You could easily drive the Alaska Highway straight through and just go have a blast in Alaska, but chances are youll need to stop occasionally to sleep or stretch your legs so here are the top 5 places Id plan on doing that: The mountains surrounding Muncho Lake are jaw dropping gorgeous, although so are most of the mountains in Alaska. 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. The Highway is well maintained but being 1,387 miles long. As I understand it Canadian law requires that every gas station is required to have diesel as well as gas. 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). 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. For the most part, the roads are good enough that a car can average 105 kph (65 mph). Good luck with your trip. What is the longest stretch of road without gas station? The ferry doesnt actually go into Seward. Ive got a 2017 4Runner and studded tires. We saw plenty of eagles, sheep, caribou, moose, and fox, but no bears. 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. 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 Alaska's 414-mile Dalton Highway runs through some of the state's most remote wilderness from Livengood to Prudhoe Bay. One huge misconception about driving this highly regarded northern highway has graduated from the long gone history from the days of old. One gallon = 3.79 liters. the Northern Alberta Railways); both east and west from Whitehorse after being ferried in via the White Pass and Yukon Route railway. Without those detours, I couldve easily done it in 3 daysDawson Creek to Muncho Lake, Muncho to Whitehorse, and Whitehorse to Delta Junction. Any other advice? Almost all of the Alaskan Highway through Canada was great. Often, the Trans-Alaska pipeline, which runs parallel to the road, is a driver's only companion. Ride the free shuttle to Logan Pass and enjoy the dramatic views of the mountains and wildlife. Many gas stations are automated so a credit card is mandatory. Tanana Trading Post and Tesoro Gas station to South side of highway. All rest areas must contain the following: We had 2, five gallon cans of gas we took with in case we needed them, but made sure to gas up when ever possible. However, the Burwash-Koidern section is still a problem, as the new highway built there in the late 1990s continues to experience frost heave. Good Sam Club Open Roads Forum: The Longest Distance Between Gas Discover the best stops along the Alaska Highway in my travel guide, Alaska Highway Travel Guide 202 Best Stops, which is available on Amazon. Just an hour past Glacier View you will arrive in Palmer. Supposedly saves about 50 miles. Google Canada Customs and it will have a list of what you cant bring. . Stopping at rec centers along the way was a great way to get my kids to burn energy swimming, gave us a chance to workout and stretch, broke up the monotony of the drive, and was very affordable, usually costing less than $20 CAD for the entire family. This sign is at the start of NV state highway 140, about 31 miles north of Winnemucca off of US HWY 95. Another night we camped right on the water and saw many sea otters playing right in from of the campground. I drove the Alcan February 15, 2017 . Is it your dream to pile your kids in the car and head out on a road trip to Alaska? Id be driving for hours on end lost in my thoughts, half listening to my 8 year old ramble on again about her birthday thats 4 months away and half singing along to the same songs Ive heard a thousand times on Jiraiyas playlist, while passing a sign that says 1000 km to Whitehorse and think to myself NO FRIGGIN WAY, when all of a sudden a huge black dot interrupts the sea of trees that Im immersed in (which btw is what allows me the luxury to half heartedly listen to my beloved children while pondering the meaning of life instead of focusing on the road). When you click through these links we receive a small commission at no charge to you. The Golden Circle refers to the area of Whitehorse, Carcross, and Haines Junction in the Yukon, and Skagway and Haines in Alaska. What am I missing in my planing, + I am open to suggestions & recommendations. There was a stretch in south Texas along the King ranch that was a long one without gas. While there isnt a lot to see and do on the Alaskan Highway, if you detour less than a hundred miles off it in many directions you can find epic adventures. California-based member of a LA Motorcycle Club and a keen traveler. 