If you’re planning on taking a drive to Alaska there are only a couple direct driving routes that will take you there. You can either drive the Cassiar Highway, which is a small mostly rural route, or drive the Alaska Canada Highway (aka the Al-Can), which is a slightly larger, slightly less rural route. :-) No matter which way you go you’ll be guaranteed two things: several days of non-stop driving, and miles of wide open spaces. Since we had the opportunity to make the drive last fall we decided to put together this handy dandy guide and road trip planner for driving the Alaska-Canada Highway.
Facts about the Alaska Canada Highway & Guide for Planning Your Road Trip
The Alaska-Canada Highway is a joint venture that spans across two countries, two Canadian providences, and one U.S. state. Many people think the Al-Can starts somewhere in the northern portion of the Continental US, but it actually doesn’t officially start until the small city of Dawson Creek in B.C.. From that point, the Alaska Canada Highway covers 1422 miles (2288 Kilometers) along the Canadian Rockies and through the Yukon Territory. If you are planning on taking a road trip along the entire highway, you should realistically plan for a minimum of 5 days (4 nights) driving, and that’s if you plan on driving 7-8 hours a day without stopping to adventure anywhere.
When the road was originally built and opened in 1948 it was a mixture of gravel and dirt road, but is now completely paved. Although not as adventurous as it once was, the road still presents many challenges. There are many altitude changes, with the highest pass at Summit Lake (4250 ft), and quite a few sections of the road that have no guardrail or any other safety mechanism. Additionally, due to harsh weather, the road is in almost constant disrepair. There are many sections riddled with frost heaves, or eroded areas that are “paved” but feel more like a gravel road. Because of this, it’s recommended that you throughly prepare your vehicle for the road trip, and, as always, be ready for a roadside emergency. Take a look at our Road Trip Packing List to make sure you have everything you need. Here’s what the Route looks like on a map.
Driving the Alaska Canada Highway
We set out on the Alaska Canada Highway in Mid-Fall. The biggest benefit of driving the road this time of year is the lack of traffic and the cool temperatures. A big downside, however, is the fact that many hotels and other services are closed for the season. Don’t get me wrong, there is lodging available, it just becomes quite scarce as you make your way north.
We chose to enter Canada from Kalispell, Mt so we could spend a couple of days in Banff, AB and enjoy Banff National Park. From there it was a day’s drive north to Grand Prairie, AB where we spent the night before getting onto the actual Al-Can Highway. We set out on our journey bright and early, the terrain was absolutely lovely from the very beginning of the drive.
The rolling hills and mountains were absolutely beautiful. It’s the kind of landscape road trip dreams are made of.
As we proceeded further north, we had the chance to watch Autumn turn into Winter at 70 mph. Very quickly the landscape went from greens and browns, to white.
For the first leg of our trip, we planned on driving as far as Muncho Lake, in BC. There was a dog friendly hotel I found and it was about 8 hours away from our starting point. When we arrived, we learned our first very painful lesson about off season travel. Always call ahead!
We pulled up to the hotel after sundown and were immediately greeted by the caretaker outside. I let him know that we were looking for dog friendly accommodations and he told me the hotel did have a couple rooms left, and that we were in luck. I looked over at Lauren both a bit weary and excited and told her the good news. It was when the caretaker opened his mouth next that everything turned sour. “You can have a room for $229 a night, but we’re all out of pet rooms” he said. I looked at him quizzically, then asked what he suggested I do with our two dogs. “Just leave them in the car overnight… it’s not that cold” was his brilliant response. Obviously, that wasn’t the right answer for a pair of dog lovers like us. I thanked him for the offer and got back in the car.
Lauren and I just sat there in dead silence. We had no idea what to do. It was 14 Degrees outside, snow was falling, and we were in the middle of the Northern Rockies with nowhere to stay. We finally looked at each other and simply said, keep moving forward. We then began the most difficult and amazing part of our adventure.
We started driving and figured we would just keep going until we found another hotel that was open. Little did we know that we wouldn’t find another hotel until the following evening. We started driving again, but much slower than the posted speed. The combination of snow fall, absolute darkness, and the road conditions made the drive pretty painful. Suddenly up ahead in the road, we saw something moving, it was bright white. As we got closer it stopped, turned and looked at us. It was a pure white mountain goat.
I was only able to grab one, admittedly bad, photograph before he scampered off. For the next couple of hours we kept driving and experienced the most amazing animal adventure ever. We drove by an entire herd of buffalo resting along the roadside, caribou grazing on bits of grass poking through the frost, and even a group of wild horses trotting along the side of the car.
All the animals were just walking back and forth in the middle of the road, licking the salt off the pavement.
As the hour grew later we finally hit a wall where we just couldn’t drive any longer. Driving in those conditions is highly strenuous. We eventually found a highway pull out that was occupied by a semi truck (I can’t imagine what he was doing there either) and parked next to it, to try and get some rest. Sleeping in a car is a hard thing to do when it’s 14 degrees outside. I kept waking up once an hour or so and having to start the car for 20 minutes to bring the heat back up before turning it off and falling asleep again. After catching a few hours of nap time, we started back on the Alaska Canada Highway.
