Bear Summit - 3,294 ft., the highest point on the Alaska Highway between Whitehorse and Fairbanks. There are many great overlooks and hikes to do along the road or click here to sign up for the Colombia Icefields Tour and do the Glacier Skywalk. In particular, some 100 miles of Alaska Highway route between Burwash Landing and Koidern, Yukon, became virtually impassable in May and June of 1943, as the permafrost melted, no longer protected by a layer of delicate vegetation. In the winter, theres a business open around every 100 miles or so. In some remote areas, it can be up to 150 miles or more between gas stations. Grand Prairie Costco $1.19 (everywhere else in Grand Prairie was $1.32). We didnt see a single bear in Alaska. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to drive the Alaska Highway? Anyone come down recently? If you have posted the videos on YouTube, would you provide the links? If you allow for the worst case of 23l/100km, with a 65l tank and allowing for say 10 litres remaining in the tank, then by my calculations you'll get (65-10)/23 x 100 = 240 km. I was ready for jagged mountains, glaciers, and epic hikes so we headed down to Valdez. Even then, there were many steep grades, a poor surface, switchbacks to gain and descend hills, and few or no guardrails. The Alaskan Highway doesnt start at the US/Canadian border. Expect a 30%-50% chance that any particular stop will be closed. Does anyone know if this is okay? It's a far cry from the original gravel access road built during the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, but you'll still want to take it slow over the remaining gravel . The campground has pull throughs with hook-ups, fire pits, tables and dump station. East Access Route: This is the most direct route from Great Falls, Montana, through Calgary, AB and Edmonton, AB. Route: There is only one way to do this drive. Some gas stations may also close during the winter months. In retrospect, I wouldve stayed an extra night at Strawberry Flats and done a nearby hike that day. Just another note there was no lines to follow the road because the road was snow-covered so you never know if you were on the right side of the road and the roads go straight up and down and sharp right and sharp loves like roller coasters it was so much fun driving them . Cant help you with the details on your RV but the first question Canadian customs will ask is Do you have any firearms with you? If your RV is in good shape, it might be ready for a long journey. I seriously doubt they will stop you at the border and ask about your tires unless your vehicle looks shaky and in terrible shape. Dont even attempt to bring a hand gun or any AR style rifles. These factors contribute to the high cost of gasoline in Alaska. That's 39-40 miles, and no sign at all. Google Canada Customs and it will have a list of what you cant bring. 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. Snow, muddy roads and rain is likely. The length of the Alaska Highway is 2,432 km. 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. Theres a reason the destination is Alaska. North of Fort Nelson, the Alaska Highway crosses the Rocky Mountains: Expect about 200 miles of narrow road with curves and hills with 10 percent grades and few passing lanes. This is so perfect! multiply the Canadian liter price by 4 and take three-fourths of that. The highway is 358 miles long and runs through some the grandest and most rugged land in Alaska. This distance is 2395 km (1488 mi). The highest price we came across was $5.70 American/gallon. Joined Nov 28, 2006 Messages 21,509 Reaction score 3,045 Location North of Weird First Name . I really had no interest in Fairbanks for this trip and even though I was curious about Dawson City, I felt like I had had enough touristy things when we did the Golden Circle. Feel free to email me at michael.stewart.obrien@hotmail.com I will be driving a Toyota Tundra with a 34 ft travel trailer. Weve been traveling with our 5 kids in a 30 foot class C RV for the last 4 years and have seen most of the Western USA and a large part of British Columbia. In Alaska, the distances and signs are posted in miles and miles per hour. 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. The road was winding and snaked through various tunnels and bridges, while taking you alongside the railroad tracks and all their bridges and tunnels. The road surface endures extreme freeze and thaws you may encounter potholes and stretches of the road under construction. What is the farthest distance between gas stations? SW Colorado to Fairbanks, leaving Durango Colorado December 9th if able to stay on plan. You need a US passport and traveling from May through August is best to avoid ice on the road. It sits right on the turquoise lake that was still partially covered in ice and is surrounded by snow capped mountains. Good luck! We will be driving a truck and pulling a small trailer. We're glad you found us! It was heavenly! Expect to pay about 20% more for gasoline along the route. There was a stretch in south Texas along the King ranch that was a long one without gas. There is a lodge @ Klotz Lake about 30 miles east of Longlac. Me and husband are planning a trip up around Fairbanks are futher,we are gold miners looking for a claim,also would love to find others going that way so we can travel in group,we want to leave around may 2020. Im fairly certain it is fine. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. I'm so glad this helped you! The bears along the side of the road were the best part of the trip. Cross Valley Plaza LLC, based along Highway 315 in Plains Twp., is seeking a variance for a gas station, convenience store and fast food restaurant at the site of the former Duke's Garage along . 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. If you werent stopping at the rec center, this would be only about an hour and a half of driving and could easily be tagged on to what we drove the next day. 