Campbell or Alaskan Hwy?
Traveling in a group of 3 truck campers and none of us mind gravel roads. We are more into nature than tourist things but do like museums. Plan is to stay where ever we are when at diner time so rea...
Forum Discussion
I liked the Campbell Hwy. when I drove it in August 2008 enroute to Yellowknife NWT....it is the kinda area that will definitely give you that real middle of nowhere feeling.
Started on the west end from Carmacks which was both unpaved and paved portions and nice for the most part with a side trip to Faro (friendly people) and Ross River which has a bad reputation I always heard of in the past and witnessed it for myself upon leaving there.....
Once arriving at the Canol Road Junction on the Campbell Hwy just outside the Ross River area (about the midway point of the highway route) the Campbell Highway portion of that route which I call the East Campbell had so many continuous ruts on the road surface and drove three miles east of Canol Junction at 3 to 5 mph as the camper and truck was vibrating so violently going that slow as two trucks that were oncoming traffic that crossed paths with me were caked with mud, dirt, and their suspension was making all kinds of loud rattling noises I never heard before while going by so that was the straw while the ruts in that area was three miles long and counting and decided to turn around and head back to Carmacks since I had enough spare fuel to make it with my calculations....and don't always rely on fuel being readily available in Faro or Ross River either.
If one would monitor the status of Yukon 511 road conditions for the East Campbell Hwy during the summer months, you will see for the most part the status will show "fair" road conditions, as they do not always update it when the road can be virtually impassible in a few portions when it gets severe rainfall, not to mention the continuous road construction.
Sue's picture posted in this topic was also taken in 2008 and the East Campbell can get downright nasty.
Once I continued on my trip and stopped at Liard Hot Springs, I was talking with a trucker about the East Campbell and turning around and he told me it was a good thing I did turn around as a semi that went thru there the past week had gotten stuck and had to pull it across the bad portion with an excavator.
Now in 2008 remind you, the Fairbanks area had record rainfall during that time....as 2010 and 2014 shattered the 2008 rainfall record afterwards.
Although I do not reside in the Yukon, I dont think the East Campbell has improved much in 11 years.
From my experience, I would not plan to drive my own camper rig the entire Campbell Highway - although I would like to venture from the east side starting from Watson Lake to see areas that I never seen there until the roadway gets real rough, as I only driven as far as the Watson Lake Airport from the east end of the route.
For the record I only own 2WD trucks, 5 total.
Started on the west end from Carmacks which was both unpaved and paved portions and nice for the most part with a side trip to Faro (friendly people) and Ross River which has a bad reputation I always heard of in the past and witnessed it for myself upon leaving there.....
Once arriving at the Canol Road Junction on the Campbell Hwy just outside the Ross River area (about the midway point of the highway route) the Campbell Highway portion of that route which I call the East Campbell had so many continuous ruts on the road surface and drove three miles east of Canol Junction at 3 to 5 mph as the camper and truck was vibrating so violently going that slow as two trucks that were oncoming traffic that crossed paths with me were caked with mud, dirt, and their suspension was making all kinds of loud rattling noises I never heard before while going by so that was the straw while the ruts in that area was three miles long and counting and decided to turn around and head back to Carmacks since I had enough spare fuel to make it with my calculations....and don't always rely on fuel being readily available in Faro or Ross River either.
If one would monitor the status of Yukon 511 road conditions for the East Campbell Hwy during the summer months, you will see for the most part the status will show "fair" road conditions, as they do not always update it when the road can be virtually impassible in a few portions when it gets severe rainfall, not to mention the continuous road construction.
Sue's picture posted in this topic was also taken in 2008 and the East Campbell can get downright nasty.
Once I continued on my trip and stopped at Liard Hot Springs, I was talking with a trucker about the East Campbell and turning around and he told me it was a good thing I did turn around as a semi that went thru there the past week had gotten stuck and had to pull it across the bad portion with an excavator.
Now in 2008 remind you, the Fairbanks area had record rainfall during that time....as 2010 and 2014 shattered the 2008 rainfall record afterwards.
Although I do not reside in the Yukon, I dont think the East Campbell has improved much in 11 years.
From my experience, I would not plan to drive my own camper rig the entire Campbell Highway - although I would like to venture from the east side starting from Watson Lake to see areas that I never seen there until the roadway gets real rough, as I only driven as far as the Watson Lake Airport from the east end of the route.
For the record I only own 2WD trucks, 5 total.