As sunrise hit, we entered the Yukon territory. Funny side note, the Al-Can highway crosses the BC and YT border 6 times in about a 10 mile stretch. Each time, there’s another sign, some are larger than others though.
We were hungry, tired, and out of water when we reached Watson Lake. It was the first real town that we found and also happens to be home to the famous Sign Post Forest. We did what anyone in our situation would do, we melted snow so the dogs could have a drink of water and we kept going.
We took stock of where we were and how we felt and decided to push it until we hit Whitehorse. It’s the capital of the Yukon Territory, and was certain to have dog friendly accommodations. We fueled up, had some terrible coffee, and got back on the road. Immediately we were rewarded with more animal sightings, as they came out at sunrise for a snack.
There were entire herds of Caribou just milling around as if we weren’t even there.
It was absolutely mind-blowing to be this close to nature.
The remaining 8- hours or so of that day were kinda blur. It’s a good thing we made it a point to stop every once in a while to capture the beautiful landscape on film.
We hit Whitehorse, found a hotel, ate something for dinner (I think it was Korean food :-) )and passed out . We slept for a solid 12 hours or so, woke up, and then set back out on the road. If you are making the same drive, make sure to stop at Kluane Lake, and take it all in. You can’t miss it, considering it’s one of the largest lakes in the area, but it’s absolutely breathtaking.
We continued through some more small towns as we made our way towards the Alaska border. Make sure you keep an eye out for the Mounties, they’re a tricky lot. :-)
Most of the towns were shut down for the winter. Each “town” had one or two gas stations and restaurants open, but otherwise, everything was beginning to collect snow that would accumulate until the following Spring.
After about 6 hours of driving we came to the Alaska border and re-entered the USA.
From here it was another 2 hours to Tok, AK. We stopped and stayed at a cozy little B&B called the Mooseberry Inn. The next day, we picked back up on the Al-Can and finally came to the end of the road when we hit the very small town of Delta Junction. It’s not known for much, but it does have a large area dedicated to the end of the Alaska Canada Highway.
From this point, our time on the Alaska Canada Highway came to an end. We continued on our adventure towards Deadhorse, Alaska and the famed Dalton Highway. If you plan on taking your own Al-Can adventure, I suggest a little planning ahead. If you love wildlife, road trips, and wide open spaces as much as we do, it should definitely be high on your list.
Feel free to contact us if you are making the trip. We are always happy to share tips and make suggestions. :)
For current Alaska Canada Highway Road Conditions, use these three local sites for the most comprehensive information.
Where to Stay Along the Alaska – Canada Highway
Here are some of the best Pet Friendly places to stay in some of the anchor cities along our route:
Banff, AB
Red Carpet Inn
425 Banff Avenue,
T1L 1B6 Banff, AB
- Pet Friendly, Free Wifi, Continental Breakfast, Downtown Banff
Hidden Ridge Resort
901 Hidden Ridge Way
Banff, AB
- Pet Friendly, Free Wifi, Condo Style Resort, Outside of Town
Grand Prairie, AB
Sandman Hotel
9805 100 St
Grande Prairie, AB
- Pet Friendly, Free WiFi, Indoor Heated Pool, Hot Tub, Fitness Centre
Canadian Motor Inn
10901 – 100 Avenue
Grande Prairie, AB
- Pet Friendly, Free Wifi, Continental Breakfast, Budget/Value Chain
Fort Nelson, BC
Super 8 Fort Nelson
4503 50th Ave South
Fort Nelson, BC
- Pet Friendly, Open Year-Round, Budget/Value Property, Free WiFi, Pool, Fitness Center, Breakfast Included
Muncho Lake, BC
Northern Rockies Lodge
Mile 462 Alaska Hwy
Muncho Lake, BC
- Pet Friendly, Open Year-Round, Rooms, Cabins, and RV Park
Whitehorse, YK
Westmark Hotel & conference Centre
201 Wood Street
Whitehorse, YT
- Pet Friendly, Centrally Located Downtown, Free Internet
Canada’s Best Value Inn
102 Wood Street
Whitehorse, YT
- Free Internet, Budget Chain, Business Center
Here are other posts related to Driving the Alaska Canada Highway Guide & Road Trip Planner.
Driving the Dalton Highway – Road Trip Planner and Photos
Kluane Lake – Photo and Video Essay
Road Trip through the Alaskan Interior – Fairbanks to Anchorage to Valdez
Why I Love Alaska
Epic scenery! Love the goat shot in particular.
I never made it up to Alaska. At one point I had a road trip planned from Denver up through the Yukon to Alaska with a friend, then I broke the tranny in my Jeep and the 3k I had set aside for the trip was used to get a new one put in and the trip and I never did it =P
Thanks for sharing!
Tim,
Alaska is one of those profoundly altering places to visit. Once you get beyond the touristy towns, the whole place is absolutely stunning. It definitely needs to be on your list of places to visit if you come back stateside. I’d even give you a tour :-)
My wife and I (and our two small dogs) are making the trip to Alaska by car mid May through June 2016. We’ll be towing a small travel trailer where we’ll “live” for two months. Never been there before and plan to se “everything” there is.
