Top of the World Highway

First, I hope you're monitoring the weather closely and checking on the the post titled 'Roll Call Alaska 2016'. There's been snow the past few days on the roads further north.

This is kind of early for anyone to have done the TOW already so hopefully someone will chime in with their experience for this month.

However, we've done it with a 5th wheel and also a motorhome with no problems. Just watch the weather and if there's been a period of rain don't go that day. A couple days later it would be fine. One thing, if you get to Dawson and decide not to continue on you can always turn around...adding miles, yes, but if you don't feel right about it that's the thing to do. Dawson City is a fun little town with history. It would be a shame to pass it up. Or perhaps do it on your return later in the summer.

We have done the Top of World multiple times, the previous message had good advice. Watch the weather and take your time. If you do head over, either way just plan on two days take your time. If if snows or rains stay in the middle of the road; in the spring sometimes you might find a soft shoulder. The road is usually best this time of year. Most people from the states do the trip once and never again. If anyone has trouble it is because they rush, it can be done in a car easily in 5 hours, but in a motor home two days is a relaxed trip. Don't pull your toad, disconnect and drive it, If towing a TT don't over load.

If you participate in the local events you will have a great time in Dawson. I limit Joyce to $20 each night at Dimond Tooths, she gets a little carried away started with $20 won $1200 lost it all
by the end of the night. Have a good time be safe.

We did TOW last year, in the opposite direction. The worst part of it is between Chicken and Boundary Road. Boundary Road is paved from the Canadian customs to the Taylor. TOW itself was gravel with occasional ruts and washboarding, but it wasn't a bad road at all - we encountered worse in Montana.

We have a write up of our experience here: TOW highway

We took the TOW in 2012. DW didn't really want to go because of the stories we heard in 2011 because of all the rain in that area. She was finally talked into it by some friends that had taken it a couple of times. We were both glad that we went. Some great views. As stated already just keep up with the weather. Have fun camping.

It doesn't change much year-to-year, although spring can be a bit worse than the fall after the improvements are done for the season. The highway isn't open or maintained in winter, so in spring there's lots to do to get it ready for the summer season.

The Alaska side (Taylor Hwy) tends to be worse. The Yukon side (Top of the World) runs along rocky ridges without rivers/marsh/muskeg so is usually in better condition.

We drove through in 2010 after a major washout on the Alaska side and lengthy closure while it was rebuilt. No problems towing our 25' fifth wheel through with the F-250, but we weren't in a hurry and usually plan two days for the trip between Tok & Dawson City.

Taylor Hwy (Alaska side): http://yukonsights.ca/TaylorHwy.html
ToW Hwy (Yukon side): http://yukonsights.ca/TopOfTheWorld.html

We did the TOW in 2014.
The Yukon side (Dawson to Boundary) is not bad mostly gravel. In the rain stay away from the shoulders.
The US side (Boundary to Chicken) is the worst. Although they paved the first 12 miles from customs. This section is very narrow with quite a few switch backs. They lose 10 to 15 rigs over the side a year!
None of the tour companies and most of the travel clubs no longer run the TOW.

If you decide to run the TOW do not do it in the rain or just after. It will be the most demanding piece of driving you'll have if you meet others coming your way on the US side. This is really a mining road.

Good Luck and be careful.

Ernest wrote:
They lose 10 to 15 rigs over the side a year!
None of the tour companies and most of the travel clubs no longer run the TOW.

Do you have a reference for this information? I think your number of rigs going over the side is extremely high and the tour companies still have it on their itinearies for next year.

Ernest wrote:
We did the TOW in 2014.
The Yukon side (Dawson to Boundary) is not bad mostly gravel. In the rain stay away from the shoulders.
The US side (Boundary to Chicken) is the worst. Although they paved the first 12 miles from customs. This section is very narrow with quite a few switch backs. They lose 10 to 15 rigs over the side a year!
None of the tour companies and most of the travel clubs no longer run the TOW.

If you decide to run the TOW do not do it in the rain or just after. It will be the most demanding piece of driving you'll have if you meet others coming your way on the US side. This is really a mining road.

Good Luck and be careful.

The tour companies are flying tourist into Dawson from Whitehorse & Fairbanks rather than bus them, not because of the road but because of financial reasons. I spoke to one of the operators he said that the people riding the buses spent two days on the bus rather than spending three days in Dawson spending their money. It's to bad they put the almighty buck first, people come to see the Yukon & Alaska not to fly over it. I suppose many older people can't take a 7 hour bus ride from Whitehorse it would be tiring but then they actually might see some beautiful country or wildlife.

It is very rare to have any rigs get stuck much less go over the side. There are some stretches that are twisty and alittle narrow but nothing to be concerned about take your time you will be fine.

Any idea of how many vehicles need a tow truck every year?

Suspect I have driven the TOW 20 or 30 times over the last 54 years I have been driving to/from Alaska, most years I don't see any tow trucks. The most I have ever seen, that I remember was 2. One was road service out of Tok for a flat tire and the other for an RV that got stuck because of a soft shoulder.
One summer there were two vehicle accidents, one a west bound RV, for some reason, the driver pulled out of his lane, crossed the opposing lane and drove off the road down an embankment into some willow trees. No injuries, but his wife was following in their toad and had a real scare watching their motorhome go over the edge.

The other accident was the US Customs agent that was west bound, ran off the road into a flooded creek and was killed.never did see a final report on what the investigation determined to cause the accident.

Overal, the TOP is not much different than any other gravel/dirt road in the US or Canada. People that learned to drive in the rural areas on gravel will think it to be an OK road. Those that learned to drive on multi lane pavement will claim it is the worst road ever. I have talked to people that told me the TOP/TOW is/was their first gravel road driving experience.

Folks that learned to drive around Badwater Texas, will have different thoughts than those that learned to drive in LA or Vancouver.