felt safe driving the Alaskan Highway is that some of the smaller towns felt very poor and run down and as always, you should let your instincts guide you. We did run out of water between Fort Nelson and Watson lake because we slept in Liard Hot Springs and theres no water there so we were always sure to have water after that . What is the longest distance between gas stations in the US? I am hoping to make the trip from Denver to Anchorage April or May. There is a little bit of everything here. Your email address will not be published. Often, the Trans-Alaska pipeline, which runs parallel to the road, is a driver's only companion. Bring a spare tire (or two) and pay close attention to your gasthe longest distance between pumps is from Dease Lake to the Yukon border, a distance of 247 kilometres. I laughed when you mentioned the gyms/rec centers because thats totally one of my concerns. In some remote areas, it can be up to 150 miles or more between gas stations. This distance is 2395 km (1488 mi). Required fields are marked *. Planning an Rv trip from WI to Alaska starting June 2023. It mightve turned into nothing but better safe than sorry. East Access Route: This is the most direct route from Great Falls, Montana, through Calgary, AB and Edmonton, AB. Highway descends gradually over the 300 miles to Fairbanks along the Tanana River. Categories Alaska, North America Road Trips, 25 Epic Things To Do Near Anchorage, Alaska. Sure we saw 17 bears within a five hours time span (on May 17th to top it off), but after sharing this with locals I learned that this is not the norm. 867-536-2794. . HEED THIS ADVICE: Get gas when you are near half a tank since several towns are entirely closed during the winter. There is a lodge @ Klotz Lake about 30 miles east of Longlac. Since Im moving to the lower 48 I dont want to buy studded tires for a one-time use (I have a 4wd truck & good all-season tires). However, Canada uses the metric system, so signs will be in kilometers (km) per hour. This sign is at the start of NV state highway 140, about 31 miles north of Winnemucca off of US HWY 95. Additionally, its worth noting that gas prices in remote areas can be higher than in urban areas. Your car, truck or RV typically has a safe range of 350 to 400 miles or more making extra fuel less of a necessity for you. Length of Time: 5 to 6 hours without stops. You . Grand Prairie Costco $1.19 (everywhere else in Grand Prairie was $1.32). THEY WERE SO GOOD!!! what gas station so are there along the way and possible addresses please help! Bridges, which progressed during 1942 from pontoon bridges to temporary log bridges, were replaced with steel bridges where necessary only. The Alaskan Highway passes through a few major cities but mostly through really small towns. Resting opportunities should be no more than 30 kilometers in between Rest areas with gas stations should be no more than 70km in between An example of the rules of distances not being followed, is on E45, where the distance between gas stations Himmerland and Ejer Baunehj is 115 kilometres. If we had more time or werent doing the Kenai Peninsula, then I would have spent a little time in this area of Glacier View since there are a lot of other epic adventures you can do here like white water rafting, ATV riding, and zip lining, along with some great camping spot . Ive got a 2017 4Runner and studded tires. The Alaska Highway, also known as the Alcan Highway, is a remote road that runs through Canada and Alaska, so gasoline can be more expensive than in urban areas. Q.) Gas Stations Along Alaska Highway Bob Jameson - Kenai, Alaska. It was heavenly! In retrospect, I wouldve stayed an extra night at Strawberry Flats and done a nearby hike that day. Don't confuse this with Dawson City which is near Alaska and north of Whitehorse. Ive been all over the internet trying to find exactly thisa post from a family, with and RV, and their actual route and recommendations. He strives to interest others in the historic drive to keep the legendary Route 66 alive. We will be driving a truck and pulling a small trailer. Are chains advised? We only stopped to take a picture of it from the rest area because we had plans to visit Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords and Portage Glacier near Whittier. Then plan enough time to enjoy the trip, rather . . Next, take at least one full day to drive Icefields Parkway. Better view and gas stations along the way. The Dempster Highway starts near Dawson City and in 736 km it takes you to Inuvik, which is only 100 km from the Arctic Ocean. Could be icy north of Prince George next week. The campground here is really pretty and a great place to stop for a night if its later in the season (or you have warmer blankets than we had).