We plan to do the same so how did it go with the small trailer? We want to tow it with a V6. Your thoughts would help our planning since we don’t have a trailer yet. Thanks
General Trailer will rent you a trailer . It’s 3,000 for six weeks with a pop up, and 10,000 for a motor home When do you plan to go. We’re from Michigan and plan to see all the special parks in the US first. WE are waiting until we retire probably in two years. WE are just thinking that the more folks we have the more fun we will have.
How large of a camper are you towing??
was wondering if anyone has traveled with horses to Alaska, I will be leaving from Darby mt next spring to homer Alaska. Its a long drive would hope there would be horse friendly motels..
leah
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a horse friendly motel, but if they are in a trailer they should be fine.
Hidden Valley Bed and Breakfast in Whithorse YT is horse and dog friendly – clean rooms, great breakfast and outside of town – they may know of others. My Australian shepherd loves to visit with the resident horses.
Alaska is a dream destination for me and this post leaves me wanting to visit as soon as possible, it looks like a great roadtrip.
Alaska is Lauren’s favorite place in the world so far. The scenery and wildlife are virtually indescribable. It’s somewhere we can return to again and again, and never tire of it.
We will be riding bikes ALCAN Highway during this summer, July 25th-August 13. Do you think it will be as adventurous? I will be photographing the is road trip, is it easy to pull off the road and take many pics?
Thanks
Mark
Mark,
Many bikers run the ALCAN and have fantastic time doing it in the summer. I’m told there are more wild life spotting opportunities that time of year, especially at dawn and dusk. There are literally hundreds of shoulders and turn outs along the highway that should give you some great photographic vantage points as well as a great place to take a break.
Only two weeks to go before we leave to Alaska! Got all the camera gear ready and can’t wait to get on down the road! We have three weeks to travel the highway. Bicycles do not go to fast, I get the privilege of documenting this trip for my two friends who are in their mid 60’s riding bicycles for 1,400 miles or so!
My one friend Terry just finished chemo treatment for lymphoma cancer and is healed! He will be riding along with Mike.
Thanks for your tips!
Mark
Wow, what a powerful trip! Can’t wait to hear how it went.
In the summer of 2002, my husband and I, drove our 5th wheel from Central Texas to Homer, Alaska. We traveled with 2 other couples. Driving up through Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Canadian Rockies in Alberta, Canada and got on the 1400 mile Alaskan – Canadian Highway. (Lot’s of history there.) We stopped at Watson Lake and placed a sign in the Signpost Yard, camped at the edge of Denali National Park and saw the beautiful Mr. McKinley, Went fishing in the Alaskan Gulf in Homer, we saw many glaciers, bear, moose and beautiful flowers and mountains. Crossed the Yukon River in a ferry to Dawson, Yukon.Came back South to Stewart, BC,Canada to Hyder, Alaska, to view bear catching salmon. Traveled British Columbia, Canada. Back in lower 48 we drove down into Washington, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and home. 6 weeks and 10,000 miles later. Great trip. Wish we could do it again. It was 92 degrees in Fairbanks and about 38 degrees in Homer. We took a variety of clothing to wear. We wore it all.
Judy, Sounds like an amazing time! We want to go back to Alaska and spend more time there as well. We didn’t get a chance to venture into Denali at all, due to weather conditions and want to visit the panhandle as well.
I have done the lower loop of the Al-Can thru Banff, the Icefields Parkway, Kamloops, and north to Watson Lake on my way from South Carolina to Anchorage, Best trip I ever took. I filmed a dozen bears, three wolves, couple of moose, hundreds of caribou, a gigantic lynx up closer and personal, beavers, mountain goats, big horn sheep, my first porcupine, a hundred + bald eagles, and bigfoot which turned out to be a very large hairy Ukrainian man skinny dippin!!!!! I deleted that picture but can’t get it out of my head!! YIKES!!!! the scenery is incredible on the lower loop. Going to go back and test my new Indian in three years with a trip from Arctic Circle to Key West. two words of advice…take tools and extra parts. I ran across a lady by herself with a busted radiator hose that had waited for 30 hours for a wrecker to get to her in the middle of nowhere. I had an extra hose that we made work to get her home. when she call for help they told her it would be 49 hours before they could get to her because they were 6 hours round trip away and had 7 customers in the same situation that called before she did….. and secondly……..if you are coming from the states…they will ask you how much cash you have on you at the border. They want to be sure you have enough to get your vehicle fixed and off their beautiful road system if needed instead of leaving it to rust and be removed at their expense. They don’t ask to see the cash but will ask to have piece of mind…. have a great trip
I enjoyed your posts along the way on the AlCan highway. I’m looking forward to taking this trip.
PS I will post a link to our pictures when we return stateside!
Mark
Enjoyed your post immensely. When exactly did you. Make this trip?
Was it later than mid / September? And was your vehicle a 4wheel drive?
Yvonne, we did this trip late September/early October. Our car is a front wheel drive but we did put snow tires on it :)
This insight into your road trip to Alaska has been very helpful to me and my wife. We are planning on moving to Alaska next summer for the foreseeable future. I’ve already started mapping out the best possible route to take beginning in June of 2015. I am curious to know whether or not we should bring an extra gasoline container to fill up at gas stations in case we ever run close to running out of gas. Did you find this a necessary precaution, or not? I appreciate any feedback you could offer. Thanks.
