Length of stay: 4 days
Visited: August 2023
The Alaska Highway was constructed in 1942 to connect the contiguous United States with Alaska to provide defence support during World War II. It was initially 2,700km in length, but has been improved and paved over the years and currently stretches 2,232km. The highway starts in Dawson Creek, British Columbia and ends in Delta Junction, Alaska. It is considered one of the most scenic drives in North America and provides plenty of opportunities to enjoy the wilderness and wildlife.
Day 1: Start of the Alaska Highway
Our game plan was to fly into Edmonton and drive just over two-thirds of the Alaska Highway from Dawson Creek, British Columbia to just north of Haines Junction, Yukon and back again, while making a few other excursions along the way.
We arrived in Edmonton in the early afternoon. Even though our flight was a bit delayed, we didn’t mind so much as our seats were upgraded. We were moved to the front of the plane so we had extra leg room and comfier seats. We also had priority boarding. But best of all, we received a complimentary lunch, appetizer, and premium drinks. Not a bad way to start our vacation.
We picked up our rental car, or rather our rental SUV. We decided to splurge for something bigger to fit our extra luggage. While we typically cram all our camping gear into one suitcase, this time we spared no expense for comfort and checked in a second suitcase. Plus we figured it might be nice to have extra space in case we needed to sleep in our vehicle overnight for whatever reason.
We picked up some groceries and supplies in the city and then hit the road. We were eager to leave Edmonton given the poor air quality from all the recent wildfires. From there we had about a six hour drive to reach Dawson Creek, which is where we’d be spending the night. It also marks the start of the Alaska Highway. By the time we arrived in Dawson Creek, it was just before 8pm and the sun was just starting to set in the hazy sky.
Day 2: Dawson Creek to Muncho Lake
The air quality got much worse overnight and we awoke to even hazier skies and a smoky smell outside. Good thing we’d mostly be in the car today as we had a long distance to cover to get to Muncho Lake Provincial Park (692km). We left our hotel just after 8:30am.
The first portion of the drive was rather uneventful. After passing through Fort Nelson, the last major town until Watson Lake, the rolling hills and farmlands gave way to the mountains. This is where it started to get scenic. The vegetation was just starting to change colour, which looked very picturesque in contrast to all the greenery. Thankfully, the smoky skies also faded away revealing some blue skies and sunshine.
We were initially going to camp at Stone Lake Provincial Park, but there was an advisory about a grizzly bear spotted in the campground and hiking trails, with one of the trails being closed for the remainder of the season “due to the presence of bears exhibiting problematic behaviour”. Were one of these bears the same as the one spotted in the campground!? No idea, but we weren’t going to stick around and find out. Instead we decided to drive another hour and a half to reach Muncho Lake Provincial Park where there were no bear warnings in effect.
This portion of the drive was by far the most scenic with towering mountains on either side of the highway. We also got our first glimpse of some of the wildlife commonly found in the area, including black bears, thinhorn sheep and caribou.
There are two small campgrounds at Muncho Lake, Strawberry Flats and MacDonald, where most of the sites are first come, first served. Both campgrounds were full by the time we rolled in, which was just before 6pm. We contemplated continuing onwards, but it was getting late in the day and we were getting hungry and tired. Instead we decided to just wild camp along the shore of Muncho Lake and found a somewhat secluded spot in the trees. We made dinner by the water, then went for a short walk along the pebbly beach to stretch our legs and enjoy the remaining warmth from the sun.
As soon as the sun dipped below the mountains, it started to cool down. We moved our suitcases to the front of the car and folded down the back seats. It was surprisingly quite spacious enough for us to fit our sleeping pads back there. We ended up going to bed pretty early as tomorrow would be another long day of driving.
Day 3: Muncho Lake to Teslin Lake
We surprisingly slept pretty well. After making breakfast, we rearranged our car and got ready to hit the road again. Even though we had another long day of driving to reach Teslin Lake (546km), we planned to make some detours along the way. The first one was just over an hour away at Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park. The hot springs here are the second largest known thermal complex in Canada.
The park is open year-round, contains a campground that’s fully enclosed with an electric fence, and provides access to the hot springs. From the day-use parking lot, there’s a boardwalk through the swamp and boreal forest that leads to the Alpha pool, the main hot spring that’s open to the public. It’s about a 10 minute walk to get to the change rooms and hot spring.
We changed into our swimsuits. It was a bit chilly outside (around 15°C) so we were eager to get into the warm water. The temperature ranges from 42°C to 52°C, depending on which side of the pool you visit. The water was clean and clear, the bottom lined with pea gravel and there was seating around the edge of the pool. There is also a lower pool which is slightly cooler and more rustic. It even includes a narrow waterway that you could swim through.
