Required fields are marked *. 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 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. Whitehorse is part of the Golden Circle which encompasses Whitehorse, Carcross, Skagway, Haines and Haines Junction. Semi-trucks drive it and its full of 1000s of RVs. We ended up spending this night at another rest area, but if I had known how nice the Teslin RV park was I probably wouldve pushed on to there. The length of the Alaska Highway is 2,432 km. What is the best radio for the Alaska highway for Communication CB or VHF or UHF or HF? In some remote areas, it can be up to 150 miles or more between gas stations. Crossing into Canada from Alaska the frost heaves are terrible for many miles. That can give you a heads up to what it looks like. Strawberry Flats is one of the most gorgeous campgrounds Ive ever stayed at. If your RV is in good shape, it might be ready for a long journey. I wanted to make sure I got a campsite as close to town as possible since I was planning on spending a few days here. Does anyone know if this is okay? Currently you have JavaScript disabled. When we reached Tok we left the Alaska Highway, 100 miles before its official end. A.) It's 3600 miles from Taos to Anchorage. Driving the Alaskan Highway is LONG and in all honesty, BORING. What am I missing in my planing, + I am open to suggestions & recommendations. Not sure how many miles we can put on in a day with the kids. The Cassiar Highway is a much narrower road, especially the section closest to Watson Lake. It took seven days, and three of the days, the roads were snow covered and slippery in many areas. Semi trucks chewed up the snow on the road during the day but the ruts froze at night. Additionally, its important to note that prices for gasoline and diesel can be significantly higher in remote areas. . Good luck with that. Can You Drive an RV to Alaska? And Should You? - RV LIFE All of the big towns have gas stations and there are a few gas stations in between but they will cost a lot more. The distance between gas stations on the Alaska Highway (also known as the Alcan Highway) can vary depending on the specific location. You can take the ferry from Whittier (near Anchorage along the road to Seward) over to Haines and connect up with the ALCAN via the Haines Highway. Highway descends gradually over the 300 miles to Fairbanks along the Tanana River. Fort Nelson was much smaller with a few grocery, restaurant, and lodging options. We saw plenty of eagles, sheep, caribou, moose, and fox, but no bears. 16 Things to Know Before Driving to Alaska in 2023 Liard Highway Route - Backcountry Canada Travel There is a little bit of everything here. While the Alaskan Highway provides so many opportunities to learn about history, its not the driving force in my life right now. Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. While Watson Lake and Tok are very small (were talking one block long) but big enough to fuel up, grab a bite, and find a place to stay if needed. 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). A legal winter tire (on a standard passenger vehicle or a four-wheel/all-wheel vehicle) MUST have at least 3.5 mm of tread depth. 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. Where does the Alcan Highway Start and End? Guide to the Dalton Highway | Livengood to Deadhorse | ALASKA.ORG Because Ice Rd., Parkway was closed. You should find gas every 150 miles or so, but there are several exceptions. I made the drive during the last week of April 2014 in my F150 44 without a trailer. The The MILEPOST: Alaska Travel Planner lists all of them! Copyright 2023 AlaskaTrekker | All Rights Reserved, http://images.drivebc.ca/bchighwaycam/pub/html/www/index-Northern.html. Im going to post some videos to YouTube about our trip it was amazing and I would do it again . 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. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to drive the Alaska Highway? 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. Cant wait. Discover the best stops along the Alaska Highway in my travel guide, Alaska Highway Travel Guide 202 Best Stops, which is available on Amazon. 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. So if youre planning on stopping at motels on the way, call before your trip to verify that they will be open. Hotels, motels, campsites, and RV sites are open from May until September. Alaska Highway - GAS Stations Along ALCAN - Where Can I Get Gas on the Together they are inspiring others to explore the outdoors, defy the norm, and live their dreams. Expect to pay about 20% more for gasoline along the route. My son, his dog and I drove from Anchorage to Denver the second week in November, 2016. This highway provides direct access to Denali National Park and Preserve which contains Denali, the tallest mountain in North America. Robyn (right) and oldest daughter, Gabi (left), are the co-founders of nomadswithapurpose.com and the creators behind the growing multi-media adventure and lifestyle brand. It is an invaluable 768 page book that documents the entire trip including every gas station and motel along the way. But if youre brave and prepared, it could be an adventure of a lifetime. On May 3rd I think. Snow, muddy roads and rain is likely. During the summer, gas, food, and lodging are available about every 20 to 50 miles. Good luck with your trip. Even with increasingly excellent EV infrastructure, touring the country Tesla-style provides a set of unique challenges for drivers new to the electric life. 7 TIPS TO RV ALASKA THIS SUMMER - Families on the Road This sign is at the start of NV state highway 140, about 31 miles north of Winnemucca off of US HWY 95. You may want to also join us on Instagram and follow our travels.. Road was completely snow-packed. The longest distance in the continental US between gas stations is apparently 179 miles on NV/OR 140 between Winnemucca NV and Lakeview OR. First, some quick facts about driving the Alaskan Highway. Its rainy season now so make sure your wipers are in decent shape and your fluid is topped off. 