At this point, I planning on doing both in a truck camper. Will be north bound mid July and south bound in August. Question is if it would be better to do:1) the Alaskan Highway north and TOW south2) the TOW north and Alaskan Highway south3) Does it even matter?

well, we did the West to East TOW and it was good. However, I understand that if there has been recent rain then it is a bad drive either way. In 2016, our last trip, the road from Tok, Alaska to Chicken was very rough, lots of pot holes, once in Canada it was much better.I should add the highway up to Tok, was paved good road for the first 60 miles or so then the paved part ended and the rest was dirt, that was the bad part, drive real slow.

We have driven the TOW highway 3X and I don't think the date matters that much. The recent weather is what affects the drive. Whenever you do it, plan to take your time and enjoy the drive.

Tripalot wrote:We have driven the TOW highway 3X and I don't think the date matters that much. The recent weather is what affects the drive. Whenever you do it, plan to take your time and enjoy the drive.X2On TOW, if you see a cone in a pot hole, steer around that cone. The big advantage in going slow is the driver gets to marvel at the amazing vistas. Look at the Google Earth images, you will be on the spine of a mountain range. Awsome, Awsome, Awsome. We are trying to make Inuvik this summer, I plan on using my Garmin Dash Cam to film the whole trip up to Inuvik, wish I had owned one when we did TOW. By the way, the Garmin Dash Cam is also awsome.

We did your number 2 option, but it doesn't matter which way you go. When we went the TOW border crossing was open limited hours, you may want to check the hours. We had a laugh crossing, the US border guard asked if we were crossing with beer, we said Yes, and he said he would have to confiscate it (only kidding with us!). I guess that the Canadian and US border folks have some good "Happy Hours" after the border closes each day!

I would decide when upon arriving in Whitehorse of which route to take :1 - If weather forecast is great or so so for the next few days or following week, go for Dawson City and Top of the World Hwy route first.....Taylor Hwy on the Alaska side during rainy conditions might not be an enjoyable drive between Jack Wade Jct. and Chicken at mile 66 thru 96.2 - If weather forecast is bad, just stay on Alaska Highway enroute to Alaska and hope to time it right for decent enough weather upon leaving Alaska via Taylor and Top of World Highways.3 - (if Top of the World Highway was not first traveled) Upon arriving in Tok enroute to departing from Alaska, check on any potential SEVERE weather and road conditions before heading on Taylor Hwy. and Top of World Hwy. to Canada and Dawson City..... if the Taylor-Top of the World Hwys. have no bad reports, do take on the route.4 - Since this is the far north we are commenting here, roadways can be subject to change due to potential roadway washouts, wildfire closures, or any other kind of potential road closure that could occur, so do keep up to date with the route when arriving in Whitehorse along the way or arriving in Tok upon departing Alaska if Top of the World Highway was not first traveled.

Alaska Hwy and TOW Highway | Good Sam Community

D_E_Bishop
Explorer
Feb 19, 2019
Tripalot wrote:
We have driven the TOW highway 3X and I don't think the date matters that much. The recent weather is what affects the drive.
Whenever you do it, plan to take your time and enjoy the drive.

X2

On TOW, if you see a cone in a pot hole, steer around that cone. The big advantage in going slow is the driver gets to marvel at the amazing vistas. Look at the Google Earth images, you will be on the spine of a mountain range. Awsome, Awsome, Awsome.

We are trying to make Inuvik this summer, I plan on using my Garmin Dash Cam to film the whole trip up to Inuvik, wish I had owned one when we did TOW. By the way, the Garmin Dash Cam is also awsome.
Tripalot
Explorer
Feb 19, 2019
We have driven the TOW highway 3X and I don't think the date matters that much. The recent weather is what affects the drive.
Whenever you do it, plan to take your time and enjoy the drive.
sljohnson1938
Explorer
Feb 19, 2019
well, we did the West to East TOW and it was good. However, I understand that if there has been recent rain then it is a bad drive either way. In 2016, our last trip, the road from Tok, Alaska to Chicken was very rough, lots of pot holes, once in Canada it was much better.

I should add the highway up to Tok, was paved good road for the first 60 miles or so then the paved part ended and the rest was dirt, that was the bad part, drive real slow.

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