We alternated between the warmer and cooler pools for about an hour until getting out. After changing out of our swimsuits, we planned to visit the hanging garden where moss, ferns and wildflowers are reputed to grow among the flowing water, but it was closed when we visited due to wildlife activity. We walked back along the boardwalk to the parking lot and decided to make some tea and eat a snack at the sheltered picnic area, which also gave us an opportunity to hang our towels and swimsuits up for a bit to dry.
Our next detour was located nearby at Smith River Falls. We followed a gravel road for a couple of kilometres to reach the trailhead. It’s a short hike (1.4km round trip) to reach a viewpoint of the falls. The trail consists of a bunch of steps that lead down through the forest before levelling out for a bit. There’s one more steep downhill section before reaching the river. The trail then follows the edge of the water to the falls.
Shortly after being back on the road, we saw a point of interest sign for Whirlpool Canyon. We liked the sound of the name and decided to check it out. From the parking lot, there’s a super short path that leads to a scenic overlook of the Liard River.
Since we had such good luck at the last scenic overlook, we decided to stop at the next one along the Alaska Highway. It did not disappoint.
Our next stop was at Watson Lake to get more gas and check out the famous Sign Post Forest. When the Alaska Highway was first constructed, it was common practice to put up directional posts to give a better sense of direction and distance to surrounding communities and other parts of the world. The Sign Post Forest began in 1942 when an American soldier was repairing a directional signpost and added his hometown sign of Danville, Illinois to the post. Soon after other visitors started to add their own signposts, licence plates and street signs from their hometowns. Today the collection contains nearly 100,000 signs hung in a maze of towering signposts and it’s still growing.
We were back in the car for another hour before stopping to stretch our legs at Rancheria Falls Recreation Site. There’s a short trail (1km round trip, rated easy) that winds through the forest along a boardwalk and contains a couple of viewpoints of the falls. Along the way there are two interpretive panels. One explains the benefits of forest fires while the other contains some information about the boreal forest and the types of trees and animals found in it.
It was getting late in the day and from here we made a beeline to Teslin Lake Campground where we planned to spend the night. The campground contains 27 sites which are all available on a first come, first served basis. We arrived just after 6pm and there were still a few sites available. We selected our site then registered using the campground permit envelopes provided at the entrance to the campground.
The campground itself was nice and quiet and situated along Teslin Lake. It’s also right off the highway so we could hear quite a bit of traffic from all the trucks passing by. After eating dinner, we walked down to the lake to check it out.
We set up our tent, stayed up for a bit to read, then hit the hay. Thankfully we didn’t have as much driving to do over the next few days.
Day 4: Teslin Lake to Haines Junction
We woke up to another beautiful day of blue skies and sunshine. After making breakfast, we packed up our tent and hit the road. The early morning is typically a great time for wildlife viewing. Shortly after heading out, we came across a golden eagle by the side of the road.
At this point in the drive I’ve gotten much better at taking pictures from inside the car. Either that or I’ve just gotten too lazy to get out for every nice viewpoint. Even though we covered a lot of distance over the last few days, the scenery continued to impress.
We stopped to explore Miles Canyon, located close to downtown Whitehorse. It was created nearly nine million years ago from lava flows, which left behind columnar jointing along the canyon walls. There’s a suspension bridge over the canyon, along with a few hiking trails. We walked along the rim of the upper and lower canyon.
From there we headed to downtown Whitehorse to pick up more groceries. The game plan was to spend the next few days in Kluane National Park and Reserve in southwestern Yukon, return to Whitehorse and then explore part of Alaska before heading back to Edmonton. But, we ended up making some modifications to our itinerary (more on this later).
And so our journey along the Alaska Highway ended just north of Haines Junction where the Thechàl Dhâl Visitor Centre, one of the visitor centres for Kluane, is located.
Overall we drove 1,649km (out of 2,232km) of the Alaska Highway.
L
Wow….was so excited to read this post….did the same route last year….was great listening to your take on the drive….I’d completely forgotten about muncho lake!…were the bison still grazing along the highway?
Thanks for your lovely comment. It was such a scenic drive and we really lucked out with the weather. Glad to hear that you’ve seen it for yourself. We didn’t see any bison along the highway on the drive towards Alaska, but we passed by two herds on the way back as we were driving through Watson Lake. Seeing all the wildlife was a real highlight of the trip.
Wow wow wow! So beautiful! I love the picture of the bears, the baby is so adorable. Glad you didn’t encounter the grizzly bears. I wish my seats got upgraded when my plane was delayed, awesome start to the trip!
The terrain along the Alaska Highway is stunning. Plus it’s a great way to see some wildlife. Overall we saw 14 black bears during our trip. We actually encountered a grizzly bear later on when we were in Jasper, but it was way off in the distance moving away from the trail and we were surrounded by other hikers. This was the first time we’ve ever been upgraded on a flight, it certainly was a great start to the trip!