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. the Northern Alberta Railways); both east and west from Whitehorse after being ferried in via the White Pass and Yukon Route railway. Driving the Cassiar Highway on an Alaska Highway Road Trip . A corduroy road was built to restore the route, and corduroy still underlays old sections of highway in the area. Camping at Strawberry Flats campground, which is at mile market 437 when driving from Dawson Creek, was certainly a highlight for us mountain lovers. Have an updated The Milepost handy, since no cell service in many areas. 450 - Junction 37 Services - 60 miles - Junction with Alaska Highway Stewart BC - station open set hours only - at end of Hwy 37A . If you dont care about those details and want to know if the ALCAN is for you, skip to the next section. Never let gas tank get below half full, and you may need to get a block heater installed and carry an extension cord. The mountains and glaciers of the Alaska Range form a majestic backdrop, with miles of rolling tundra punctuated by shallow lakes in between. It was a Sunday so it was a bit crowded and if you can coordinate getting here mid week or at least not mid-day, you will enjoy the experience much more. You can. Check out our blog 15 Things to Do on the Kenai Peninsula: Alaskas Best Destination for help planning that part of your itinerary. Should cross into Canada tomorrow from Montana. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. In some remote areas, it can be up to 150 miles or more between gas stations. Additionally, in case of emergency, its a good idea to have a full gas can with you. In the cities it is usually around $3 American/gallon. Especially pulling a 34 ft trailer! The Alaska Highway is 2,224 Km/1382 miles long and stretches from Dawson Creek, . When driving in Canada in the winter its always good to check your head and make sure roads are open they do close roads in the winter due to snow on them and we got rerouted and it took us eight hours to drive a detour around Jasper Park. ), Connects: Dawson Creek, BC, to Delta Junction, Alaska There was a stretch in south Texas along the King ranch that was a long one without gas. 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. Falfurrias to Edinburg on 281 or 77 Kingsville to . Could not even find people on a CB radio. Dease Lake with the Alaska Highway. Is The Alaska Highway PAVED? But it could snow! You won't run out of gas as long as you plan ahead, but it can be expensive at times. Gas Stations Along Alaska Highway If you are looking to explore more of the Canadian Rockies, click here to read our Canada National Parks Road Trip Itinerary. I wish it had a few more pull offs because it is way more scenicthan the Alaskan Highway. Service hours are short and after 5pm it is pretty much credit card only. Anyone making a trip down to Seattle in January?? Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. 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). Here are some related question people asked in various search engines. 8 of North America's Loneliest Roads This is one of the best adventure destinations in the world. Im starting to think the smell of our toilet attracted them *facepalm.*. Chuck, Hi John, I plan to drive my 31 ft RV to lower 48 over this winter if my house sells. Although we did see about 40 bears in Canada just on the side of the road. My daughter and son and law have made the trip x2 and are very nonchalant about driving that Alcan. It is also important to note that many of the businesses (including gas stations and motels) along the highway close for the winter. Along the way, you'll experience a northern BC road trip filled with wildlife, photo opps, and several interesting side trips. One gallon = 3.79 liters. The roads were not plowed and many of the curves with steep drop offs had no guardrails. It could be a few hours until your next stop, Cell service is non-existent in many places for hours on end, Buy The Milepost (without cell service the book is your only source of info). In Alaska, the distances and signs are posted in miles and miles per hour. The states high taxes on gasoline are used to support services such as education, health care and infrastructure, which are expensive in Alaska. Driving the "Haul Road" to Deadhorse, Alaska - HULTEEN.com We didnt see a single bear in Alaska. When you click through these links we receive a small commission at no charge to you. Alaska Hwy fuel stopsAlaska Hwy fuel stops - distance, Miles approx, to next fuel stop, north bound. So in Grand Prairie, we paid about $1.20 per liter times 4 is $4.8, and 3/4 or that = $3.60 per gallon, which wasnt much different than what we paid in the States. Get a copy of the "Milepost" it says where pretty much every fuels stop in the North is located. My wife and I are more concerned. Youre joking right? In some remote areas, it can be up to 150 miles or more between gas stations. There is a lodge @ Klotz Lake about 30 miles east of Longlac. 