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. Dont confuse this with Dawson City which is near Alaska and north of Whitehorse. Copyright 2023 Nomads With A Purpose | Trellis Framework by Mediavine. You definitely want to read our blog Golden Circle of Yukon + Alaska: Guide to Whitehorse, Skagway + Haines to get detailed information about Whitehorse and to help you decide if adding the Golden Circle to your itinerary is worth it. 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. We didnt see a single bear in Alaska. Whitehorse was amazing and I highly recommend at least 2 days here. 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. The Alaska Highway (also called the ALCAN Highway) is a long 1,390 mile road stretching from Delta Junction, Alaska at its northwestern end to Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada at its southeastern end. Everything You Need to Know Before Driving to Alaska - 2023 Length of Time: 5 to 6 hours without stops. There are some short sections though that are under construction and may be dirt road or bumpy for a bit. 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 . Californian George Carmack and his Tagish Indian friends, Skookum Jim and Dawson Charlie struck gold at Bonanza Creek in the Klondike. 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. We like to boondock as much as possible because not only does it save money, but it allows us to do more adventures during the day and get our driving done later in the evening, which worked really well for us on this trip. 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). Just south of Ely where the 6 connects with 318 there is a small town called Lund (one gas station) then nothing for about 105 miles to Ash Springs. Over the course of the 4 month road trip we got an Airbnb for one night four times. The mountains and glaciers of the Alaska Range form a majestic backdrop, with miles of rolling tundra punctuated by shallow lakes in between. r/todayilearned on Reddit: TIL that a 106-mile portion of I-70 in Utah However this time Ill be making the drive end of October, 1st week of November. The states high taxes on gasoline are used to support services such as education, health care and infrastructure, which are expensive in Alaska. We have 2 cases of wine we want to bring with us as the moving company wont ship them. No sign here either. Length: 1,387 miles Any other tips besides keep extra gas, and winter gear? click here to read our Canada National Parks Road Trip Itinerary. And from mid-July (usually) on, the skeeters are thinning out. For US travelers: If you want to compare the price of gas from CAD to USD take the price per liter and multiply by 3.78 then multiply that by the current exchange rate of $1 CAD to the USD (at the time that was $0.76 USD). Driving the Alaskan Highway is super easy, straight forward, and youre never that far from a city or someone who can help out. It is off the NWT Highway 1 that heads to Yellowknife, on NWT Highway 2, but if you are in need of gas and the Enterprise station is close, it is the place to go. Next, take at least one full day to drive Icefields Parkway. Any advice for us, number of spare tires to bring & so on. In Alaska, the distances and signs are posted in miles and miles per hour. If you are looking to explore more of the Canadian Rockies, click here to read our Canada National Parks Road Trip Itinerary. The Cassiar Highway junctions with Yellowhead Highway 16 at Milepost PG 298, Skeena River bridge, and travels north to junction with the Alaska Highway at Milepost DC 626.2, 13.3 miles/21.4 km west of Watson Lake, YT. I truly hope I helped you plan an amazing Alaska Highway road trip! According to Guinness World Records, the Pan-American Highway is the world's longest "motorable road". Sure, Liard Hot Springs sounded amazing, but Id never drive thousands of miles to visit it when Idaho is filled with epic hot springs that are way less crowded. It is not mandatory to have studded tires in BC, but here is what it says on the BC.gov.ca website about having proper tires for the winter : It is the responsibility of the operator of a vehicle to understand the conditions on roads they regularly drive and equip their vehicle for those conditions. To keep your towing. There are just so many great outdoor activities, camping opportunities, and other adventures in that small area that I could be happy for weeks, if not months, there. The same tires in the states cost only $500. RVs can fill up in Kitwanga, Meziadin Junction, Bell II, Tatogga, Iskut and Dease Lake. A post shared by Adventure Travel Family (@nomadswithapurpose) on May 21, 2019 at 6:21pm PDT. I was so torn on whether we should drive our RV, which is in poor conditions to say the least, all the way up the Alaskan Highway or just fly to Alaska and rent an RV to explore Alaska.
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