Gorgeous Linda. I will spend more time reading this after we get back form our week in Jasper and our company leaves. This is a trip we have always wanted to do, but not yet made. Looking forward to reading all about it. Allan
Thanks!! It was a lot of driving, but it was worth it to explore the Yukon. The other route we could have taken was from Vancouver along the Sea and Sky Highway, which is also reputed to be very beautiful. Enjoy your time in Jasper and with your company.
No doubt, the driving was difficult. We still recall our long drive across Canada and back in 2018. We had plans to do a drive up and boat back on this trip, before Covid hit. We would do this with friends, as the one way car drop fee is pretty high. Not sure if this is still in our plans or not, but it would be nice to do this once in a lifetime. We had a similar bear on the road sighting on our way to Jasper. So nice to see the caribou and the scenery on a blue sky day is hard to beat. Looks like your choice in month to go worked out well. Hope you had a great weekend Linda. Allan
There were definitely a few long days of driving. It helped that the days were longer and that the roads were in pretty good condition. We had also planned to take a few stops along the way to eat lunch, make some tea/coffee and stretch our legs. Going with friends sounds like a good way to split up the driving and keep yourselves entertained. I would highly recommend a visit to the Yukon despite the long distance. We certainly lucked out with the timing of our trip as the weather was fantastic (hardly any rain for the 18 days we were there) and the bugs weren’t too bad.
These photos are incredible! And such an interesting and inspiring post to read. Thank you!
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. We enjoy a good road trip and this one certainly delivered in terms of the scenery and wildlife viewings. Plus we had fabulous weather and it wasn’t very busy.
You’re welcome. Yes, you’re impressive travelers. So glad about nature and lack of crowds.
You are too kind. We actually planned this trip at the last minute and I’m surprised at how smoothly it went. It helped that we had fabulous weather, which always makes a huge difference when camping and spending time outdoors.
💙
Thanks for stopping by. It was a long drive along part of the Alaska Highway, but at least it was super scenic. It was great to be able to explore a different part of Canada.
What a terrific drive. Good for you to do this. Such amazing scenery. Your photos are great!
Thanks for your kind words. We racked up a lot of mileage along the drive to the Yukon (and back again), but it was fun way to explore a different part of Canada. Plus the scenery was spectacular. It also helped that we had fantastic weather and could appreciate the views.
If a holiday starts with an upgrade on a flight, then I usually have high hopes for a good time! Wow, you didn’t cover short distances in one day either. To spot wildlife on the way is such a bonus – I love this part of a road trip! And you did some fun things on your way – the visit to the hot springs, a few hikes and scenic views. Oh, and I love that last photo 🌟.
This was the first time we’ve ever been upgraded on a flight. It was a fantastic way to start our holidays, even if our flight was a bit delayed. We did a lot of driving while we were in the Yukon, but it was a great way to see some wildlife and appreciate the scenery. Plus it helped that we could make plenty of stops along the way to stretch our legs.
Great drive along such a famous highway! 🙂 I visited Alaska years ago in the winter and it was beautiful, but I’d really like to go back and see it in the summer or fall. Your pictures are really incredible.
Thanks! We initially wanted to drive the entire length of the Alaska Highway, but it seemed a bit too ambitious for our two and a half week vacation. We figured we’d save Alaska for another time, although we were able to squeeze in a day trip to Skagway. Alaska must have looked gorgeous in the winter with all the snow. Plus it’s a great time of the year to see the northern lights.
I thought it would be a great time to see the lights, but sadly I never saw them. I would love to go back so hopefully I’ll see them next time 🙂
Bummer. I’ve only ever seen the northern lights once, which was on a flight to Iceland so it doesn’t fully count (and I wasn’t able to take any pictures). It’s on my (never ending) bucket list.
Hit up Saskatchewan for lights! We have an uncommonly high presentage of them. There are seasons for sure but we are one of the few spots that also get them in the summer. Something about latitude and ….(?)
Good to know. We have yet to visit Saskatchewan. Seeing the northern lights seems like a good enough reason for us to finally check it out!
We have a huge house — live 20 minutes from Saskatoon and regularly see the northern lights. We would be happy to host you. Bernie
That’s very sweet of you to offer. I’ve actually been doing some research into the national parks in Saskatchewan. Seems like it might be a good spot to travel to with our little tater tot next year. I’ll keep you posted.
I am grateful that I was able to see beautiful nature.
Thanks for stopping by. It’s always great to spend time in nature. I find it helps put everything into perspective.
Such a wonderful photography and all the photos worth to view
🌷🙏👍😍 Clearly written the lines are so marvelous with dear
You two’s photo gorgeous 👍🥰🥰 Best wishes dear friend 🌷🙏🌷
You are too kind. Even though it was a lot of driving over our first few days of holidays, it was a wonderful start to our road trip and a great way to see more of the terrain and wildlife.
