Trip to Alaska

[JWJAY]

My wife and I are driving to Alaska this summer and would like some advice as to whether we should take the ALCAN Highway or the CASSIAR Highway. How do the road conditions compare and is diesel readily available?

[enblethen]

Easy way to get cash is at ATM. When returning to lower 48, total up left over Canadian dollars and put in your fuel tank.
Make sure you have small bills, Loonies and toonies!

[thomas201]

What Soup said about some cash. The isolated Yukon campground have a cash box to pay and no staff. It includes firewood, so is a good price. Glad we brought a couple hundred Canadian.

[SideHillSoup]

Make sure you have a few hundred dollars Canadian cash in your pocket.
We always travel with enough cash for at least a full tank of fuel that’s about $250 plus another $250 for campgrounds, sani dumps etc..
And last week it all paid off for us:
Now we were lucky we only stopped to get a bag of ice, however the the Petro Canada website was hacked and no petro Canada gas station pumps or stations would take credit cards at all, cash only for fuel.
We were on Hwy 37 at Meziadin Jct Gas Station and there were a lot of rigs that were too low on fuel to continue their trip. The only gas station is Stewart is also a Petro Canada station.
The system is still having issues today, but you can pay inside with a credit card, just not at the pumps.

[valhalla360]

enblethen wrote:
If you want to go to the Artic Circle and maybe Artic Ocean, i would think about the Dalton Hwy.

Dempster (in Canada) is a great option:
- Not heavily commercialized so truck traffic is much less. The Dalton (Alaska) is all about servicing the oil companies with lots of truck traffic.
- You can actually drive to the Arctic Ocean on the Dempster. On the Dalton (Alaska), you get stopped about 10miles short as it's all owned by the oil companies. It is possible to book a tour in Alaska but not drive to the ocean while you can camp on the ocean in Canada.

Plus it pushes you to drive the Top of the World Highway (Tok to Dawson City) which is awesome.

[Veebyes]

Consider alternate routes. Good one.

Once north of Edmonton any alternate routes are rapidly reduced down to Alaska Highway or nothing.

North of Watson Lake the Alaska Highway is it, unless you want to consider the Campbell Highway, which is 300 miles of mostly gravel and only two places for fuel on a very very little used road. We did it last month.

Doing the Alaska Highway is not going to the moon but it is not like using some of the little used roads of the lower 48 either where you are never far from fuel or a cell signal.

[enblethen]

If you want to go to the Artic Circle and maybe Artic Ocean, i would think about the Dalton Hwy.

[ssthrd]

SteveAE wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
.... after a quick sidetrip up the Dempster to the Arctic Ocean.

There is absolutely nothing "quick" about the Dempster. Beautiful drive, but plan a two or three days each way. Tombstone Park is amazing though.

I would say that it was a "tongue in cheek" comment. 🙂

[CA_Traveler]

Here's our Alaska trip, don't overlook the right side links. https://2013alaska.blogspot.com/

[CA_Traveler]

BTW Keep a sharp lookout on the road and limit BC & Yukon speed to 55 MPH. The driver will miss some views but you won't regret it. Some of the petal to the metals guys that pass will soon be wanting repairs. I met a guy in Dawson that bent his 5er hitch. It was his 19th day in Dawson and the parts were arriving "soon". Another dropped a trailer axle on the road...

[SteveAE]

valhalla360 wrote:
.... after a quick sidetrip up the Dempster to the Arctic Ocean.

There is absolutely nothing "quick" about the Dempster. Beautiful drive, but plan a two or three days each way. Tombstone Park is amazing though.

[CA_Traveler]

Have altenate route plans and options as roads can be closed for various reasons without notice. Think floods, fires, etc. ANY place can be closed without any notice so be prepared and flexible. We established Canada cell access before leaving. Also make sure several credit cards had Canada access. I never expect or want WIFi access in the US or Canada as its to easy to hack. We used Verison for internet access, now have T Mobile.

The roads will have pot holes, frost heaves and chip seal rocks. They are what they are and if open go. There aren't many alternate routes anyway. Our only pre trip decision was to decide at Tok a clock wise or counter clock wise trip around Alaska.

Fuel is expensive but best to never get below 1/2 full.

Example: One camper was having engine issues in Haines that could not be repaired there. His decision was to take the ferry to Vancouver Island for repairs.

[valhalla360]

We went up the Casiar as the fires were closing the Alcan north of Dawson Creek (open now). Absolutely spectacular and remote. Not a fast road but mostly because it's narrow and twisty (don't worry, it was an easy drive if you aren't rushing).

Just crossed back into Canada at Dawson City and will be heading south on the Alcan from Whitehorse after a quick sidetrip up the Dempster to the Arctic Ocean.

[SteveAE]

X2

enblethen wrote:
Take both routes! Go up on one and return on other.
Roads are about equal.
Fuel is available on both routes. Some distances between fuel locations vary. You need to use good maps and watch signs for distances. You know how big of tank you have, your mileage and driving habits.

[enblethen]

Take both routes! Go up on one and return on other.
Roads are about equal.
Fuel is available on both routes. Some distances between fuel locations vary. You need to use good maps and watch signs for distances. You know how big of tank you have, your mileage and driving habits.