Mark,
That really depends on your car and how much you are hauling. We never had an issue with fuel, but I was in a VW GTI. If you are in a larger vehicle with poor gas mileage and are towing a lot of weight it could be an issue. Whenever we are in a remote area I always follow one rule: Fill up at every gas station I see. Even if I only need a 1/4 tank the 10 minute stop is worth the piece of mind. With all that being said, if you are still worried about it, buy and fill a 10 gallon spare (the can will cost you about 10 bucks) fill it up, and worst case scenario you wont use it. Let us know if you have any other questions. What part of Alaska are you moving to?
We have a 2013 Toyota Rav 4. The mileage isn’t as good as it can get, but its also not that bad either. We are planing on moving all of our furniture, etc. via a moving company (which is a huge expense!) so we won’t be towing anything. Stopping at every gas station sounds like a good rule of thumb.
We will be moving to Fairbanks so that I can finish school and my wife can, Lord willing, find a teaching position at one of the local schools. Currently we live in Laramie, WY, but I was born and raised in Tallahassee, FL, so the very idea of living in Alaska has always fascinated me. People have warned me time and time again about how cold it gets up there, but my reply is always the same: the colder it gets, the happier I become!
Hey, my friend and I are planning on taking a trip up to Alaska from Seattle next August. We’re bringing our two dogs. Was it difficult to find dog friendly accomodations throughout your trip (besides the one you mentioned).
-Tamar
Tamar,
In some cases it was a bit difficult. If you can give me a bit more specific information on your route, I would be happy to make some suggestions for you.
Cheers,
Kenin
I am planning on moving to Alaska, from Dallas, TX. The problem for me is that I will be driving in January. I have 2 months to plan this trip.
I understand the roads during this time will be difficult and a major issue. While I continue to do my research I have a few questions:
– What do you need to have when driving through Canada? Do you need a passport?
– My fuel cost will be about $600 for the entire trip. Even though I read your comments about sleeping in Motels and B&B, I plan on saving as much money as I can and plan to drive and be frugal with everything. For me the adventure is not as much as the scenic route as it is to the Destination which is Hope, AK. Could you give a list or thoughts on this and what your additional costs were on your trip. This would help me estimate and insure I have enough funds to get there.
Alaska has been my life long dream to go and I will be driving alone. I am moving and will retire up there. I am taking several risks by moving but even a bigger one but moving without a Job. But at the age of 29 and having No Kids, I feel this will be my last time before I never go and then be miserable. I am doing this on my own with no outside help as I do not have any, so any tips or wise information would be much appreciative.
Cheers!
Aaron,
Thanks for your questions. You are correct making the drive in January will be more than difficult, it will be dreadful. Do you have experience driving in ice and snow on mountains? If not I really suggest that you wait until the Spring thaw. There are always truckers on the Al-Can, but the road is terrible in the winter and there are many mountain passes that can face closure that time of year. Also, most of the mountains don’t have guardrails, so unless you are running studded snow tires I wouldn’t get out on these roads. You also mention making this drive alone, not a good idea in this kind of weather at all.
I believe you do need a passport to drive through Canada. There may be some special exception, but I’m not aware of it.
As far as costs goes, I’m sure there are ways to shave off quite a few expenses, but once again the winter will not be your friend. I’ve slept in the car, or camped many times to save money, but not when it’s 20 below zero. You might want to look into couchsurfing.
Food can get expensive on the trip, especially through Canada, expect to spend about 20% more on food than you normally would. Same is true on fuel. You will be spending about 40% more in Canada and in Alaska. If you plan on using all cash, wait until you are near one of the border towns and then hit a regular bank to exchange money. Most of them always have CAD on hand and it’s cheaper than exchanging at the border.
Good Luck – Let me know if you have any other questions.
do you know if mosquitos are a problem late aug., early sept.?
Yes! They get HUGE up there too. You might be OK in September, but AUG temps are definitely still warm enough for mosquitos.
I have slept many times in my suv. I have cooler and plenty of food to get from edmonton to alaska in maybe 4 days. Can I expect to drive until tired and then easily find a pull out off the alcan for the night?
Any Canadian laws against this?
Thanks
Hi Rich, Because the AlCan is a major trucking route, there are many pull outs and stop off areas for you to nap in. We did the same on a couple points and had no issue with it. As far as I am aware it’s completely legal. Cheers!
Drove once up from California to Alaska in 2001. Looking for the most scenic trip through Canada from Florida for another trip to move my friend up. We will be driving a U-Haul in early May and don’t want to take more than 12 days. Do you know the best place to enter Canada; North Dakota or Montana or should we go over to Washington?
IF you are coming up from Florida you can cross the border from Great Falls, Montana, which will bring you up through Calgary, AB or enter through Kalispell, MT and you can visit Banff National Park. Going over to Washington will take a lot of excess time and mileage.
Have a trip planned to Alaska in the summer of 2015. Have heard tails of needing a full set of tires. Are there camping areas, campgrounds along the way? What does a gallon of gas cost in Canada? Enjoyed all the comments and looking forward to more.
