Alaska Highway

The Alaska Highway was the engineering marvel of World War II and has often been described as the largest and most difficult construction project since the Panama Canal. The building of the highway took unprecedented cooperation between the Canadian and United States governments to make the construction possible. In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt lobbied Canadian Prime Minister Machenzie King for a highway connecting Canada and Alaska to help shore up military defenses on the west coast. It wasn’t until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that both nations agreed on the importance of such a road and quickly put the wheels in motion to build the road.

The United States Army approved a plan for the construction of the Alaska Highway on February 6, 1942 and received Congressional approval only five days later. Canada agreed to the construction if the United States would bear the cost and that the road be turned over to Canadian authority at the conclusion of the war. Less than a month later on March 1, 1942 construction began on the Alaska Highway. More than 11,000 soldiers and engineers, 16,000 civilians, and 7,000 pieces of equipment were put to work building the 1,500-mile highway through the vast wilderness of northern Canada and Alaska. In less than nine months the Alaska Highway opened on November 20, 1942. The final cost of the construction project was $140 million, making it the most expensive construction project of World War II.

Today, the Alaska Highway is a 1,382-mile road that connects Dawson Creek, British Columbia to Delta Junction, Alaska. It is a mostly paved or chip sealed highway, which is open year-round and passes through the rugged northern landscape of British Columbia, Yukon Territory, and Alaska. The highway is often referred to as the Alcan Highway, which came from shortening “Alaska and Canada Highway.” Although the highway passes through the same scenery as the 1942 version, little remains of the original road and it has been shortened slightly over the years during reconstruction efforts. Following the war effort, the highway was marked with mileposts (now kilometer posts in Canada) and many of the towns and lodges along the way became known by their milepost number.

Dawson Creek, British Columbia – Mile 0

Dawson Creek is “Mile 0” of the Alaska Highway and this community of 12,000 people welcomes over 300,000 travelers of the historic route annually. Named after George Mercer Dawson who was an eminent geologist who explored this region in 1875, the community was one of many farming communities established by European-Canadian settlers moving into Western Canada. The Canadian government began issuing homestead grants to settlers in 1912 and the pace of migration increased. With the opening of a few stores and hotels in 1919 along with the incorporation of the Dawson Creek Cooperative Union in 1921, it became the dominant business center in the area. The Northern Alberta Railway built its western terminus in Dawson Creek in 1930 and the construction of grain elevators attracted more settlers to the area which incorporated as a village in 1936.

As a railhead, Dawson Creek was an important staging area for supplies and equipment of the Alaska Highway in 1942. Prior to the start of construction, some 600 carloads arrived in Dawson Creek in preparation for the construction project. By the completion of the Alaska Highway nine months later, a total of 4,720 carloads of equipment had arrived in Dawson Creek for dispersal to troops and engineers to the north. Once the Alaska Highway opened to the public in 1948, Dawson Creek expanded as both a distribution center and tourist destination. Today, Dawson Creek is an important launching point for many traveling the Alaska Highway and the local tourism board really taps the town’s claim as “Mile 0”.

Fort Nelson, British Columbia – Mile 283

Fort Nelson was established in 1805 as a Hudson Bay Company trading post and named after Admiral Horatio Nelson of the British Navy. It remained a small outpost until the U.S. Army arrived in 1942 during construction of the Alaska Highway. The soldiers named Fort Nelson “Zero” because on their maps it was the starting point of the highway they were building. It wasn’t until the Alaska Highway extended to Dawson City, about 283 miles to the southeast that Dawson Creek officially became “Mile 0”.

The Alaska Highway out of Dawson Creek is an excellent two-lane highway that passes through some beautiful farm land and there is quite a bit of traffic through the communities of Taylor and Fort St. John. Once you pass Charlie Lake, the landscape changes abruptly with dense forests of evergreens on both sides of the highway. Although there are a few small communities along the way, this stretch of the Alaska Highway is sparsely populated with the only signs of civilization being several natural gas drilling operations and logging activity. The highway crosses several rivers along the way with the Kiskatinaw River being the largest. Unfortunately, the historic Kiskatinaw River Bridge built by the U.S. Army in 1942 was closed so I couldn’t take that side trip.

