Dateline: December 10, 2002. Major rebuild completed: March 29, 2023.

A Guide to Alaska-Yukon Highways

To Page 1, Dawson Creek to Fort Nelson
To Page 3, Whitehorse to Delta Junction

Click on the images below to greatly enlarge them

Km 462: As you leave Fort Nelson northbound, there is an agricultural area of a few thousand acres along the highway. This was shot in mid August.

Km 480: Fish and game checks may be encountered pretty much anywhere. This one was north of Fort Nelson in mid September.

Km 483.3: Approaching the Liard Highway junction from the south.

Km 483.5: The junction of the Alaska Highway and the Liard Highway (BC Highway 77) is at this point, 27 kilometers north of Fort Nelson. This view is from the Liard Highway back to the Muskwa River valley that the Alaska Highway runs through. The Liard Highway takes you into the Northwest Territories, offering an excellent circle route - you can see a trip around that route by motorcycle at The ExploreNorth Blog.

Km 509.1: Southbound at the Kledo Creek Bridge in mid September.

Km 515: Northbound at the Km 515 milepost.

Km 531.6 (Historic Mile 351): Steamboat Mountain Lodge in October 2002. The lodge, after being closed and becoming derelict, was destroyed by fire in September 2016.

Km 534: Below, a panoramic view from near the summit of Steamboat Mountain. The view is across the Muskwa River valley to the Rocky Mountains.

The expansive view north from Steamboat Summit in late August.

Heading north, down from Steamboat Summit.

Km 545: Indian Head Mountain.

Steamboat Mountain was one of the legendary "bad spots" on the Alaska Highway. This photo from October 2002 shows the old road and the new bypass, which was completed in 1998.

Km 551: The bottom of the Steamboat hill. To the left ahead, at Km 551.4, is the access road to the Tetsa River Regional Park Campground.

Km 573: The Tetsa River.

Km 577: Summer is construction season, and the Alaska Highway has work going on at various points every summer. This photo was shot at about Km 577 on August 15, 2014.

Km 580.4: One of many signs denoting the section of the Alaska Highway in BC as part of that province's Great Northern Circle Route.

Km 584.6: The Tetsa River #1 Bridge, the first of three crossings of the Tetsa River as you drive north. Two of the crossings are with bridges and one with a culvert.

The Tetsa River #1 Bridge is one of the few remaining which have an open steel grate deck. The noise made as you drive over them resulted in them commonly being called "singing bridges." The steel grates require extra care by motorcycle riders.

Truth in advertising - yes, Virginia, there are caribou on the highway! This photo was shot on the Alaska Highway in Stone Mountain Provincial Park, on October 1, 2002.

Km 598 (Historic Mile 392): Summit Lake is in Summit Pass, which at 1,295 meters (4,250 feet) elevation, is the highest summit on the Alaska Highway. This photo of ExploreNorth editor Murray Lundberg was shot while he was returning to Whitehorse from a trip to Yellowknife, NWT. The Summit Lake Campground is a little-used gem, and the area offers some superb hiking, including the Summit Peak Trail.

Northbound along Summit Lake in early October.

Km 600: Special "mileposts" have been installed at the hundred-km points along the section of the highway maintained by the Canadian federal government. Km 600 is just north of Summit Lake.

Km 602: The limestone gorge where where the Alaska Highway drops steeply down to the broad MacDonald River valley (northbound) has always been one of my favourite spots along the highway, both because of the dramatic setting and the fact that Stone sheep are commonly seen here.

Km 605: Below, a panorama of the MacDonald River Valley.

Climbing up through the gorge southbound at about Km 605 in late April.

Stone sheep (Ovis dalli stonei) at about Km 608. Stone sheep are a subspecies of thinhorn sheep (Ovis dalli) - further north, a pure white subspecies known as Dall sheep predominate.

Northbound at Km 629.2 in late February.

Taking a break beside the Racing River at about Km 640 while on a motorcycle trip from Whitehorse to Yellowknife and back in late August.

Approaching the Racing River Bridge at Km 641.6 from the north in mid September.