Hi Donna,
The Al-Can is a very gentle road compared to a couple decades ago. There was a time where you did need lots of tires, but at this point a good clean set of tires, and a good spare should be all you need. There are campgrounds and camping areas along the way along with motels, and motor inns. Right now gas is running about .95 CAD a litre which is about 3.60 a Gallon in Canadian Dollars. With the current exchange rate against the US that makes it roughly 2.90 a Gallon, which isn’t bad at all. Gas gets more costly as you go North though. so plan for that.
Hello. I am making a trip from Fairbanks, Alaska to Seattle, Washington and was wondering what are some of the best maps to use. Is Google map and mapquest good resources???
Hey Anthony,
I use Google Maps for the majority of my trip planning and have never had a problem.
We are leaving Idaho mid May and heading to Fairbanks. Do we need hotels reservations that time of year along the alcan?
Hey DJ,
You can expect some traffic in Mid-May for sure, I would make reservations ahead of time.
Cheers,
Kenin
My grandfather helped build the Al Can highway and I have the movies of some of what he did.
He was fortunate enough to be a foreman on the crew and made really good money for the times and purchased a movie camera and took footage of the camps, etc.
Some day it is one of my bucket list items to see if I can be in the same spot he was all these years later and also just be in awe of how it was built.
Mary,
That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing that with us. I hope you get to drive it some day, it truly is an incredible experience.
Hi, this trip looks amazing!
I am planning to do something like that next month.
How many weeks do I need to drive all the way up to Alaska and all the way down back again?
Hey Pauli,
It was a pretty amazing trip! Out total trip time was 59 days from Key West, FL to Deadhorse, AK and back to Miami, FL
Any problem with crossing the Canadian border to and from Alaska? And does Canada take US credit cards? We’re up for a far north trip 8/10/15 and on. Just camping and fishing gear to haul up to the Brooks Range. Thanks.
Hey Jon,
We haven’t had any border crossing issues at all on our short trips. Especially when you tell the border crossing that all you are doing is driving to AK and back. As far as the US credit card thing goes, yes, they do take US cards. Just check with your CC company to find out what the exchange rate/ international fee is. You might be better off getting cash before you cross over and then spending that, or looking into getting a credit card that doesn’t charge an exchange rate at all.
I am moving from Alaska to Illinois. I am thinking of making the drive in either October or November. My main concern is the roads. Will the roads be a problem this time of year. Thanks in advance.
Hey Lynne,
We drove the roads in October and they were fine, if you wait until November though, you are going to be dealing with a lot higher chance of snow.
We are planning to make this trip next June 2016 with another couple. Putting information together for camping. We are pulling a camping trailer to stay in. Sounds amazing.
We also are going to make a trip to Alaska in June of 2016 from Nevada. Will be driving a Class C motorhome pulling a little Fiat.
Plan a trip to the Yukon and Alaska in September. I have a valid Costa Rican drivers license and wonder, if I need an international one.
Hi Isolde,
Thanks for the comment. To be honest I’m not sure about the international drivers license. I did a bit of digging and I found this info for USA & Canada:
Canada: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/newcomers/after-transportation-driving.asp
USA/Alaska: http://doa.alaska.gov/dmv/akol/idp.htm
You may also want to check with the company who is renting you the car as they should be a good resource for this. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.
Always planned a trip up AlCan Hwy. Always had to put it off for the greater good of family. Running out of time as I am pushing late 60’s. Determined to go however in pick-up with truck camper fully self contained with generator.Would go in the spring. Planning to allot 4-6 weeks for trip from SE US.
Any advice. USAF retired? Thanks TM
Hey Thomas,
Sounds like you’ve got it covered if you’re running with a camper and a generator. Just remember that Spring is a relative term, so if you want warmer temps, look to go closer to the start of Summer.
My boyfriend and I are planning to drive up to AK from Arizona in the beginning of September, in an RV. Do you think it would be safe? At least in terms of ice and snow? Is there anything we should take in to account that we may not have already? Also, when would you suggest leaving AK? I was thinking that the end of September/beginning of October would be okay. What do you think?
Hi Melissa,
We did our trip in October/November and were ok with the snowfall that occurred while we were in Alaska. As a very general rule you should be out of Alaska by no later than Halloween if you want to avoid most of the snowfall on the Al-Can. However, the weather has been very unpredictable so it’s not unheard of to get good snowfall in September. With that being said, as far as safety is concerned it really depends on your experience as a driver with your RV since your from Arizona. If you have driven it in Winter conditions and have been comfortable, you should be ok. If it’s your first time, you may want to try visiting as early in the year as possible.
Thank you for the great article. My family and I are relocating to Fairbanks Alaska and I will be making this drive with our 10 year old. We will be leaving the end of September, so I’m praying it doesn’t get bad with the weather till mid October, once we’re safely tucked in. :)
I showed this to our son, he is in awe of the images you have shared. He is really looking forward to making this trip now. I can’t tell you enough how much having the hotels listed has helped me in planning out route, thank you again!!