I found the 4.5-hour drive to Fort Nelson to be quite easy. The highway is mostly flat, straight, and in excellent condition. The only concern is the enormous number of bugs that collide with your radiator and windshield! The economy of Fort Nelson has always been forestry, oil, and natural gas but tourism has become a very important part of the local economy as it has become a major transportation hub and gateway to the Northern Rockies Region. I stayed overnight in Fort Nelson at the Triple “G” Hideaway Campground which is right off the Alaska Highway and it was full of Alcan travelers like myself.

Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park – Mile 478

The drive from Fort Nelson to Liard River Hot Springs was a lot more scenic than my first day of driving. This stretch of the Alaska Highway is mountainous as the highway crosses over the Northern Rocky Mountains. I would describe it as easy mountain driving as there aren’t really switchbacks, but there are a few steep grades to climb and descend. The drive wasn’t as scenic as in previous years due to a wildfire that burned through the area between Steamboat and Toad River within the past few weeks. There were even some crews in the area still putting out some hot spots. However, there were still spectacular views from Summit Mountain of the valley and rivers below.

The highlight the drive was the last hour when I made my way out of the mountains and the Alaska Highway runs along gorgeous Muncho Lake. In the Kaka language, “Muncho” means “big lake” which is appropriate because, at 7.5 miles long and 1 mile wide, Muncho Lake is one of the largest lakes in the Canadian Rockies. The lake’s gorgeous deep green and blue waters is attributed to the copper oxide which leaches into the lake from the surrounding mountains. The lake drains the Sentinel Range to the east and the Terminal Range to the west, feeding the raging Trout River which has many rapids as it drops 1,000 feet to the mighty Liard River.

This stretch of the Alaska Highway heading west out of Fort Nelson towards Watson Lake is known for wildlife sightings along the road. In fact, just out of Fort Nelson there were numerous signs cautioning motorists to be alert for bison walking along the road. Although I didn’t see any bison, I did spot several caribou including a bull and a cow with a calf. I also spotted two black bears foraging along the road including a very healthy-looking bear near the Liard River.

Liard River Hot Springs have attracted people from the Aboriginal Peoples to fur traders to gold prospectors. When the U.S. Army passed through this part of northern British Columbia in 1942 during the construction of the Alaska Highway, they were the first to construct a boardwalk and pool facilities. The Liard River Hot Springs are somewhat unique because instead of flowing into a creek or river, the hot springs drain into a series of swamps creating a unique habitat. The result is a wetland that doesn’t freeze even in the heart of winter when it is thirty below. The warm micro-climate influences wetland vegetation, including carnivorous plants, chara algae, and ferns. There are even delicate orchids which grow on islands of tufa as seen at the Hanging Garden.

The hot springs located at Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park are open year-round to guests staying in the campground or for day users passing through the area. After passing through the electric wildlife fence that protects the campground from the bear population, a short 10-minute walk on the boardwalk takes you across the warm wetlands to the actual hot springs’ pools. At the pools you will find a nice deck with ample seating, changing facilities, and good stairs that lead down to two separate pools. The upper or “alpha” pool is hot for this is where the natural hot spring drains into on the far end. The floor of the pool is comfortable pea gravel and you can move around the pool to find varying temperatures due to the numerous cool water sources that trickle into the pool. The lower pool is more like bath water and very comfortable to wade in for extended periods. This pool flows into a creek which drains into the wetlands and bathers can follow this creek’s path, but the water cools considerably the further you go from the source. I found myself alternating between the two pools to regulate my temperature, but I found the lower pool more comfortable. The hot springs water does have a slight sulphury smell to it which remains on your skin after you dry off; maybe it will keep the mosquitoes away!