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 . Semi-trucks drive it and its full of 1000s of RVs. For the most part, the roads are good enough that a car can average 105 kph (65 mph). Starting in Anchorage, the route meanders generally south 127 miles (204 kilometers) from sea to mountains to sea across the Kenai Peninsula, ending in the harbor town of Seward on . For this summer, Ijust want some epic scenery, solitude, and a nice challenging hike. Get a copy of the "Milepost" it says where pretty much every fuels stop in the North is located. Last, spend one day in Jasper National Park. Your car, truck or RV typically has a safe range of 350 to 400 miles or more making extra fuel less of a necessity for you. But if youre brave and prepared, it could be an adventure of a lifetime. From Valdez we drove straight towards Anchorage and if you dont choose to detour to Valdez or Wrangell-St Elias NP, then you can easily do the drive from the Alaskan border to Anchorage or Fairbanks in one day. A station at one end sells about 30 gas containers a week to people who run out on the highway and walk to the station. Your email address will not be published. Other than stopping to admire the bears for a few minutes each time and refueling, we also stopped by Tetsa Campground for their famous cinnamon rolls. Discover the best stops along the Alaska Highway in my travel guide, Alaska Highway Travel Guide 202 Best Stops, which is available on Amazon. 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. The trip between the Canadian border to Fairbanks, Alaska, is a stretch of nearly 1,500 miles, and the trip from Seattle, Washington, to Fairbanks is a whopping 2,313 miles. I hit the brakes. click here to get details on the best hike at Lake Louise, click here to sign up for the Colombia Icefields Tour and do the Glacier Skywalk, Golden Circle of Yukon + Alaska: Guide to Whitehorse, Skagway + Haines, 15 Things to Do on the Kenai Peninsula: Alaskas Best Destination. ), Connects: Dawson Creek, BC, to Delta Junction, Alaska 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. I truly hope I helped you plan an amazing Alaska Highway road trip! Michael, youre foolish to try that drive in January/February. The area between Fort Nelson Liard Hot Springs to Watson Lake there was no phone service . Yes, driving to Alaska is generally safe. 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). The ferry doesnt actually go into Seward. 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. The driving distance from Anchorage to Fairbanks is 360 miles. What Are ALCAN Road Conditions Like? Anyone else have knowledge (or preferably first-hand experience) with the BC winter tire requirements? I wish it had a few more pull offs because it is way more scenicthan the Alaskan Highway. The Alaska Highway begins (Mile Zero) at Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and runs 1,387 miles to Delta Junction, Alaska. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. This was our total cost for all the campgrounds we stayed at over our entire 4 months of travel. Always in summer. The streets are very warm so Id say its a 99% chance of being just fine and beautiful with fresh green leaves along the way. I hope you now know more about gas stations along the Alaska Highway. Thanks for taking the time to share so much info! The Alaskan Highway is a completely paved road and open all year, although you do need to carry chains from October through April. Still recommend not pulling a trailer at that time frame? All depends on the snow and ice in Canada when it comes to a trailer. Q.) It dropped to -54 F so screw-ups are not an option. It has tons of information on campgrounds, hotels, excursions, and most importantly, over 100 maps. Its nice on long road trips to have a day in a big kitchen to cook huge meals, catch up on laundry, take long hot showers, and get WiFi to write blogs. Fuel is more expensive and gas stations and not as frequent as they are in other areas. In the end, I basically saw the forecast for Whitehorse, sunny and seventy, and hightailed it there. 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. The sites were snow free but the lake was still frozen over and the hike we wanted to do there was still covered in snow. . HEED THIS ADVICE: Get gas when you are near half a tank since several towns are entirely closed during the winter. We love sharp, jagged peaks, lush forests, and alpine lakes nestled under glaciers so naturally it was time to explore Alaska. The Alaska Highway, also known as the Alcan Highway, is a remote road that runs through Canada and Alaska, so gasoline can be more expensive than in urban areas. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Ha! Length of Time: 5 to 6 hours without stops. I had to throw this one in for anyone who is like my husband. 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. If you love planning, maps, want every detail of information on detours and alternative routes, or if you love history, I highly recommend buying it. Report inappropriate content LeBiscuit D Los Angeles. Navigation will be by using GPS/DGPS,GLONASS & hard copy Road Maps. Planning an Rv trip from WI to Alaska starting June 2023. This is the ultimate travel guide and pocket reference for anyone wishing to experience the adventure and wonder of THE ALASKA HIGHWAY! In the cities it is usually around $3 American/gallon. I believe the longest distance in Baja is about 250km, and that includes a few stops consisting of "a guy with a barrel by the side of the road". Gas stations will sell by the liter, where one gallon = 3.79 liters. In February, I drove from Fairbanks to Haines (via Haines Junction) to catch the Ferry to Seattle. The truth is, it would require a hell of a lot of recklessness to actually run out of gas. While driving the Alaskan Highway you are mostly in a constant sea of trees, the Cassiar Highway goes over and beside more rolling hills and a few mountain passes. There are also a lot of logging and semi trucks driving the highway in some sections and between the construction areas and since its a two lane highway, the big rigs would often spray up dirt and rocks making your vehicle/RV get very muddy and sometimes sending little rocks flying into the windshield. 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. Psst, it stands for Alaska-Canada Highway.Al Can . You should find gas every 150 miles or so, but there are several exceptions.