So glad we helped and have your son excited about the trip! Be safe and let us know if you have any questions :)
What a great trip! Such an adventure! I have always wanted to move to Alaska for a year or two to explore the incredible nature and wildlife! I really love animals and I would love to see the goats, buffalos, wild horses, even the brown bears, but from a safe distance! Moving there is may be an extreme decision but I feel like a want to take a break from the busy life in London! Thanks for sharing your adventure! Greetings, Lori Barnes!
Did you ever worry about running out of gas? I’m traveling through canada on my way to my next duty station in fairbanks at the end of October. I’m wondering if you have any suggestions on what to carry add fear as equipment gas etc.?
Hey Tim,
We worried about Gas at a few points, but never got too low in the tank. It all really depends on your vehicle and mileage though. I can get 350 – 400 mils out of one tank in my car, so I have a general rule to fuel up ever time I have less than 1/2 a tank when in very rural areas. If you have a smaller tank, you can always carry an external gas can (5 gal should be the most you’d need) and fill up often.
As far as other equipment goes, you can check out our Essential Road Trip Gear List.
Great information, thank you. I’ve driven from Key West, FL to Portland, OR where I now live. I’ve been outfitting my Jeep Wrangler these past months to complete the journey to Alaska. Summer 2016 will be the year Woohoo!!
Any advice on taking my dog to Alaska and back to Portland?
Just make sure you travel with vet records that your pup is up-to-date on all necessary shots :) Hotels sometimes ask for the records as well. Safe travels!
Hi, My friend and I bought a ticket to travel from SF to Anchorage in November 21- 27 to spend thanksgiving in Alaska. We rented a car to be able to travel from Anchorage to Fairbanks as we heard the landscapes are amazing and we should see that but now we are not too sure if the plan that we made actually it is good since we do not know the Highway very well and we had never driven in a place with snow … Could you give us your opinion about driving in that Highway in the end of November or some tips? Do you think it can be safe ?
Hi Mariana,
Thanks for your comment and question. If you’ve never driven in the snow, I’m not sure if Alaska is the place to start. The highway between Anchorage and Fairbanks is well maintained and the views are absolutely gorgeous, there’s no doubt about that. However, you’d really have to play it by ear once you get into Alaska. If the weather holds up and it is clear, the drive can be easy and quite safe and beautiful as it takes you right by Denali and it’s worth making.
If you have a storm you’d want to avoid driving at all since you can go from a light snow to a whiteout pretty quickly and without the right level of experience that can get quite dangerous.There are also very few stops and even fewer drivers out there should you need help.
The key thing to remember here though is that the drive is over 6 hours each way, so you need to check the weather for the whole route for the whole day. You also need to consider what the weather might look like on your return day as you don’t want to get stuck in Fairbanks either.
If you DO make the drive, be safe and make sure your car is properly equipped, you have a good cell phone, and you pack a winter safety kit with water, food, and some blankets in case the car breaks down and you need to wait a while for a tow truck. Safe travels!
We are planning a trip to AK, August 2016, we will be driving a 40 foot diesel pusher with a 30 foot trailer with our PU and side by side. Is there plenty of diesel stations, and do the passes have any hairpin turns that would be a problem with such a long rig. We plan to make this approx. 2-3 month trip. Also I understand you can take a shotgun or rifle but no hand guns thru Canada. Jerry
Hey Jerry,
To be honest I’m not sure about the length of the vehicle as we made the trip in a small car. I can say that the ALCAN is the major trucking route through Canada to Alaska so you should have plenty of diesel and the route can handle semis pulling 53 ft trailers. As far as guns go, I have no clue. You’d want to check with Customs on that one.
If you must take your gun(s) ship them to an address in Alaska. Laws in Canada are very different than in the USA. They can confiscate not only the weapon but the vehicle used to transport them. Since 9/11 they have gotten even tougher.
Hi!
I am in the military and being stationed up in Fairbanks. We plan on driving at the beginning of Jan; jan 4th to be more exact. I wanted to know how the drive is, gas and rest stop wise since we have a 1 year old daughter. Also, we drive a jeep wrangler which uses a lot of Gas and was curious as to how far apart each gas station is. We plan on taking a couple gas cans just in case as well. Any advice helps!
Thank you!
Aury.
Hi Aury
The drive is lovely along the Al-Can and can be absolutely beautiful in the Winter. Make sure to keep a few things in mind as you plan the trip. Make sure to give yourself extra time as you will be driving slower than normal and you have to plan for a potential storm slowing you down or stopping you completely. Since you are traveling with a young child I’d make sure to pre-book all the accommodations before you go, as many hotels/motels are seasonal and will be closed over the Winter. Because the Al-Can is a trucking route the road is pretty well maintained and I don’t recall gas stations ever really being an issue. However whenever I am driving on an extremely rural route I do two things. 1. Bring an extra gas can and 2. Stop at every gas station and top off if I’m close to 1/2 a tank or know I’m heading into a highly rural stretch. It will make for more stops than usual, but it will ensure that you are always running with plenty of gas and cover you if the next station you see happens to be closed.
We’re planning on driving from Iowa to Alaska in our motorhome which requires 91 octane gasoline. How reliably available is this higher octane fuel through western Canada and in Alaska?