Watson Lake, Yukon Territory – Mile 613

The drive from Liard River Hot Springs to Watson Lake was an easy trip of about 136 miles crossing the British Columbia and Yukon Territory border a total of six times. The road conditions were once again excellent on this stretch of the Alaska Highway which follows the path of the mighty Liard River for long stretches. Immediately after leaving Liard River Hot Springs, I encountered my first of many herds of wood bison. They are a distinct northern subspecies of the American bison and their original range included much of the boreal forest regions of Alaska and western Canada. The herds appeared to have about 50 bison in them including many cows with new spring calves. Motorist have to exercise caution driving on the highway with bison because they are right along the edge of the road and often, as I encountered, cross the road when they desire.

Originally known as Fish Lake, the town of Watson Lake was renamed after Frank Watson who was a gold prospector who moved here in 1898 from Tahoe City, California. Watson Lake was an important point during the construction of the Alaska Highway in 1942. The airport, built in 1941, was one of the major refueling stops along the Northwest Staging Route which brought war supplies to Alaska by air and nearly 8,000 lend-lease aircraft to Russia during World War II. The Alaska Highway helped bring both people and commerce to this once isolated settlement. Today, Watson Lake’s economy is based on mining exploration and tourism.

The Watson Lake Sign Post Forest was started by a U.S. Army soldier in Company D, 341^st Engineers by the name of Carl K. Lindley. While working on the Alaska Highway in 1942, Lindley was homesick for his hometown of Danville, Illinois so he added a sign pointing to it with the distance. Lindley’s original sign was lost over the years, but in 1992 the community of Watson Lake had him back to dedicate the Sign Post Forest and repost his Danville sign. Today, there are over 90,000 signs in the Sign Post Forest and travelers are encouraged to add their own signs as the make their way along the Alaska Highway.

Whitehorse, Yukon Territory – Mile 887

The 274-mile stretch of the Alaska Highway from Watson Lake to Whitehorse offers some spectacular scenery with snow capped mountains, ragging rivers, and crystal blue lakes. The highway remains easy driving, but this stretch was notably rougher with some sections that were sealed gravel and there is the occasional orange flag indicating bumps in the roadway. About halfway on my drive to Whitehorse I could see two animals in the distance along the side of the highway. As I got closer and slowed down, I could see that they were two bears on opposite sides of the road. I was forced to stop as the one bear leisurely strolled across the highway to join his pal on the other side! It was a great Alaska Highway moment.

Between Watson Lake and Whitehorse situated on the confluence of the Nisutlin River and Teslin Lake is the village of Teslin which is the largest First Nation communities in Yukon. The community’s livelihood still revolves around traditional hunting, trapping, and fishing. George Johnson was a Tlingit elder who led a remarkable life in Teslin as a renowned photographer, innovator, and entrepreneur. A museum in the village celebrates his life and documents the early Tlingit community. Also at the museum is the site of one of the last remaining radio navigation stations in the Yukon that helped guide aircraft along the Northwest Staging Route during World War II.

Whitehorse is the capital of the Yukon Territory and over two-thirds of the Yukon’s residents live in Whitehorse, which has a year-round population of about 34,000. In the late 1800s the wilderness on the east side of the Yukon River gave way to two settlements of cabins: Closeleigh near the present side of Whitehorse and Canyon City five miles upriver. On June 8, 1900 the White Pass & Yukon Railway from Skagway, Alaska was completed on the west side of the river and Closeleigh was moved to the present town site and renamed Whitehorse. The name was derived from the rapids of the Yukon River where the frothing water looked like the manes of white horses.

During the height of the Klondike Gold Rush, this once sparsely populated tent-and-cabin city became a boom town as a terminal for freight being transferred from the railway to riverboat for shipment up the Yukon River to Dawson City. For over 50 years, Whitehorse continued in this vital role. The second great population surge came with the construction of the Alaska Highway in 1942. During the nine months of construction, the population of Whitehorse swelled from 500 to 8,000.  After the war, Whitehorse maintained its importance as a transportation and communication center for the Yukon. Today, Whitehorse’s economy is based on tourism, government services, and mining.

