Who's interested (beside's Greg) in running the Alaska Highway?
I'm a planner. I may also have tossed in a few of my own
opinions on this post.
The Milepost book (updated yearly) is literally "the Bible" for anyone traveling in western Canada or Alaska. It is also just a fun book to read and mentally plan different trips in the region. Anyone who knows anything about traveling up there has one. Many book stores sell them, and you can get it on-line. Here's a link:
Alaska's legendary trip planner and travel guide.
www.themilepost.com
Here you go:
Alaska Highway proposed itinerary (with options). This is a popular bucket-list trip. I've done it, but not all in one trip or in the same vehicle (but my trailer was on all trips). Get out your Milepost book (it will be a requirement for this trip anyways if you don't already have one) and follow along with the maps on the first few pages of the book:
It is about 850 miles from Seattle to Dawson Creek (the start of the Alaska Highway). You can cut some of that time/mileage by starting at Sumas WA and crossing there, but still figure a good 2 to 2.5 days of traveling to get to Dawson Creek. We could plan on everyone initially meeting in Dawson Creek, or cross into Canada and do these 800-something miles as a group (meeting place and time TBD).
For planning purposes for this trip, figure 300 - 400 miles a day driving for estimating days on the road (somedays more; somedays less - of course). It shouldn't be a race - you want to soak it all in.
Advantage of going solo to Dawson Creek:
1. You can set your own itinerary/pace.
2. Don't have to worry about anyone else till you get to Dawson Creek.
Disadvantages:
1. You're kinda on your own. There's traffic out there, but lots of places are pretty desolate if you get stuck.
2. You're less likely to want to camp off-the-grid.
3. You've got to wait for everyone else to show up.
Advantages of doing this stretch as a group:
1. Safety in numbers.
2. You're more likely to be willing to camp off-the-grid.
Disadvantages to doing this stretch to Dawson Creek as a group:
1. It will just take a bit longer (although can be mitigated with someone in charge keeping stop times to a minimum, and having a hard start time every morning & no screwing around).
2. If someone has a major vehicle breakdown, it will delay some if not all of the group to get them to a place they can get repairs done (but again, an advantage if you're the one that breaks down).
There's really not a lot to do or see in Dawson Creek (in my opinion). Photo ops of course, a small museum or two, stock up on food and gas... figure a couple hours in town. Most likely you'll be chomping-at-the-bit wanting to get this show on the road!
So from Dawson Creek to Fairbanks, it is another 1500 miles - figure another 4-5 days driving. The first day or so on the road you'll be like "This is it?", but then after that suddenly it is like "OMG - this is awesome". You might want to spend a day or half-day in Whitehorse (really cool museum in town, and restocking supplies), so possibly add that in. Fairbanks didn't really do much for me when I was there. I mean... spend a day checking it out (it was your end-goal to get there). Others who've been there might have a different opinion.
Much of the Alaska Highway is a lot of wilderness (and places you'll want to stop and take a picture - beautiful scenery) with small towns in between . You might think they are going to be a big town looking at a map, but trust me; some of them are just a gas station and a campground (if you're lucky). Always fill-up on gas when you're in a little town. Get out and stretch your legs. Anyways....
When leaving Fairbanks, you have a couple options:
1. Turn around and go back the way you came (boring - you've just came that way). Round trip to Fairbanks and to get you home would be around two weeks or just over doing an out-and-back. If you crossed into Canada on a Saturday morning (maybe late Friday?), you could possibly be home by Sunday sometime two weeks/16 days later. Some folks are on a time limit and are lucky they can do this much; got-it. See notes at the end of this post about return trip options doing an out-and-back.
2. Run the Dalton Highway (another bucket-list trip for many). In Fairbanks you're already essentially at the start of the Dalton Highway, and you never know when you'll be this far into Alaska again. Figure about another 500 miles each way, so add another 3 (3 would be pushing it) to 4-5 days to the trip. You have to make arrangements to see the ocean at the end - you can't just drive to it. Then to (4.) just below.
