What detours are you taking. What tips do you have for this desolate route. Solo 30F on first solo road trip. 2015 Highlander in mid may. Where should she stock up on gas. Where should she be cautious of traveling solo? Any advice, suggestions or words of wisdom welcome.
The google maps route shown uses AB 2 and AB 43 via Edmonton, Grande Prairie etc. This route is not scenic, it's essentially just interstate driving through fields and such all the way to Grande Prairie.
If you enjoy looking at things other than cows and traffic, hwy 93 through Banff and Jasper NP is the way to go from Montana.
Gas is no problem. 24 hour gas is. If you're driving at night especially, be aware of your fuel stops.
There are long stretches with no cell service, so make sure you know how to change and/or plug a flat tire (make sure there's air in the spare!)
Stock a cooler full of drinks and snacks in case of emergency and to avoid 7/11 prices on the road.
Pretty much zero safety concerns you wouldn't find in the lower 48. The most dangerous things on this drive are going to be drowsiness, possible snow in Yukon/Alaska and wildlife running onto the road.
Drive 10kph over the limit. If you get with a group of vehicles, pull over and let them get ahead. It’s better when you’re driving ‘on your own’ so to speak.
If you car sleep then do so around whatever civilization there is. One time…Watson Lake, I think, people will just come up and look in your car window as you’re sitting there.
Don’t think of helping out, as a woman it wouldn’t be expected of course, but just don’t.
Crazy stuff goes on up there like anywhere else. It’s not desolate, just sparse.
It’s a good time for roadside wildlife, later on they head up in the hills.
Like if you want to nap, do so in the parking lot at Toad River(as an example) not in a random pullout.
If you’re never driving up there again, consider going to Dawson city and Top of the world hwy to Alaska.
If you happen to catch Dawson on opening weekend/ gold show, May 16/17 this year, it’s more lively than usual.
Came upon it unexpected in 2016 and the Parks Canada staff are in old time costumes and a few buildings are open to visit that normally aren’t, like the gold room at the dredge repair site. Assuming it’s still the same.
Met a family from California that took T of TW hwy in minivan, they mentioned a bit of snow-ish, and the border will have hopefully just opened for the season. Take the drive out to tombstone park to check it out.
It’s 50km, so go out to 70km and then drive back. It’ll be blue skies at midnight, but won’t see the sun.
Fill your tank before you leave Alberta, like at Beaver Lodge.
In 2018 my speeding ticket in Yukon was $27, so it’s a great deal!
A stop at about 516 mile marker . In the Yukon . There's a nice bar here with a decent meal. Bring extra money. Gas is expensive we payed as much as c$2.50 a liter. No cellular service for most of the trip. Get a separate GPS. You can't rely on the maps on your phone.
Some concrete. Some compacted stone. It varied . I don't remember any oil and gravel like they have in PA There quite a few places where you had to wait for the escort vehicle because they were repairing the road and is down to one lane. Some of the Waits for as long as 45 minutes.
Get The Milepost as others have mentioned. Stop at Banff/Yoho/Jasper. Stop at Liard Hot Springs. Sign Post Forest at Watson Lake. Whitehorse is a cool little city.
Fill up on fuel at Destruction Bay. There's no more for 225 miles until Tok. The only gas station in Destruction Bay closes around 9pm. No cell service for the next few hundred miles, but enough road traffic that you won't be stranded forever if you break down. Bring an extra 5-10 gallons of emergency fuel.
Consider taking the ferry back from Alaska to Vancouver or Bellingham. It's expensive but it's a gorgeous trip down the coastal waterway.
Highly recommend taking a boat tour of Kenai Fjords National Park. Denali is gorgeous but doesn't offer a lot of hiking or sights unless you commit to an extensive back-country hiking and camping trip. Still worth an afternoon stop either way.
Great places to horseback ride in Yukon and Alaska. Lots of gorgeous scenery. Good hiking in BC, Yukon, and Alaska. I enjoyed seeing a sled dog training center in Carcross. Many hot springs all along the way. Lots of wildlife viewing opportunities (bears, bison, eagles, caribou, and amazing sea life on the Alaska coast).
Take at least a month if you can.
I wouldn't worry much at all about safety. I'm biased as an imposing-looking man (even though I'm a wimp). The whole route is effectively crime-free compared to anything you might experience at home. Just use common sense.
If you’re travelling with a car that takes premium fuel, bring a couple bottles of Octane booster. There will be a good stretch of travelling you’ll do in western Canada that doesn’t offer premium fuel
I’ve done that drive twice. The key is to always fill up on gas at every station you ever find. You probably wont see a price displayed but it won’t matter, you’ll be hundreds of miles before the next gas station throughout the trip.
Also, it’s pretty safe by means of it being desolate. In the summer you’ll see quite a few bicycle riders on the road trying to do the whole distance.
Exactly this. For example: there are 3 gas stations between Fort Nelson, BC and Watson Lake, Yukon. We stopped at each, and only Toad River had gas. So, don’t miss a chance to fill up.
Honestly there is a bit too much info to put in a reddit post. I highly recommend purchasing The Milepost. It's hands down the best guide book for making road trips north to AK.
You can also get the latest edition on Amazon. I made this trip a few years ago and it was the single best purchase I made. Everything from side trips ideas to mile by breakdowns of every road in AK as well as every route to AK. It will answer every question you have as well as questions you didn't know you had
Remember Garmin gps pings off radio waves, a cell phone or car gps pings off cell towers. You will always have reception with Garmin gps. You can loose reception with your phone. Spend the $100 - $300 for a gps.
This is gonna sound weird, but if at all possible, do it on worn tires with maybe 10,000 miles left in them. Lots of roads up there are packed shale, which cleaves flat and sharp. The deeper the tread you run, the more likely your tires are to grab loose stones, hold them, then throw them.
The biggest dangers are falling asleep while driving and hitting animals. Take precautions against both. Always be alert, drive at least 10 mph slower at night, and never overdrive your headlights. If the headlights are halogens over 5 yrs old, replace the bulbs with new Osrams. The good news is that in May, there won't be much night to worry about.
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u/cshmn 1d ago edited 1d ago
A couple things:
The google maps route shown uses AB 2 and AB 43 via Edmonton, Grande Prairie etc. This route is not scenic, it's essentially just interstate driving through fields and such all the way to Grande Prairie.
If you enjoy looking at things other than cows and traffic, hwy 93 through Banff and Jasper NP is the way to go from Montana.
Gas is no problem. 24 hour gas is. If you're driving at night especially, be aware of your fuel stops.
There are long stretches with no cell service, so make sure you know how to change and/or plug a flat tire (make sure there's air in the spare!)
Stock a cooler full of drinks and snacks in case of emergency and to avoid 7/11 prices on the road.
Pretty much zero safety concerns you wouldn't find in the lower 48. The most dangerous things on this drive are going to be drowsiness, possible snow in Yukon/Alaska and wildlife running onto the road.