The S.S. Klondike was built in 1929 for the British Yukon Navigation Company and was the largest vessel on the Yukon River. This old stern-wheeler had a cargo capacity of 300 tons and was designed to carry mail, general supplies, passengers, and silver lead ore along the 460-mile route on the Yukon River between Whitehorse and Dawson City. The S.S. Klondike ran aground in 1936 at the confluence of the Teslin and Yukon rivers. Salvaged parts were used to construct a replacement ship, the S.S. Klondike II, which was identical to the original vessel. Today, the S.S. Klondike sits along the Yukon River in Whitehorse where it is open to the public as a National Historic Site. Unfortunately, I couldn’t tour the ship because Parks Canada is in the middle of a multi-year restoration project.

Haines Junction, Yukon Territory – Mile 985

The drive from Whitehorse to Haines Junction was a short distance of only about 100 miles. The road conditions remained good with the occasional dip in the road. Gorgeous scenery continued to be around every turn, but I didn’t see any wildlife on this stretch of the Alaska Highway. While in Haines Junction, I stayed at Pine Lake which is a beautiful campground in the shadows of the Kluane and St. Elias Mountains. The lake is crystal clear and this Yukon provincial park is a very popular spot for camping, swimming, paddling, and fishing.

Haines Junction was founded as a construction camp in 1942 when the Alaska Highway reached this remote western corner of Yukon near Kluane Lake. It has evolved into a small community of about 600 residents that caters to travelers along the Alaska Highway and visitors to nearby Kluane National Park and Reserve. The Haines Highway branches off the Alaska Highway here heading south towards Haines, Alaska. This 150-mile drive to Haines is considered to be some of the most scenic highway in North America.

Tok, Alaska – Mile 1,280

The 295-mile drive from Haines Junction, Yukon to Tok, Alaska was some of the hardest driving on the Alaska Highway. The highway leaves Haines Junction and makes it way west with snowcapped mountains in the background. The drive around the beautiful Kluane Lake is easy and passes within sight of Soldier’s Summit where in November 1942 the Alaska Highway was dedicated in a ribbon cutting ceremony. Once you pass Destruction Bay, the highway becomes very rough as it makes its way over some of the tallest mountains in Canada. The terrain in this part of the Yukon is permafrost and that plays havoc with the roadway. At least half the highway until the United States border is gravel, and the paved parts are extremely bumpy from frost heaving. Travel on this last part of the Alaska Highway in the Yukon Territory is slow going and really dusty.

After surviving this rough stretch of the Alaska Highway, I arrived at the United States border where the agriculture inspector confiscated my chicken and eggs. It was exciting to finally arrive in Alaska which is my last state to visit: I’ve now been to all fifty. My first stop in Alaska was the community of Tok whose name is derived from an Athabascan word meaning “water”. The modern community began as an Alaska Road Commission Camp built for the construction and maintenance of the Alaska Highway. Tok is home to about 1,300 residents and it is also known as the “Sled Dog Capital of Alaska” because of all the kennels in town. Since 1954, Tok hosts the Race of Champions which is one of the premier sprint sled dog races in North America. While in Tok, I stayed at the Tok RV Village which was conveniently located right off of the Alaska Highway and had an RV wash for me to blast off a week’s worth of bugs on the front of Rosie.

Delta Junction, Alaska – Mile 1,382

Delta Junction marks the true end of the Alaska Highway. The 100-mile drive from Tok is fairly easy but, due to overcast skies and smoke from a wildfire, there wasn’t much scenery to been seen. The Visitor Center at Delta Junction has a large commemorative milepost to signify the traditional end of the Alaska Highway at Mile 1,422 (the modern highway is shorter by 40 miles). Inside they sell all kinds of souvenirs and you can get a certificate to commemorate your successful completion of one of the world’s great road trips.

At Delta Junction, the Alaska Highway intersects with the Richardson Highway that traverses the state north to Fairbanks and then south to Valdez. Today, I traveled north on the Richardson Highway another 100 miles for a five-night stay in Fairbanks. Later on, I will be traveling north on the same highway from Valdez to make my way back to Tok on my way to Haines. My journey on the Alaska Highway was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I really enjoyed the remote driving into the wilderness of British Columbia and Yukon seeing parts of North America that few people get to experience. The vast, untamed, and breathtaking wilderness is what I will remember from my trip on the Alaska Highway.