Prior to World War II, getting from the Lower 48 states to Alaska was an arduous journey that involved a long boat ride or a very expensive flight. The need for a land route to Alaska’s air bases changed all that, and in just a few years, the U.S. was blazing through the Canadian wilderness to build the Alaska Highway to supply those bases. Many improvements have been made to the highway since then, including paving its entire length and removing many of the dangerously tight corners that left an untold number of vehicles stuck in a ditch.
Planning Your Ride on the Alaska Highway This first thing you need to know about the Alaska Highway is that it’s 1400 miles long. The highway extends from the town of Dawson Creek in British Columbia to Delta Junction in Alaska, though many riders consider the true endpoint to be in the much larger city of Fairbanks. Many car and RV drivers will knock those 1400 miles out in a few days, but you’ll want to budget a week or more to get the full experience.
In it’s earlier years, the highway was mostly gravel and drivers needed to carry spare tires and repair tools to complete the journey, but it’s much easier now and inexperienced riders will have no trouble finishing. The most important part of planning your trip will actually be choosing your stopovers. The route is littered with interesting little towns and historical sites, and you’ll probably want to visit all of them.
Fuel While the road may be long, you’re almost never be more than thirty miles from the nearest gas station. You can also download a handy guide from Celebrate Alaska Highway that gives the location of every fuel stop.
Accommodations and Food You will never find yourself short on places to stay along the Alaska Highway, the only choice you’ll have to make is how luxurious do you want it to be. Both British Columbia and the Yukon Territory have a number of campgrounds with water pumps and toilets available for use. Most of these campgrounds will cost around $9.
Sights The Alaska Highway is so long and full of amazing attractions that it’s hard to pick just a few. Give yourself plenty of time to stop at all of them; these places are just as important to the journey as your time on the road.
One of the first must see attractions is Laird Hot Springs at mile 471. The springs are a great place to relieve your tired muscles after hours on the bike and camping facilities are available during the summer months. It can get quite crowded though, reserve in advance if you can.
No Alaska Highway trip would be complete without seeing the signpost forest at Watson Lake (mile 600). Every year, visitors add to the signpost collection by bringing street signs from their hometowns. It’s a great place to talk with other highway travelers and see how far everyone has come to experience it.
Lastly, you must visit the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Center in Whitehorse. It’s an amazing place to learn about the native people of northern Canada and the harsh landscape that they call home.
Desolate Section of Highway – Photo Credit: Nader Moussa / CC BY Whitehorse, Yukon – Photo Credit: Gareth Sloan / CC BY Downtown Fairbanks, Alaska – Photo Credit: FairbanksMike / CC BY Featured Image of The Start of the Alaska Highway – Photo Credit: Jadecolour / CC BY