Beautiful, amazing! Thank you for sharing this beautiful place. ❤️🇨🇦
We couldn’t have asked for better weather during our road trip through the Yukon. Even though it was a lot of driving, it was a great to see more of the terrain. Plus it gave us more opportunities to see some wildlife. The Alaska Highway itself was also in really good condition and wasn’t very busy.
That’s wonderful! 🥰☺️
For sure. It had all the great factors of a successful road trip (minus getting a giant crack in our windshield thanks to passing truck).
Truckers… I have a juicy story… yuck.
I missed reading your posts. And wow for another beautifully written one. Pretty sure you all enjoyed this lovely 4-day trip.
Thanks for your kind words. It’s been awhile since we’ve been on vacation and it felt great to finally get away and decompress. We sure covered a lot of distance during our first few days of driving along the Alaska Highway, but at least it was scenic and we found plenty of spots to stop and stretch our legs.
It’s all so beautiful, what a gorgeous road trip with so much scenery – and seeing those bears right on the road is so special. I’d love to relax in those hot springs as well 🙂
In total we saw 15 bears during our road trip through the Yukon. We also saw a bunch of other wildlife, including wood bison, caribou, a lynx and thinhorn sheep. We enjoyed the hot springs so much that we couldn’t resist stopping here again on our way back to Edmonton.
A very enjoyable post, Linda. There’s such gorgeous scenery in that part of the world and your photos of it (and the wildlife – that’s an iconically northern photo of the bears crossing the road) are so great. Thanks for including the picture of you two – lovely! I’m looking forward to your next instalment. Cheers.
Thanks for your lovely comment. We really lucked out with the weather during our time in the Yukon and I’m glad we had no issues with hazy skies from all the recent wildfires. We covered a lot of distance during our road trip, but it was a great way to see more of the scenery as well as the wildlife.
This is so beautiful and brought back lovely memories of my childhood years spent in Alaska. You have some amazing photos- the bears; wow!! Looks like you had a grand adventure. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for your kind words. We wish we had more time to complete the entire Alaska Highway, especially the part that actually goes into Alaska, but we didn’t want to rush things. Overall we had a wonderful trip. This was the furthest north we’ve ever been. It was nice to leave the city behind and just enjoy nature and all the wildlife.
Wow, such an amazing landscape! That is wild that you did see bears in person too!!! I love the Sign Post Forest, and it is really cool to think of everyone’s journey going through this area. Your post is definitely inspiring me to travel there someday too!
It was neat to see how much the landscape changed as we travelled along the Alaska Highway. And there’s always something so special about being in the mountains. Overall we saw 15 bears during our holidays, most of which were by the side of the road (my ideal bear encounter). We spent a lot of time in the car, but it was nice to make some detours along the way. You could probably spend hours in the Sign Post Forest trying to read all the different signs. It was pretty cool to see licence plates and city signs from all over the world.
Wow! Wow! Wow! So beautiful place, love the water reflects, so calm and relaxing.
Must be so amazing see those bears, great photos! You are a lovely couple.
Thank’s for share Linda, have a wonderful weekend!
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. We had fabulous weather during our drive along the Alaska Highway. The scenery was stunning and it was pretty amazing to see so much wildlife by the side of the road. Enjoy the rest of the week. Linda
Always a pleasure visit your blog, Linda. Those places bring me peace. Even just saw photos, almost feel the breeze. That is great, keep enjoying. Have a wonderful time! Keep well. Thank’s.
Elvira
You are too kind. Spending time in nature always helps soothe my soul and helps put everything into perspective. It also brings me peace as well. Hope you enjoyed the weekend.
That’s great and very healthy, agree with another perspective. Thank’s for your kindness and comment, Linda. Keep enjoying and happy.
Yes, thank’s it was so good. Hope yours as well.
This sounds a fantastic trip with considerable variety, and beautiful scenery. Sleeping in the car can be fun, too. Love that terminology though….”bears displaying problematic behaviour”…..such a funny, quaint phrase!
I actually found it more comfortable to sleep in the back of the rental car than in our tent. We’ve been to parks with bear warnings before, but I appreciated how descriptive Stone Mountain was. What does problematic behaviour for a bear even mean!? I couldn’t help but laugh, but also avoid camping there!
Wow what an awesome tour you took us on! Your photos are all so refreshing, so much natural beauty — you both are gorgeous as well. We’re hoping to one day do an Alaskan Highway drive. Thanks for the preview of what to expect and what to be aware of.
You are too kind. The Yukon is definitely a great spot to enjoy the Canadian wilderness and wildlife. We didn’t have enough time to complete the entire Alaska Highway (or see much of Alaska), but I have a feeling we’ll be back someday. Hopefully you’re able to see it all for yourself. It’s a long drive, but at least it’s peaceful and scenic.
