ultimate guide to driving the alcan from the lower 48 to alaska
It all begins with an idea.
Driving from the Lower 48 up to Alaska is one of the most beautiful roadtrips that you could ever dream of! But, it is most definitely not for the faint of heart. In March of 2023, I took a travel physical therapist position on a whim and had 2 weeks to pack our life up and start heading north. We were living in California at the time so this was going to be a 3,000 mile roadtrip!
Here is our ultimate guide with everything you need to know to take the Alaska Highway, also known as the Alcan, from the Lower 48 to ALASKA!
What is the Alaska Highway?
The Alaska Highway is the gateway to Alaska! It is a 1,397-mile long highway that begins in Dawson Creek, British Columbia and ends in Delta Junction, Alaska. Despite it being quite remote, it is well traversed for both road-trippers and truck drivers. It is important to note that cell service can be intermittent and non-existent while traveling along here. Also, because of how desolate it can be, it’s important to fill up on gas as frequently as you can and have your accommodations laid out prior to beginning!
Accessing the Alaska Highway
First you have to get to Dawson Creek, BC. We took the route through Seattle and crossed the border into Vancouver, Canada. We spent a day in Vancouver and opted to take a slight detour to drive the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler. 10/10 wound recommend!
Vancouver, BC to Cache Creek, BC
215 miles via the Sea to Sky Highway and BC-99N. We booked the Bear’s Claw Lodge for the evening.
Cache Creek, BC to Dawson Creek, BC
525 miles via BC-97 and the Cariboo Highway.
Dawson Creek is the official beginning of the Alaska Highway. This was one of the more populated towns that we stopped in. There was a Walmart, Safeway and Canadian Tire here with a few different hotel chains to choose from, which made it the perfect stop to re-stock for the rest of our trip.
Dawson Creek, BC to Toad River, BC
398 miles via the Alaska Highway and BC-97.
We spent the night in a dog-friendly cabin at the Toad River Lodge, which is nestled in the heart of the Northern Canadian Rockies. The mountain peaks were spectacular & the frozen lake out back was the perfect touch! We watched the sunset amongst the mountains and rose early for sunrise. Another option was to drive a bit further to the Northern Rockies Lodge at Muncho Lake, but it was sold out (on a random weekday in March).
Toad River, BC to Whitehorse, Yukon
474 miles via BC-97 Yukon 1 W and the Alaska Highway
A few things to note for this stretch of drive.
Liard River Hot Springs
There are TONS of bison along the way. Give them space & keep your eyes peeled along the side of the road.
The mountains just seem to be getting bigger and more beautiful the further north we drove. I couldn’t believe my eyes!
Another larger city where there were many places to stay. We booked the Best Western, which was one of the nicer hotels to choose from.
Whitehorse, Yukon to Delta Junction, AK
494 miles via AK 2 E and Alaska Highway / Yukon 1 W
The final stretch! We crossed the border into Alaska and finished driving the Alcan staying in Delta Junction for a few nights. We initially were going to drive south towards Anchorage as we were moving to Palmer, AK for the next 8 months, but we decided to head north and extend the roadtrip a bit.
Tok is 93 miles from the Alaska Border. It is the major junction between the Alcan heading north to Fairbanks and the Tok cutoff (an extension of the Glenn Highway) heading west to Palmer and Anchorage.
The distance between Tok & Palmer: 231 miles
Palmer to Anchorage: 43 miles
The distance between Tok & Fairbanks: 202 miles
Final Thoughts
We gave ourselves a full week to get from the Lower 48 into Alaska & it took just about that. In the more desolate and remote areas we filled up on gas at every gas station we passed. A good general rule of thumb would be to never let your tank get below 1/2. The service is intermittent and unreliable. We didn’t have our own internet with us, such as Starlink, but we did have our Garmin InReach. We traveled during the month of March & 4WD with all-terrain tires worked just fine for us! We had our chains with us but they were never required. The directions are fairly straightforward but we did have paper maps with us just in case!
how to spend 10 epic days in alaska
Planning a trip to Alaska can seem daunting for many reasons 1) because there are endless opportunities and activities and 2) because of the pure vastness and scale of this state. There will never be enough days to explore every inch in Alaska, but we spent 8 months here and this is what we would do if we only had 10 days here to do it all over again.