3. Drive down to Anchorage. Figure another 350 miles (a long day of driving). You'll want to spend at least a day-or-two in Anchorage - it is a big city. Personally, I'd save an Anchorage trip for another day (so I could add-in driving the Seward and Sterling Highway, and check out Homer). Then drive about 350 miles to Tok (about a long day's drive) on the Glenn Highway and Tok Cutoff.
Another option is to drive from Anchorage to Tok to Haines - about 750 miles or so, and take the ferry from Haines to Bellingham. I've done the Ferry; the Ferry's not cheap, but it makes for an awesome trip. Figure a four-day ferry ride (I forget if 3 or 4 days; might be 3 days up and 4 days back to Bellingham) to get back to Bellingham. The ferry only gets to Haines and leave Haines one day a week, so plan accordingly.
4. Head back down the Alaska Highway from Fairbanks to Tok (about 200 miles). Get off the Alaska Highway at Tok and head north another 75 miles on the Taylor Highway to Chicken (and camp there - kind-of a funky little place), and then take the Top-of-the-World Highway the next morning to Dawson City (about 100 miles). Spend at least one full day in Dawson City. You'll be glad you did - it is a cool western gold-rush mining town. Visit Diamond Tooth Gertie's Saloon while you're there. Get a Hostel room in town so you can clean-up and feel free to walk around town late into the evening after visiting Gerrie's (think 24hr daylight during the summer). There's also a campground outside of town.
Then you have options leaving Dawson City on the Klondike Loop after you've stocked-up on supplies:
1. Run the Dempster Highway all the way to Tuktoyaktuk (at the Beaufort Sea/Arctic Ocean). The Dempster starts about 30 miles out of Dawson City. Figure 600 miles each way on the Dempster, so another 5 (maybe 6) days traveling round-trip. Would add a lot of time to this already long trip. Another bucket-list trip for many. Or you could save it for another day (but don't just say "Next time" - plan on it and do it)! And bring a kayak next time so you can say you kayaked in the Arctic Ocean. Then to (2.) next.
2. Head east/south out of Dawson Creek on the Klondike Loop back to Whitehorse (about 325 miles). You can keep going on the Alaska Highway to Watson Lake (another 200 miles), or stop for the night in Whitehorse and then head-out to Watson Lake in the morning.
Side-trips outside of Whitehorse include Skagway and Atlin.
Once at Watson Lake (just before) you have two options:
1. Just stay on the Alaska Highway the way you originally came; back to Dawson Creek and back home (about 1450 miles or so). It might look different seeing it from the other direction.
2. Instead of staying on the Alaska Highway, head south on the Cassiar Highway (for about 450 miles) to the Yellowhead Highway and on to Prince George (about a 300 mile stretch). Side trips off the Cassiar and Yellowhead include Telegraph Creek (70 miles each way), Stewart Hyder (40 miles each way) or Prince Rupert (150 miles each way).
Once at Prince George, head south on the West Access Route to just before Cache Creek (for about 275 miles) and then take the Sea to Sky Highway to Vancouver Canada (about 200 miles).
Cross back into the USA in Vancouver.
So you can just check-off doing the Alaska Highway and back in about two weeks/16 days, or you can stretch this thing out to 3 - 4 weeks (or more easily). There is no right answer - most folks have time limits they can be gone. Out-and-back would be a glorious trip you would always remember.
If you were doing the out-and-back (as I call it), you could change it up some on the way back (see something different), and instead of taking the Alaska Highway all the way back to Dawson Creek (and then working your way back home), as previously mentioned you could get off just before Watson Lake and take the Cassiar Highway to the Yellowhead Highway, and then take the West Access Route at Prince George all the way to Hope (and then to Vancouver), or before Cache Creek take the Sea to Sky Highway to Vancouver.
Just tossing this out there to see what might be the response, and to get people thinking.
Either way, order a Milepost Book and start dreaming. We are at such an advantage living so close to the start of the Alaska Highway.