Km 647.4 (Historic Mile 422): The community of Toad River as seen northbound. Toad River Lodge is on the left, the air strip and community on the right.

The view southbound at about Km 656 in late August.

There are very few dangerous corners anymore. This one that claimed many vehicles was southbound at about Km 658 but this section was all straightened in about 2018.

Km 668.2: This interpretive sign explains the flash floods that are common in the area, and the type of gravel deposit known as an alluvial fan seen across the river. The Northern Canadian Rockies are famous for their summer downpours. When heavy rains fall on mountains largely bare of trees and other soil-holding vegetation, the water carries sand, gravel and even boulders into the gullies between the peaks. Everything washes out onto the flat valley floors. This is one such deposit. It is called an alluvial fan because its outline resembles an open fan. Material carried by streams is called alluvium. This becomes distributed evenly over the fan as the stream slowly sweeps back and forth, changing its position constantly.

Muncho Lake in late August, looking north from Km 700.9 of the Alaska Highway. The lake, at an elevation of 817 meters (2,180 feet), is about 11 kilometers long and 1.6 kilometers wide (7 x 1 miles) and offers excellent fishing including monster Lake trout.

In the Muncho Lake area, between Km 726 and Km 697, there are 14 main canyons that offer superb off-trail hiking. I've posted a pair of lengthy articles about hiking seven of them on The ExploreNorth Blog.

Stone sheep along Muncho Lake at about Km 702.

Km 712.2: Looking south across Muncho Lake from a large viewing area.

This young bull caribou was alongside the Alaska Highway at about Km 720, in late August. I was on my motorcycle, and the caribou seemed to be more curious than afraid. I believe that the open mouth is like sheep, an attempt to get more information about what he's seeing.

Enjoying the soothing waters of Liard Hot Springs, beneath hoar-frosted trees in late January. Summer or winter, the springs are a great spot to take a break from the road. For more information, click here.

This was the closest I've ever been to a bison - she was in the middle of the road, perhaps 6 feet from my car window, and showed no nervousness at all - if she had, I wouldn't have risked taking this shot! Altogether I saw about 150 bison, with 2 large herds and many smaller groups and stragglers, most of them within 50 km of the springs. This photo was shot on March 23, 2007 during a trip from Whitehorse to Liard Hot Springs and back - that trip has its own blog post.

Km 792.3 (Historic Mile 514): On the north side of the Smith River Bridge is a small gravel side road to Smith River Falls. The turnaround at the end of the 2.6 km long road is small, so it isn't recommended for larger rigs. From the parking area at Smith River Falls, you get a view of the entire double fall.

ExploreNorth editor Murray Lundberg with his dog Monty at the base of Smith River Falls in mid September. There used to be a trail with extensive stairs leading down to a closer view of the double falls, and then right down to the river. A forest fire in 2009, though, burned the stairs and they haven't been replaced - the route down now is steep and hazardous.

Km 822 (Historic Mile 533): The new and old bridges at Coal River, seen in very heavy rain in early October 2002, soon after the new bridge had opened.

A herd of wood bison did a good job of blocking the highway for a few minutes as I was southbound on my motorcycle at about Km 850. The bison have been dramatically increasing their range in recent years and now may been seen anywhere between Watson Lake and Muncho Lake.

Km 918.9 (Historic Mile 594): On Tuesday, June 5, 2001, a huge culvert collapsed at Iron Creek (sometimes called Irons Creek), closing the highway for 2 days. Said to be the largest culvert bridge ever built in the world, it was specifically designed to protect fish habitat, and had just been installed in 1998.

A few miles south of Watson Lake, a short side road takes you to the Native village of Lower Post, which sometimes offers some good photo possibilities. A trail of beer cans along the road spoiled "the moment" on this trip, though, and I didn't get anything other than some deep-snow record shots.

Km 977: The Air Force Lodge in Watson Lake, Yukon (Historic Mile 635), is a restored Air Force barracks.

