The Alaska Highway, aka the Alcan Highway, was built during WWII to connect the 48 states to Alaska, which wasn’t yet a state. It was over 1,700 miles when completed, but now it is closer to 1,400 miles due to rerouting. The miles of the Alaska Highway stretch between British Columbia, Yukon, back into BC, back into Yukon and eventually to Fairbanks, Alaska. It was an incredible effort to build and now you can travel the highway for your own adventures. There are now two main ways to drive to Alaska from the 48 states, the Alaska Highway and the Cassiar Highway in western British Columbia. These are the best things to do on the Alaska Highway, as listed from the south to the north.
This post contains affiliate links. This website earns a small commission for items purchased through these links with no additional cost to you.
Alaska Highway FAQ
Is the Alaska Highway Paved?
Despite the fact that the Alaska Highway was mostly gravel at one time, the Alaska Highway is now completely paved except for a few segments of maintenance. Drive especially carefully on these sections, as flying gravel can chip your windshield. That being said, the only crack I got on my windshield was on a paved road with paved shoulders. A loose rock shot up from a semi-truck.
How Long Should You Travel the Alaska Highway?
If you drive 10 hours a day, it will take you about 3 days to drive the entire Alaska Highway from Dawson Creek to Fairbanks. But as listed below, there are plenty of interesting things to see along the way. I cannot say how long it took me to drive the Alaska Highway, as I made many detours during my drive.
Is the Alaska Highway Dangerous?
The Alaskan highway is no more dangerous than other roads in remote areas. There may be long periods of time between seeing other passing vehicles so it’s best to come prepared for minor car trouble or stops due to inclement weather. Always keep a look-out for wildlife that might come onto the road. It’s easier to do in British Columbia as they keep the area next to the road clear, but in Yukon and Alaska the wildlife is more hidden by trees near the road so it’s wise to drive at a moderate pace.
Do I Need the Milepost Guidebook?
A must-have for driving the Alaska Highway is the Milepost. This book is the self-proclaimed bible of travel to Alaska. It contains nearly every point of interest on any route you might take to Alaska, all around Alaska, plus many interesting detours. It contains mile by mile attractions, campgrounds, motels, and other points of interest along the entire Alcan. It also hints where you might have an extra good chance to see wildlife, where you might find wild berries, etc. You should buy this book before you travel. Not only can you plan your route, you save about $15 from buying it from a visitor center or gas station in Canada or Alaska. Buy your Milepost now at amazon 
Alaska Highway Sites and Attractions
Dawson Creek
Dawson Creek, British Columbia is the starting point of the Alaska Highway. There are a few places you should visit before you hit the road to Alaska. You should stop at the Dawson Creek visitor center. They have loads of information, maps, etc to get you started on your drive. There are two famous markers that you should visit and photograph – the milepost 0 marker and the “World Famous Alaska Highway” sign. You should also visit the Alberta Pool Grain Elevator. You can’t miss it – the tallest building in the center of the city. The Grain Elevator now houses an art gallery. Check Rates and Availability of Dawson Creek motels.
Oil and Gas Industry in eastern B.C.
The road between Dawson Creek and Fort St. John was my least favorite part of the Alaska Highway. This section is busy with speeding trucks, part of the oil and gas and other industries around eastern British Columbia and western Alberta. Even though the road is paved, watch out for flying gravel from these speeding trucks – I got my windshield cracked near Dawson Creek.
Stone Mountain Provincial Park
There was still fresh snow in Stone Mountain Provincial Park when I visited, and it was absolutely gorgeous. You can camp up at Summit Lake, hike, or view wildlife. Stone Mountain is a great place to see wild sheep and reindeer.
Muncho Lake Provincial Park
Muncho Lake is an emerald green lake and so pretty, even though I visited on a cloudy day. I’d love to go back on a sunny day. The park includes some nice hikes and gorgeous campgrounds on the lake. This was one time that I really wished I had packed an Inflatable Kayak
Wildlife in Northern British Columbia
I was so excited to see wildlife in Alaska. I dreamed of seeing bears, big male moose with huge antlers, herds of caribou, and much more. However, the wildlife you can see near the roads in Alaska and Yukon are sparse. The highest concentration of animals seen on the whole
Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park
Sadly, there was a freak snowstorm on August 18th, 2019 that included heavy snow that caused many trees to fall in northern BC, so the hot springs were closed when I drove the Alaska Highway. Crews were busy with their chainsaws but the park and campgrounds wasn’t expected to open for more than 24 hours even though most of the snow had melted by the time I arrived.
Watson Lake
Watson Lake is the first town of any size once you enter Yukon with all the major services such as restaurants, hotels, groceries, etc. But Watson Lake is most famous for its Sign Forest. A homesick man from Illinois put up a sign with the date and hometown while building the Alaska Highway. And from this single sign grew an entire forest! Thousands of new signs are added annually (don’t ask me how they count them!) Watson Lake also has a great visitor center with a small museum and films about the Alaska Highway. The visitor center also had a particularly friendly fox handing around outside – you could almost pet it. Check Rates and Availability of Watson Lake motels.
I especially liked a placard at the sign forest that says“The Watson Lake Sign Post Forest is the oldest and most extensive site of it’s type. It represents the longstanding tradition of “leaving your mark”. Carl Lindley started the Sign Post Forest in 1942 when he was a homesick soldier from Danville, Illinois. While working on the construction of the Alaska Highway, he added his hometown sign to an army mileage post. A tradition of adding signs gained momentum and the single signpost grew to a forest. People from all over the world continue to add signs connecting their faraway homes to the town of Watson Lake. The Sign Post Forest illustrates the historic and universal relationship between a traveler, their journey and their connection to home. The Alaska Highway was constructed during the Second World War to provide a
Whitehorse
Whitehorse is by far the largest city in Yukon. It’s worth spending a day or two here to visit the historical riverboat, museums, restaurants, and shopping. Check Rates and Availability of Whitehorse motels.
Kluane National Park & Driving to Haines
One of the best detours to do off the Alaska Highway is the short trip to Kluane National Park, and the longer trip down to Haines, Alaska. It’s also possible to take flightseeing trips to the Glaciers from Haines Junction, Yukon. Check Rates and Availability of Haines Junctions motels.
Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge
Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge is home to many types of birds and a number of mammals as well. There is a visitor center and some hikes, as well as lakes and rivers for canoeing. Read here about the two awesome free campgrounds run by Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge – Deadman Lake and Lakeview Campgrounds.
North Pole, Alaska
The town of North Pole, Alaska is about 15 miles southeast of Fairbanks along the famous Alaska Highway. There’s a huge Christmas story where you can get your photo with Santa Claus year-round. There’s also a barn with Reindeer, aka Caribou in Alaska. For $13 you can feed and pet reindeer at the “Antler Academy”.
Fairbanks
Fairbanks is
Do you have any other favorite places to visit on the Alaska Highway that I haven’t mentioned above? Please leave your comments below.
Recent Comments