Wow! Everybody’s saying wow! I would say wow too because it was awesome reading about your trip. You describe it so well and the photos are great!
Thanks for your lovely comment. We actually planned this trip at the last minute and it certainly exceeded our expectations. It was nice to leave the city behind and just be surrounded by wilderness and the mountains.
Linda, that bear photo! I was for a moment speechless (and had to close my mouth!). Those places are so beautiful, and oh that dip in the hot spring. It’s good that you got to know about the bear warning. My neighbour here, who is Canadian, said she and her hubby had a bear experience and it was the scariest.
We ended up seeing 15 bears during our entire road trip. Thankfully we were in our car for all our bear sightings, except for one (but it was far off in the distance). I certainly wouldn’t want a close encounter with one of them! Visiting the hot springs was a nice treat. We ended up coming here again on the drive back to Edmonton.
That’s a lot of bears. I had to Google Yukon, Dawson Creek, Haines and Skag, thinking maybe we can do this one day (hubby suggesting july next year haha) but it looks daunting. Actually the idea of doing a self-drive in Canada (west) scares me that why we haven’t had any holiday in Canada yet. 🙂 Anyway, looking forward to the next post on this series. 🙂
It’s a lot of driving! During our 18 day road trip we racked up just over 7,000km on our rental vehicle. But it wasn’t nearly as remote as we thought it would be. We had no issues finding gas stations along the way and the roads were in pretty good shape. We were typically around other people in the campgrounds, which provided some comfort at night. Hopefully you’re able to explore western Canada as the mountains are definitely worth seeing.
This is really amazing!
For sure. It was a great way to explore more of Canada’s wilderness.
What a great start to your trip to get upgraded on the flight Linda. A lot of driving but I guess just light traffic and of course beautiful scenery and wildlife to spot. Enjoyed this post immensely.
Oh I know. We’ve never been upgraded on a flight before, so it was a pleasant surprise. You’re right, it was a lot of driving. We ended up covering just over 7,000km during our entire two and a half week vacation, but at least the roads were in decent shape and it wasn’t very busy. Plus we ended up having most of our wildlife sightings along the drive. Thanks for reading.
This was a beautiful journey the three of you took together. Such wonderful scenery, amazing wildlife, interesting hikes such as the signposts and gorgeous lookout points.
It’s good to splurge from time to time and glad that you did so with rental SUV. Glad the smoke was not too tired once you headed out on your adventure. And those bear and golden eagle shots are gorgeous.
Thanks for sharing this little known part of our continent with me and us!
This was a rather spontaneous road trip that we planned at the last minute. We figured we might as well go on one more big adventure before the baby comes. We covered a lot of distance over two and a half weeks, but at least the scenery was incredible. And I gotta say, the Alaska Highway wasn’t nearly as rugged and remote as I thought it would be. I’m so glad we opted for the larger size rental vehicle. We ended up sleeping in it a few times. I actually thought it was much more comfortable than sleeping in our tent! It was only really smoky in Edmonton and near the start of the Alaska Highway. We weren’t planning on camping or doing any hiking in those areas anyway, so it thankfully didn’t impact us too much.
Sleeping in a rental vehicle is the true definition of roughing it! 😊😆 Sounds like a truly wonderful adventure.
Enjoy the rest of your week. Almost the weekend!
It actually wasn’t that bad as we were able to put the seats down in the back and fit our sleeping pads in. I found we had more space back there than in our tent. There were a couple of spots where we didn’t even have a choice as the campground was full.
Enjoy the rest of your week as well. We’re hoping to go to the cabin this weekend.
Wow, that’s a lot of driving! I’m glad you got to see so much scenery, though. When you mentioned you were headed on this trip I was worried about the fire and smoke situation.
We ended up driving just over 7,000km (or 4,350 miles) during our entire two and a half week road trip through the Yukon. It was a lot of driving, but at least it was scenic and there were plenty of opportunities to stretch our legs along the way. Plus it was a great way to see the wildlife. The smoke was only an issue when we landed in Edmonton and near the start of the Alaska Highway, so we thankfully weren’t impacted by it too much.
Holy cow, that’s so much! I’m glad the smoke wasn’t too bad though.
Oh yah. And gas was expensive in the Yukon, but camping was cheap, so it somewhat balances out.
Amazing scenery and such great shots of the various wildlife you encountered along the way. The Sign Post Forrest is quite quirky. It all sounds like an absolute adventure: sleeping in the car and problematic bears, that crystal clear water and of course the flight upgrade – the best beginning to your trip.
Thanks for your lovely comment. The wildlife sightings in the Yukon did not disappoint. We had some long days in the car, but at least there were plenty of opportunities for us to stop and stretch our legs. The Sign Post Forest was pretty neat. It was much bigger than I thought and it was cool to see so many licence plates and city signs from all over the world. I had no idea the Yukon was so popular! Oddly enough, I found sleeping in the car more comfortable than sleeping in our tent, but that’s largely because I started to have some struggles towards the end of our trip with getting up and out of the tent from being 6 months pregnant.