Km 980: In the centre of Watson Lake is the famous Signpost Forest. One of the most famous of the landmarks along the Alaska Highway, it was started by a homesick GI in 1942, and is now one of the attractions which make Watson Lakea must-stop. You can even add your own sign to the over 65,000 already there!

Looking north up the highway near the Continental Divide.

Km 710 (Historic Mile 733): The community of Swift River, Yukon, looking southbound in early October 2002. Swift River Lodge, on the right in this photo, closed permanently in 2009 and was demolished in 2016.

Km 1186.8: Below, a rough road that climbs up to a microwave tower north of the community of Swift River also offers a panoramic view over the Swift River valley, seen here in September.

Km 1212.2: Cenotaph This memorial honours Corporal Max Richardson of Company "F", 340th Engineers, U.S. Army, who died near here on October 17, 1942. I've been unable to discover the cause of his death.

Km 1242: This rest area offers a great view of the Nisutlin Bay Bridge and the community of Teslin.

Km 1243.7: The bridge over Nisutlin Bay at Teslin is the longest one on the Alaska Highway, with a span of 584 meters (1,917 feet). This photo was shot from a large rest area and boat launch at the north-west end of the bridge.

Km 1295 (Historic Mile 835): junction with the Canol Road, or "South Canol". A hundred yards up the Canol is a large rest area with outhouses, several old trucks, and several interpretive panels (see more information and photos). This photo was shot in early April. The South Canol is a gravel road that gets increasingly rough as you proceed north - there are no services until reaching Ross River, 226 km away, and services there are minimal.

Looking west along the Alaska Highway to the Teslin River Bridge from a side road at the Canol Road junction. The bridge was down to one lane when this photo was shot in September 2006, as the bridge was being upgraded to earthquake standards.

Km 1295.6: The Teslin River Bridge at Johnson's Crossing is the third-longest bridge on the Alaska Highway, with a span of 539 meters (1,770 feet). This photo was shot at 01:45 a.m. on June 27th - it really is the Land of the Midnight Sun!

Km 1296.2 (Historic Mile 836): Johnson's Crossing Lodge was one of the first lodges on the highway, opening in about 1948. The original building was demolished in the mid-1990s, but although it was closed for a few years, it's serving travellers again. Ellen Davignon grew up in the old lodge, which was built by her father - she tells that story in her wonderful book The Cinnamon Mine: An Alaska Highway Childhood.

The view southbound from about Km 1340, just south of Jake's Corner. White Mountain is a popular hiking destination for locals, with a good, though steep trail going up the back side, and since 2017 the area has been in the process of becoming Agay Mene Territorial Park.

Km 1393 (Historic Mile 897): The Yukon River Bridge and Marsh Lake Dam (a.k.a. Lewes River Dam). See this post on the ExploreNorth Blog for much for information about the dam, including some historic photos.

Trucking the Alaska Highway. A semi goes by as the shutter was open for a 30-second exposure to capture the aurora borealis at the Yukon River Bridge east of Whitehorse. This was shot just before midnight in mid-March.

The wonders of winter driving on the Alaska Highway. This view of the aurora borealis (Northern Lights) was captured from the shoulder of the road at Km 1494.5, just north of the Yukon River Bridge near Whitehorse, Yukon, at 11:15 p.m. on February 26, 2023, with the thermometer sitting at -27°C.

Southbound on the Alaska Highway at Km 1395, along the Yukon River, with a canoe on the roof in early September.

Northbound at about Km 1410 in late January. This flat light, quite common in the winter, makes seeing the shoulder berms and other irregularities quite difficult. Note that there is a car hidden in that cloud of snow-dust ahead.

At Km 1413.3, there is a stop of interest for Historic Mile 910 and the McCrae construction camp of World War II's Alaska Highway construction period. For more photos and information, see the McCrae Stop of Interest page.

The southern entrance to Whitehorse, with the sternwheeler Klondike sitting on the bank of the Yukon River in early August. For more photos of Whitehorse, click here.

To Page 3, west of Whitehorse to Delta Junction

All photos are © 1998-2023 by Murray Lundberg, and are not to be reproduced without permission.