Eklutna Lake, Alaska
When to Visit
The best time to visit is in the summer months. These are the days of the midnight sun, which is a bucketlist experience in and of itself.
Flights & Transportation
You are going to want to fly in and out of Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage. This is the most central location and you’re going to find the best flight options. Once you’re there, you are going to want to rent a car or a van as this will be the easiest way to get around. This itinerary will be heavily focused on outdoor activities, national parks, hiking and camping.
Day 1
Arrive in Anchorage, pick up your rental car and take the Seward Highway south.
Seward is a coastal town on the Kenai Peninsula that sits at Mile 0 on the Seward Highway, which ends in Anchorage. The Seward Highway is 125.3 miles long and will take you about 2.5 hours to drive without stopping to take in the scenery. The Seward Highway coasts along the shoreline of the Turnagain Arm waterway before reaching the Kenai Peninsula. Seward is home to Kenai Fjords National Park, where it sits amongst glaciers, fjords, mountains and ocean.
Stops along the Turnagain Arm:
Birch & Alder for coffee and a scone
Beluga Point to look for whales
Girdwood & Alyeska to visit and/or hike—also Girdwood Brewing is fantastic!
Arrive in Seward.
Day 2
There are two ways to visit Kenai Fjords National Park by land and by sea, take today to explore by foot.
There are two maintained trails within the boundaries of the national park both of which offer spectacular views of Exit Glacier & Harding Icefield. Exit Glacier is one of the most accessible glaciers to visit and is one of the 38 glaciers that flow from Harding Icefield, which stretches over 700 square miles!
Exit Glacier 2.2 miles with 314 feet elevation, loop, rated as easy
Harding Icefield 8.6 miles with 3,198 feet elevation, out & back, rated as hard
Day 3
Take a boat and wildlife cruise to explore Kenai Fjords National Park by sea.
Seward is a very popular fishing town, while we did not have the chance to do a charter this would be something to add to your trip! We had fun walking the docks and watching all the fishing boats come in with pounds and pounds of fish!
Day 4
Make your way north just 1 hour to Cooper Landing where you will spend the night. This was one of our favorite quaint little towns; and not only for the fact that we got engaged here on Kenai Lake :)
Things to do in Cooper Landing
Camp on Kenai Lake
Hike Slaughter Ride Trail for a view overlooking Kenai Lake (4.6 miles out & back with 2,700 feet elevation, rated as hard)
Take a float trip down the Kenai River
Hike Russian River Falls to watch the salmon jump (4.7 miles out & back with 531 feet elevation, rated as moderate)
Visit Cooper Landing Brewing Company - my favorite was the sour!
Day 5
Return to Anchorage where you will fly out to visit Katmai National Park for brown bear viewing! This was hands-down our favorite excursion! We flew into King Salmon where we then took a water taxi into Brooks Camp. This could be done as a day trip but I would recommend at least 1 night in the park & basing your trip off of camping permits in order to do so! Camping permits can be found at recreation.gov and are on a first-come first-served basis.
Day 6
Return from Katmai National Park.
Head north about an hour to Palmer—this is where we were lucky enough to call home for 8 months.
Day 7
Visit Matanuska Glacier
Take a tour with MICA Guides with options as adventurous as glacier ice climbing or simple as walking to the toe of the glacier.
Take a flight-seeing tour
Visit Knik Glacier
ATV tour
Day 8
Visit Hatcher Pass
2 of our favorite hikes here were:
Reed Lakes
Gold Mint Trail: Short Version 6.2 miles with 721 feet elevation, out & back, rated as moderate
Day 9
Take a trip up to Talkeetna, a small little quirky town with a population of just over 1,000 people. The drive from Palmer to Talkeetna offers the best views of Denali. Fun fact: only 30% of visitors to Denali National Park can actually see Denali due to unpredictable weather patterns!
Another option is to take a flight-seeing tour with a glacier landing for majestic views of the park!
Day 10
Depart from Anchorage, Alaska