Power to you for going on such trips while being 6 months pregnant! Wishing you a smooth few months in the buildup to the big day.
Thanks!! I think my days of camping are now over! But it’s starting to get colder outside now that it’s fall, so it’s not a bad time to call it quits. Hiking on the other hand, is still on the table, albeit at a much slower pace.
I’m definitely going to save this – I’d love this route (although we wouldn’t be camping)… Thanks for the tip!!
We didn’t have enough time to drive the entire Alaska Highway, but we managed to cover just over two-thirds of it. The road was in pretty good condition and it wasn’t as rugged or remote as I thought. We did a mix of camping and staying in hotels in some of the bigger towns. While it involved a lot of driving, the terrain was extremely scenic.
We’ve been talking about another US road trip so this is a serious contender!
It’s a fantastic option! You would not be disappointed!
This is a road trip I’ve always wanted to do!
This was one of the best road trips we’ve taken. The scenery was fantastic, the roads weren’t busy and we saw an insane amount of wildlife along the way. Plus we had fabulous weather. It was starting to really cool down overnight during our last week there, but at least we didn’t get any rain.
Gosh that’s a huge amount of driving, but what an amazing road trip. Breathtaking scenery, incredible wildlife… Those hot springs look very inviting, too. The Sign Post Forest is such a brilliant idea and it’s fantastic that so many people have added to it over the decades. Nearly 100,000 signs is quite something.
We really racked up the miles on our rental car! Even though we had some long days of driving, it was a great way to explore the Yukon and enjoy the scenery. Plus it was nice to make a few spots along the way to stretch our legs. The hot springs was one of my favourite stops. We ended up coming back here on the drive back to Edmonton. Agreed, it’s pretty impressive how massive the Sign Post Forest is and it was neat to see so many signs from all over the world.
Wow, amazing! As usual you have such luck with wildlife sightings. Looks like a fantastic road trip (minus the smoke and haze). I liked your wild camping by the lake 🙂
We saw an incredible amount of wildlife during our road trip through the Yukon. This was just the beginning. It was only really smoky around Edmonton and near the start of the Alaska Highway. We stayed in a hotel our first night and didn’t have any activities planned in the area, so it didn’t really impact us too much. Once we made our way further west, we had nothing but clear skies. That was actually our first time wild camping. I gotta say, it was pretty nice!
I can see why the Alaska Highway is considered one of the most scenic drives in North America. There seems to be so many beautiful spots along the way, from crystal clear lakes to verdant forests. While all of your photos are really pretty, the second from the last is particularly breathtaking!
Thanks for your lovely comment. It was a lot of driving, but it’s a great route to avoid the crowds and just be surrounded by nature. It was nice to just pull over by the side of the road to take pictures or watch the wildlife without having to worry about passing cars or blocking traffic.
It’s a long drive with a lot of hours at the wheel, but it’s the modern version of discovering wild Canada. I had this frustrating thought when I drove the long roads of the Yukon, but without better preparation it’s difficult to get straight into the wilderness. Fortunately, there are roads and cars to give us a glimpse, and that’s already wonderful.
For sure. We ended up driving just over 7,000km during our two and a half week road trip through the Yukon. We had some long days in the car, but at least it was a scenic drive. There were also plenty of opportunities to stop along the way to check out a nice viewpoint or watch the wildlife. The roads were in pretty decent shape and we never had any issues finding gas (we just made sure to fill up whenever we did pass a gas station). But then again, I also did a lot of research in advance and had marked all the gas stations and campgrounds on a map ahead of time. It definitely helps to come prepared!
I’ve always been curious about the Alaska Highway – the scenery is gorgeous! Luckily the smoke moved away. Surprised there are hot springs. Great wildlife shots and the one of you two.
The Alaska Highway was in really great shape when we visited. We had no issues navigating or finding gas or groceries along the way. We had some long days of driving, but at least the scenery was outstanding. We encountered some smoky skies when we initially landed in Edmonton and near the start of the Alaska Highway, but once we made our way further west, we had nothing but clear skies. The hot springs were a nice way to relax, especially after all that driving. We ended up returning here on the drive back to Edmonton and went to another hot springs in Whitehorse.
Nice. I shouldn’t be surprised about the hot springs. There are quite a few of them around my area of the Rockies.
Good to know that there are a bunch of hot springs in the Rockies. Sounds like it could be a nice treat after going for a hike.
Or as a destination in its own right for a relaxing getaway!
I’m afraid I don’t know what that’s like! Or rather, I’m afraid that once we start pampering ourselves while travelling that I’ll grow too accustomed to it!