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. (Example: During a February 2012 trip, some gas stations were sold-out of fuel which made it 200 miles between fill-ups! Planning on making the trip from Anchorage to Haines to catch the ferry in December/early January. There is seriously a lifetimes worth of hiking, climbing, off roading, and mountain biking in these mountains. Although the Alaska Highway was completed on October 28, 1942 and was celebrated at Soldiers Summit on November 21st (and broadcast by radio, the exact outdoor temperature censored due to wartime concerns), the highway was not usable by general vehicles until 1943. It was a tough trip. SW Colorado to Fairbanks, leaving Durango Colorado December 9th if able to stay on plan. But to be on the safe side, as mentioned above, drive on the upper half of your fuel tank. HEED THIS ADVICE: Get gas when you are near half a tank since several towns are entirely closed during the winter. Ford f159 pulling 7x14ft enclosed trailer. Theres a reason the destination is Alaska. What type of weather should we expect? I am hoping to make the trip from Denver to Anchorage April or May. Ive got a 2017 4Runner and studded tires. That's about 260 miles (between actual gas stations, not city limits). (See my detailed itinerary at the end of this blog.). Next, take at least one full day to drive Icefields Parkway. RV.Net Open Roads Forum: Miles between gas stations on Alcan and I needed more of a reason to take on the challenge of driving 7000 miles round trip. However. Alaska Highway Travel Guide - Backcountry Canada Travel If you asked me this when we finished driving it, Id say no. 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 . Take your time, keep your tank filled when possible and enjoy the ride. We're glad you found us! Author of bestseller books on Amazon about Route 66 & Alaska Highway. 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. No sign here either. 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. Hopefully our F150 does fine. THEY WERE SO GOOD!!! I liked that it was reasonably priced, the showers were hot and free, there was a little store in the reception area that sold beer, and there was a dishwashing station. 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. It is an alternative route to the MacKenzie Highway 1 through Northern Alberta. These factors contribute to the high cost of gasoline in Alaska. Categories Alaska, North America Road Trips, 25 Epic Things To Do Near Anchorage, Alaska. Still recommend not pulling a trailer at that time frame? 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 . The drive sounded extra daunting since our home base is San Diego, which meant over two thousand miles of driving before we even started the Alaskan Highway. Additionally, some of the gas stations along the Alaska Highway may be closed during the winter months or have limited hours of operation. One old log bridge can still be seen at the Aishihik river crossing. I will be traveling with my 14 yr. old grandson & my two (2) English Mastiff. For us it wasnt a question of should we go there? When we pulled into Watson Lake we were exhausted and ready to stop for the day, but I didnt like the vibe there and so we drove on to an area where I felt safer. 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. Additionally, its worth noting that gas prices in remote areas can be higher than in urban areas. Truly. He strives to interest others in the historic drive to keep the legendary Route 66 alive. If you made it this far, CONGRATS because you are going to have an epic trip up the Alaska highway with all the info you just read. I have only had to wait 1 day one time when the highway had a bad washout in BC. I plan on carrying two (2) firearms, a rifle & a shotgun + send a pistol up to AK (as a retd LEO there are now CCDW Issues to resolve in any U.S. location but Canada is not a handgun-friendly nation. 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. The highest price we came across was $5.70 American/gallon. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In retrospect, I wouldve stayed an extra night at Strawberry Flats and done a nearby hike that day. about 60 miles south of the Alaska Highway between Teslin and Whitehorse; Why it's awesome: If . Good Sam Club Open Roads Forum: Alaska Hwy fuel stops- see original posting Ha! It was heavenly! But I cant say 100%. Depends on the weather that week if you need chains or not. We are moving from Anchorage to North Carolina next month. I wish that it would be possible to add another fuel transfer tank for Diesel fuel, but tha would add another ~450# on the trailer tongue, which is not a great idea for a Bumper-Pull hitch, so I went with the ~250 mi. multiply the Canadian liter price by 4 and take three-fourths of that. It continues on to Delta Junction at mile 1422 (km 2288), where . 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. 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). If you are driving here through Idaho, click here for some inspiration on where to go on a Idaho Road Trip. We intend to drive from Fairbanks via Whitehorse to Dawson City the last 2 weeks in April. Fill up at every gas station and have full survivor gear. Winter services are VERY limited, especially food and lodging. I actually had my sights set on camping that night at Summit Lake campground but we were too early in the season.