Top of The World Highway-Between Dawson City & Chicken

[snowedin]

We have been to Alaska before but this summer plan to travel the 'Top of the World Highway' between Dawson City & Chicken. My question is whether there is a best way to drive this road, East to West or West to East? Which direction results in meeting less traffic? Which direction results in less exposure to falling off a cliff? Any other helpful hints would be appreciated. I realize this is mostly a dirt/gravel road and one has to be cautious when the road surface is wet. Sounds like the scenery makes the trip worthwhile.

[lonnie4801]

If you like "Blue Grass and Country" music, then I would recommend going east to west and attend the "ChickenStock Festival" in Chicken. The 2015 festival will be the 12th and 13th of June this year. It is a great display of wonderful local talent.

If not interested in the music then I would recommend going west to east if leaving by early September because the colors will be much better.

If not interested in either the music or the colors, they either direction will work. We have made the trip east to west 3 times and enjoyed every trip.

[sue_t]

This is typical of September scenery on the Top of the World - Canadian side (Alaska side is the Taylor Highway)

[sue_t]

Much of the Alaska side is paved now, last summer as someone already noted.

Lots of pictures on my two pages - we thoroughly enjoy driving the Taylor and Top of the World Highways. Have towed the fifth wheel across numerous times, and once with the truck/camper when we also drove into the old Clinton minesite.

http://yukonsights.ca/TaylorHwy.html
http://yukonsights.ca/TopOfTheWorld.html

The tour buses no longer make the journey, their guests are now flown across. We just pulled to the side when we saw this one coming towards us.

[Veebyes]

Did it again East to West early June last year. As the times before, mostly an easy drive. This time there was what seemed like a very long stretch under construction. It was no better than jogging speed & very large gravel/rocks.

Make it a 2 day trip. Either stop in Chicken or the SP about 10 miles before Chicken. Doing the whole thing to Tok in 1 day is a push IMO.

Stop in Tok for the fill up at the west end of town & the free use of carwash with fill. The rig will need it.

[DownTheAvenue]

You Tube has a few people who have taped the whole journey. Watch and decide for yourself!

[AlCar]

I recommend Tok to Chicken to Dawson City for one main reason. If there is a caravan in DC, then you will spend a long time sitting in traffic waiting to get on the ferry across the Yukon River. Last summer, a friend of our spent 4 hours sitting to get on the ferry due to a caravan. Road is decent, no real cliffs on any given side because of the road winding around the mountains so that it is about 50-50 for looking over the edge.

[2gypsies1]

I, too, would recommend driving from Tok to Chicken to Dawson on your return trip.

[chiefneon]

Howdy!

We found most folks travel the TOW hwy going to Alaska which makes for more visitor traffic. We chose to travel it on our way out and only crossed paths with a couple of vehicles doing so. I would do it the same again. But we left the Yukon in earlier June and back in mid September.

"Happy Trails"

[bakedalaskan1]

Don't worry about the drive. They paved a big chunk of the Top of the World last year and there is less than 20 miles of gravel. Everybody leaves Dawson in the morning going west and in the evening everybody is heading east into Dawson. I was on it 3 times last year and don't recall any scary parts but I have been on the highway dozens of times. I did tow my fiver from Mandan to Selfridge down highway 6 and that was scary because there was no shoulder and steep drop offs on each side. Any mistakes would have been a disaster. That paved road was more technical to me than the Top of the World.
Most oncoming traffic you meet on the Top of the World will be touring like you and have the same concerns for their own safety. Slow down for each other and enjoy the trip.

[cewillis]

Maybe that road has gotten a lot worse since I was there, but I don't remember and cliffs or 'industrial size' gravel.


It was a great, and easy drive.

[AprilWhine]

If you drive west to east, the most severe drop will be on the other side of the road. This is the section where we met a wide load hauling a bulldozer, some of the other drivers needed clean underware. 😉 Really made us glad to be in the skinny Winnie.

[GordonThree]

Both directions provide plenty of miles driving on the outside shoulder, as the road weaves in and around both sides of some pretty steep hills.

When I drove the road in June 2014 there was still snow here and there, especially in the shaded areas.

Some of the up hill grades were freshly graveled when I drove it, and creeping along at only 5 mph, I felt I needed 4wd to maintain forward progress. The gravel on this road is not passenger car type gravel, but LARGE sharp chunks of rock; industrial road type gravel.

The scenery was outstanding - plan on spending the good part of a day to drive it despite rather short miles, watch for big mining trucks and enjoy.

[The_Texan]

East to west in early spring OR west to east in late fall are your best times to have the least opposing traffic. As far as falling off a cliff, it makes NO difference as you have them going either way.