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Wow, what a fantastic-looking trip. The scenery is just beautiful. I really enjoyed reading about your travels, Linda. You guys are such professionals! I was just talking with Lynette from her In the Net blog – she’s also in Canada and we were discussing black bears and grizzlies – I think I’d avoid both, but I guess the grizzlies are scarier. The Alaska Highway looks like a must-do trip in a lifetime. I like all those signposts too 🙂
Thanks for your lovely comment. It’s incredible how much wilderness there is in Canada. I’m glad we found the time to explore a small portion of it in the Yukon. We did quite a bit of driving, but it was a great way to soak in the scenery and spot some wildlife. We ended up seeing fifteen bears, including one grizzly bear during our two and a half week road trip. Thankfully we were in the car for most of our bear sightings. I wouldn’t want to come across one along the trail. Agreed, grizzlies are much scarier!
Yes, being in a car seems pretty safe!
We actually ended up sleeping in our car a few times, largely because there weren’t many people around and I was terrified/paranoid of the bears.
Yes, I would be too!
That’s one of the main reasons why we rented a bigger sized vehicle. We wanted the extra space just in case we wanted (or needed) to sleep in the car overnight. Even though we paid more for the rental (and gas), it was well worth it for the peace of mind.
Absolutely incredible! Love all of the wildlife and the hot springs sounded fantastic!
We planned this trip at the last minute and I must say, it came together rather nicely. It helped that we had fabulous weather, which always helps while camping and to enjoy the views. We spent a lot of time driving through the Yukon, but it was a great way to spot some wildlife. The hot springs were a nice treat. We ended up stopping here again on the drive back to Edmonton.
I just read it again and am ready to plan our trip here!!
You’d love it. We could have easily stayed for longer.
That looks like an amazing trip. Did you do a lot of research up front to find some of these destinations, or was it more “that looks like it might be interesting” while heading down the road?
We had a wonderful time along the Alaska Highway and driving through the Yukon. I did quite a bit of research in advance to map out all the campgrounds, gas stations and some of the main attractions and hiking trails along the way. But many of our detours were also spontaneous, which was kind of nice. Since there wasn’t much traffic, we could often just pull over on the side of the highway whenever there was a nice viewpoint or when we spotted some wildlife.
As we toured Alaska on a bus (or train), there was no spontaneous pulling over. (Alas). There were lots of times I could almost see a great view, but for the trees alongside the road blocking the view. I was wishing for a car, and my drone to pop above the trees to get the shot – even if it’s camera is limited.
After all the driving we did in the Yukon, I can see the appeal to exploring Alaska by bus or train. The downside is not being able to pull over whenever you want to though. There’s always pros and cons to whatever mode of transportation you take. The same goes with camping in a tent vs renting a campervan.
Thanks for sharing your adventure! I dont blame ya’ll one bit for avoiding the grizzly bear spot. That would’ve been a solid Nope for me as well. I love the sign forest. So cool to see all of the different places/people that have convened there. Your photos are all amazing and made me want to be there. Its so freaking majestic. My husband and I went to Juneau a few years back (we live in southeast US) and I’d never been anywhere like that, scenically. I told everyone when I came home that it was like Mother Nature says Look!! Look at what I can do!! It took my breath away continuously. I mean, not literally, obviously -don’t panic, I could breath fine haha Thanks again! I look forward to checking out more of your travels. Peace
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. I wasn’t going to take any chances with the grizzly bear, especially given the warning about “bears exhibiting problematic behaviour” on one of the trails that’s near the campground. That’s a hard pass. The Sign Post Forest was pretty neat. It’s crazy how people brought some of these signs from all the world just to hang them up in this small town along the Alaska Highway.
We were initially planning on taking a ferry from Skagway into Juneau for a few days, but ended up cancelling because the weather forecast was calling for heavy rain every single day we were going to be there. Instead we decided to spend more time in the Yukon and drove up to Dawson City where we enjoyed nothing but blue skies and sunshine. We’d love to come back to explore more of Alaska and complete the rest of the Alaska Highway. There never seems to be enough time!
And I know what you mean, the scenery really does take your breath away. Take care. Linda
what an adventure — well documented for those of us who wish to follow.
Thanks for your kind words. We did a lot of driving over our first few days, but at least it was incredibly scenic. The Alaska Highway wasn’t nearly as remote or rugged as I thought. We had no issues finding gas or groceries (or excuses to stop and take pictures) and saw quite a few other campers along the way. We had a wonderful time and couldn’t have asked for better weather.
June 2020 was our planned trip to the Yukon. In time for the midnight sun. Now planned for June 2024. We were thinking of flying into Whitehorse but now you’ve made me wonder. I’m not a huge fan of long distances in the vehicle as my back hates it but man that scenery!