Hi John,
I don’t recall premium fuel ever being an issue during the drive along the Al-Can. If you’re very concerned about it you could always pick up a couple bottles of Octane booster (the racing fuel kind) to have just in case you end up at a fueling station that doesn’t have 91.
Hi!! I was wondering on average how much this trip cost you. I was planning on doing the trip but tenting it the whole time, so i know that would cut hotel costs down. But mostly gas is the concern. Also do you think eight days is reasonable to make it from Dawson Creek to Delta Junction and back?? I plan to make the trip late May 2017 and figured it would be best to start some basic planning now.
Hi Keyana,
The trip from Dawson Creek to Delta Junction is about 30 hours of driving each way, so if you take that 60 hours and divide it across 8 days it’s about 7.5 hours of driving each day. That won’t leave a ton of time for sightseeing or other activities once you factor in stopping for food, breaks, and fuel. As far as cost goes, that’s really hard to answer as there are too many factors that are dependent on specific circumstances. If fuel cost is your major concern you should know that the round trip is about 2750 miles, so you’d want to take that and divide it against the fuel economy of your vehicle and then multiply it by the current gas price. Just keep in mind that as you travel further North fuel gets a lot more costly. If you want to get a good idea of the price of gas, check out an online tool like Gas Buddy.
Hi Folks,
I’m Planning a trip to Alaska (see below) and am seeking a travel companion. Thanks for any insight you wish to give AND your insightful post here. Blessings, Marty
Start and end date are somewhat flexible but the plan is to leave Cheyenne Wyoming ABOUT MAY 16th and Return to same SEPTEMBER sometime. It will also be an easy going road trip with stops along the way to meet up with others but also stops “As we travel.” I can host 1 person in the van with me but they must have their own tent with all the amenities for themselves, passport for Canada and driver’s license. We will share fuel costs. I Plan on spending at least 1 month in Alaska. It’s an old van (runs great!) so a contingency plan will be needed in case of total breakdown (I will probably fly to Alaska or back or ???). More information to come as people respond.
Great description of your trip!! We will be driving from Fairbanks to Beaver Creek, YK in April. Hardly the drove you made but I want to go to the Yukon. Any suggestions on the drive? What to expect in terms of rest areas, restaurants, gas stations?
Hi Marina,
The drive from Fairbanks to Beaver Creek isn’t too long as it’s just under 6 hours. I don’t know how the weather will treat you at that time since April can be pretty spotty. You have nothing to worry about with Gas as you’ll go through both Delta Junction and Tok along the way, which both have several gas stations and restaurants. If you like diners check out Fast Eddy’s in Tok. We’ve eaten there a couple of times and the food was pretty satisfying. Have a great trip!
I will be leaving md in the middle of May to go on a road trip to burbanks Alaska how long do you think it will take us to drive one way we drive eight hour shifts n how much do you think it will be in fuel I have a 2007 Ford pick-up diesel 4×4 four door I’ll be sleeping in the back seat it’s set up like my sleeper on my tractor trailer thank you so much we can’t wait until we leave for the journey
Hey Max,
Sounds like an awesome trip! It’s hard to estimate time and fuel expenses as it depends on your specific route and gas prices vary quite a bit from state to state. Also, it’s quite dependent on knowing what kind of gas mileage you’re getting from your vehicle. I can tell you that from Baltimore to Fairbanks it’s about 70 – 75 hours of driving and it’ll cover 4200 or so miles. With that you should be able to figure a rough estimate of the cost. As far as time goes, you’d be looking at about 9 days of driving if you pull 8 hours a day of actual driving time.
i found this info very helpful-4 adults and a dog planning travels in july 2o16
Hello,
I am traveling from Aspen, Colorado up through Alberta (Banff Jasper) then over through BC to Prince Rupert, and then taking a ferry to Alaska for a few days.
Anyways, I plan on traveling with a pet and we plan to go end of May-June. We also are planning to camp a majority of the way there.
Did you do any camping with your pets along the way? Do you know of anyone who did the ferry route to the coastal region of Alaska?
Thank you!
Hey Mercedes,
Thanks for the comment. Unfortunately we don’t have any experience camping through this area with our pets nor have we taken the ferry before. Hopefully one of our readers has and will be able to give you more info :-)
Hello,
I will be traveling from Anchorage to Seattle, WA, I was just wondering how to road conditions are around April/May? and will 2 weeks of driving be good enough? I plan on driving with a friend.
Thank You.
Hey John,
That all really depends on the route you take. If you are taking the AlCan it should be relatively clear as it’s used as a trucking route and is relatively well maintained. If you are planning on going South along the coast using HWY 37 (aka The Cassiar Highway ) the weather can be a bit more of an issue as it’s a more rural route and isn’t maintained for trucking. Either way 2 weeks should be plenty of time to cover that distance.
Hey there! My boyfriend and I will be working in Denali for the summer season and will be driving up end of April from Southern Cali!! Will we need snow chains? Also, do you think just under 2 weeks is enough time to take a semi-leisurely journey with a coupe of stops in certain towns? We plan on doing 8 hours of driving a day with the exception of more or less depending on our stops and such. Do you find that hotels and motels are more than $100 per night? Still worried about budgeting that. Thank you for your shared experience! Cheers!
