Top of the World Highway-Dawson City, Yukon

[ShallowGal]

"You must drive the Top of the World Highway," they said. "The views are spectacular," they said.

 

THIS is what we saw for 100 miles.

 

[Mike and Carol]

I always wondered what it looked like at the top of the world!

[SeaDawg]

“You must drive the Top of the World Highway,” they said. “The views are spectacular,” they said.

 

THIS is what we saw for 100 miles.

 

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Whew. I'm just glad you made it across ok in that wet, muddy weather. The shoulders become quite soft, and can give way in spots.

"They" should advise people to travel Top of the World in dry weather. Last year, we met a couple with a class a who moved over for an oncoming rig, a d the road caved. They were in mud up to the bottom if the padsenger seat. Tow truck had to come from Tok, cost thousands. A few thousand more to just get their rv driveable. All told, about $70 a mile for their trip, a d they still had repairs to be done when they got home.

 

Are you in Dawson City now? I really recommend the YT govermnent Yukon River campground. If you can snag one of the riverside campsites, it's especially nice. We camped there last year for a few days, waiting for the highway to dry out a bit after a rainy spell.

 

Sherry

[topgun2]

Nice!  That makes Blodgett Camp look like the Garden of Eden.

 

Bill

[GaryJona]

Sorry you have such bad weather we checked for rain etc before we went since you can do it on the way up or back same difference. We had a great time in Dawson and my wife liked Chicken as well just don't rush it and wait a day or so and usually the weather will change but I heard it was a ruff year for fires by Steve. I post a few pic's so you can see better. Great trip get in the Ollie and go just like the Maritimes and New Foundland lots to see and do. Thanks Gary

 

 

Pic of a Black bear along the road, Old Gold Dredge they are huge, little old town of Chicken Alaska for lunch, Panning for gold on the old Klondike claim the city owns it so travelers can stop and try their luck, and last a pic of the top of the world Highway breathtaking as is the alaskan trip. Enjoy and travel safe. Thanks Gary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[John E Davies]

Cool dredge, those are very interesting, huge machines but they sure did devastate the stream valleys.

 

 

Can you go inside and poke around? What kind of shape is it in? There are a couple of dredges around here, the one in NE Oregon is fun but kind of decaying.

 

That area in Canada is on my bucket list.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[bugeyedriver]

Timing is EVERYTHING . . .

 

 

[ShallowGal]

Whew, glad I heard about that soft shoulder incident afterward. Amazingly, we did check the weather & hung out an extra day in Dawson. "They" said 20% chance of rain late afternoon.  The ferry ride was beautiful & then we climbed the mountain. Hahaha. Fortunately there was very little traffic. We had a late lunch in Chicken & stayed at the YT campground in Tok, which is lovely. There was only one other camper when we got there. The entire trip we've arrived to half empty State/Provincial campgrounds & had our pick of beautiful sites. Tonight we're at the municipal campground in Fairbanks. Partly cloudy, faint smell of smoke, "They" say it's supposed to be nicer tomorrow ...

 

Pete, Bosker has connections the rest of us don't have.

 

[bugeyedriver]

...Pete, Bosker has connections the rest of us don’t have...

 

Indeed he does. I'm fortunate to have him as my traveling buddy.

[SeaDawg]

Chris, Chena river rec is a beautiful campground south of fairbanks, maybe 15 miles?. Coe and burrough cooperative project. 15 or 20 a night. Big sites, a number of pullouts. Beautiful treed sites, some on the river, lovely open grass at the entance when you're craving sunlight and acplace to run with the dog.

 

Which way are you heading next? Fairbanks is a really nice small city, and good shopping without Anchorage city sales tax.

 

If you're thinking about getting that " must have" photo at the arctic circle, I'd leave the trailer behind in Fairbanks or Fox, and drive up and back on the same day. There is indeed a campground near the sign, but it's buggy as all getout, pretty much empty ( probably for that reason), and that road is even worse than top of the world if it's wet... we got caught in a rainstorm, and it wasn't a bit of fun. The road is constantly under construction/deconstruction, chewing up the old pavement and packing it down.

The wooden plank bridge over the river is interesting, but quite safe.

 

Fox is home to Silver Gulch brewery. The restaurant there has been very good in our several visits. There's a pipeline observation pullout near Fox, northbound. It's interesting, but one of those spots also frequented by the tour buses. They only stay ten minutes or so, just wait them out ..

 

You guys are veteran Alaska travelers now...

Congratulations.

Sherry

 

[SeaDawg]

John Davies, We didn't tour the chicken dredge, but you can ( or could) tour #4 dredge outside Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory. It is, indeed, very interesting.

Sherry

 

 

 

 

[John E Davies]

Sherry, have you driven the Dempster Hwy in YT/ NWT ? I thought about the Dalton, but all the darned trucks and the ugly industrial oilfield mess at the very end have zero appeal to me. The Dempster is lightly travelled with minimal trucks, and though longer, it seems as if that would be a better choice for a ramble to the very northern part of the Arctic through stunning scenery.

 

https://offtracktravel.ca/driving-the-dempster-highway-to-the-arctic-circle-canada/

 

Would you even consider towing your Ollie? 900 miles of gravel would be a true test of suspension and tires. I would love to do it in my Land Cruiser but have serious reservations about towing ”Mouse” the entire length.... is there a good place around Dawson City where it could be securely parked for three days?

 

Inuvik at the far end actually looks like a real town, not a dump, in this cool winter video.... 

 

But I suppose snow hides a lot of ugly stuff. A winter trip would be invigorating, but I am not used to the frigid temps and would not like to die beside some remote shoulder of the road.....

 

Thanks,

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[SeaDawg]

John,

Though we try different routes each time, still catching up with family and friends along the way, we have yet to drive the Dempster. If we did, I'd leave my trailer in Dawson, or at yukon river park, and sleep in the truck. From what I have heard from conversation, that road, past eagle, can be a real tire shredder. I'll deal with four tires... not more.

Up to tombstone, in decent weather is easy... so i hear. People I have met drove up and back, in passenger cars.

Maybe someday. As we've driven most roads, already .

My favorite Alaska roads are the fifty miles of the Richardson highway, approaching valdez. Those 50 miles are some of America's best views, imo. Lots of great pullouts for overnights. Especially, the 1890something gold rush pass lookout . In clear days, it's just amazing. On crappy days, it's just clouds and gray. And sometimes, snow, early season. . Timing's everything .

 

Second is the gravel denali highway. Only 100 miles or so, but worth a night or two, if you have the time, and tankage. Lots of beautiful pullout spots to camp.

 

We spend a disproportionate time of our trip each year in the relatively empty Yukon, and almost as empty northern bc. We find the Canadian roads to be better, gas is of course higher, but the camping experience is amazing.

Sherry

[SeaDawg]

No one asked, but I'll add this.

We normally leave indiana around may 15. We try to leave Anchorage by late june. Even then, we are sometimes dealing with forest fire smoke.

We deal with closed campgrounds, partial openings, etc. I'd rather be cold, than deal with bugs and fires.

[John E Davies]

Interesting article on the brand new “Road to Tuk”

 

https://expeditionportal.com/the-new-road-to-tuk/

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[SeaDawg]

Thanks, John. That was a great read.

So, ready to take that drive?