The bear on the road shot – so iconic! I’ve seem many on the side of the road but never walking across. Glad you avoided the problematic grizzlies (that means they are getting into peoples food and things and are being too assertive in people areas). Looking forward to reading the rest of the trip. Bernie
Glad to hear that you were able to reschedule your trip and are now planning to visit the Yukon next summer. One of the main reasons we flew into Edmonton was because renting a vehicle was so much cheaper, along with the flight. But then again, we did book everything at the last minute. The downside was that it was an extremely long drive to get from Edmonton to Whitehorse (and back again). At least it was scenic. It was too bad about Stone Mountain Provincial Park and the grizzly bear warning as it looked like a nice campground. But I wasn’t going to take any chances, especially since we’d be sleeping in a tent. We ended up stopping here on the drive back to Edmonton to check out the lake and eat our breakfast. Happy trip planning! The Yukon really is larger than life.
That’s a lot of driving in a short time but at least there’s a lot to see. Love that picture of Muncho Lake! Maggie
For sure. It was nice that there are plenty of points of interest along the way to break up the drive and stretch our legs. Plus it was a fantastic way to see the wildlife. We ended up camping at Muncho Lake again on the drive back to Edmonton. It’s such a gorgeous spot.
As your journey to Alaska reveals, we too seemed to underestimate the time and distance it took to get to and travel through Alaska. We came in through Idaho and traveled a similar route as you did.
Even though it was a lot of driving, it was a great way to enjoy the scenery and see the wildlife. I’m glad we had such nice weather during our road trip so we could make plenty of stops along the way to stretch our legs, eat some lunch and just enjoy the views. We were initially hoping to complete the entire Alaska Highway, but realized we needed way more time so decided to save the Alaska portion for another time.
What a wonderful trip, you guys! We have long wanted to drive to Alaska, and I like your idea of renting a car in Edmonton and leaving from there. It’s a long way to Alaska from Texas! I also like that you camped along the way. Your photos are magnificent!
Thanks for your kind words. One of the reasons we ended up starting our adventure in Edmonton was because plane tickets and car rentals were way cheaper there in comparison to Whitehorse. It meant we had to do significantly more driving, but we didn’t mind so much as it was an incredibly scenic drive along the Alaska Highway. We’d love to return to complete the Alaska portion of the Alaska Highway someday.
What a fantastic trip you’ve had! A lot of driving, but well worth it. It is the type of a road trip we love. Great scenery along the way, and it seems you had amazing weather too! Was it a lot of traffic along these roads?
We certainly did a lot of driving, but at least it was scenic and there were plenty of spots for us to take a break and stretch our legs along the way. The Alaska Highway wasn’t too busy, but we did have a few issues finding a spot to camp, largely because the campgrounds are so small and it’s mostly first come, first serve. We mostly had blue skies and sun for our entire road trip, but it was starting to really cool down, especially at night, during our last week.
Amazing as always. Splendid photos. The pic with mamma and baby bear—priceless! Love this trip
Thanks for your lovely comment. It helped that we had fabulous weather during our drive along the Alaska Highway, which always makes for some great photo ops. And we got to see a bunch of wildlife along the way.
What an amazing road trip! I was in Haines Junction years ago to paddle the Tatshenshini-Alsek Rivers, but I flew. Many of our group drove up, but then took the ferry back down, which is a multiday extravaganza. So may great sights. I LOVE your momma and cub bear photos. That is by FAR the best way to see a bear – from your car 🙂
Alisen
We were debating whether to fly into Whitehorse, but ended up going to Edmonton instead as the flight and car rental was significantly cheaper. The downside was that we had some long days of driving, but at least the scenery along the Alaska Highway is beautiful. I bet the paddling in the Haines area is outstanding and it sounds like a great way to explore and enjoy the landscape. Agreed, the ideal bear encounter is always from the car!
I think you did the right thing. That’s an iconic highway, and we see SO many cars from the US (even deep south like Florida!) driving through Calgary to make the trek to Alaska.
It was definitely one of the most scenic drives we’ve ever taken and a great way to enjoy the landscape. We went towards the end of the season when it wasn’t too busy, but there were definitely more vehicles than we were expecting. Most of the campgrounds are small and are first come, first served, which created a few issues. I’m just glad we rented a bigger sized vehicle as we had to wild camp a couple of times.
I’ve been reading your posts about this adventure a bit out of order, but I had this one saved and it was so worth the wait to read. This road trip sounds like such an epic adventure- I simply must travel this route one day. The scenery and stops along the way (especially the hot springs, which I had never heard of) are too good to miss! 💖
We only made it about two thirds along the Alaska Highway. It’s a long drive, but at least it’s scenic. It’s also great that there are plenty of places to stop along the way. The hot springs were a big hit. We ended up stopping here again on the drive back to Edmonton. Hopefully you’re able to experience it for yourself someday.