I plan on moving from Michigan to Anchorage, Alaska for a job. A gal I talked to on the phone brought up that roads might be closed, as I plan on driving. I’m not sure yet when I’ll be leaving but I’m thinking in April sometime. How might the roads be? Thanks!
Hi,
Me and my family and two dogs are driving from Anchorage to San Jose, CA in July and wanted to know what to bring with us for the drive. I already got everything for our dogs taken care of, but needed to know how many gas cans can we have, and do you think its possible to drive straight to Seattle without stopping? An also how much money do we need to bring.
Hi Ariel,
If you take the drive along the West Coast (via HWY 37 which is the most direct route) you’re looking at a 43 hour drive (not counting any stops) If you go around and take the Al-Can and then cut over to BC you’d be looking at a minimum of 45 hours. Because of this, it’s not possible to do it in one shot unless you rotate multiple drivers and even then I wouldn’t recommend even trying to drive that route at night as there is a lot of wildlife out there. As far as gas cans and cost goes, I can’t really answer that as it depends on your vehicle and its gas mileage. I can say that there are plenty of gas stations on either route that are open in July, so in most cases you’d only need a gas can as a precautionary measure.
will be leaving Oroville, WA June 1 for Fairbanks. Everyone talks about the Al-Can but I’m not sure of the route from Oroville to Dawson Creek. Would that be #1 to 97 to Prince George and on to Dawson Creek. Okay from there as I have the Milepost from Dawson Creek. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Have been to Anchorage numerous times but only by air. This is fulfilling our bucket list.
Hi Jo,
Yes, you can take 97 to Prince George and then you have 2 choices. You can either head NE and go over to Dawson Creek and then pick-up the Al-Can there, or you can head NW on 16 and then connect to HWY 37 (The Cassiar HWY) and head towards Alaska that way.
We are leaving Southeast Texas June 19th (2 adults & 2 small dogs). We were thinking of tent camping some of the trip, staying in motels the rest of the time until reaching Fairbanks. but I am worried about bears & possible mosquitos. Also, if the temp drops too low at night my chichauahs cannot handle cold well. Any suggestions are appreciated?
Hello Bassart Family. I so enjoyed reading about your trip on the Al-Can Highway. In 1978 my husband and I drove down the highway from Anchorage to California. It was an amazing trip. Sometimes when I talk about it, all the wildlife we saw and the beautiful scenery, I think people don’t really believe it is so magnificent. In those days it was still mostly gravel roads which were quite challenging. Would love to make the trip again. Thanks for sharing your trip and especially all of the good tips.
Love the report! Thanks so much for sharing and for replying to so many questions in the comments section! We plan on taking our own Great Alaska Road trip in August-October 2017. We’ll start in California (probably San Francisco) and drive back south probably to Vegas (we’re flying in from and back to Israel where we live). The idea is to go up the Stewart-Cassiar HWY, tour Alaska and then drive back via the Alcan.
My question is when exactly did you make your trip? You mentioned mid-Fall. Was that October? I plan to be at Dawson Creek (end of the Alcan for us) by late September. I really prefer driving in snow or on icy roads.
Thanks in advance!
Hi Anne,
Thanks! For this specific trip we were on the Al-Can during early/mid-October, and then drove South from Alaska down the Cassiar the first week of November.
Did your cell phones work in Canada? Did you have to get an international program? How reliable was service? (I have Verizon)
Hi Gabi,
If you have roaming on your plan you can use your phone in Canada but it can get very costly. We personally use T-Mobile as they offer a plan that gives us coverage cross all of North America for a single flat price. You can check out the plan here.
Everything you have written is SO informative! I lived in AK about 25 years ago and am about to move back up there next month. I find it will be MUCH cheaper to drive (and haul some of my stuff) as my car gets over 40mpg. Last time we were there we had the car shipped (military). I will be coming from Seattle, looking to do the trip to Anchorage in 6-7 days. My question is this – what are the best sources to check for road conditions ahead of time? I will be making the trip the week of Thanksgiving. Thanks!
Hey Cheryl,
You can check the conditions for each province/state on their sites below:
BC: http://www.drivebc.ca
Yukon: http://www.511yukon.ca
Alaska: 511.alaska.gov
Have a great trip!
Hi Kevin,
I greatly appreciate your time and dedication to these responses. I’ve driven the AlCan once,but this time I need to find motels to stay in with our family cat.I’m traveling from AK to MT via the milepost itinerary #4. That is the cassiar and yellowhead highways to east access.Can you please suggest some budget and pet friendly motels? Thank you in advance.
We will be making this trip from Texas in the spring, moving to Seward.
Ant tips and suggestions would be greatly appreciative.
thanks
Chris
A long journey of travel I very enoyed browsing this site.
About how much did it cost you to travel there? My husband and i are moving i 4 weeks to anchorage alaska from chicago illinois. And ic noticed everyone has a different situation and travel cost.
To be honest I’m not sure. We took a road trip from Key West, FL to Alaska and back, so we didn’t track costs for just one part of the trip.