One of my most anticipated road trips, through northern Canada and Alaska did not disappoint. As my partner and I planned a month-long road trip, that lasted 31 days and covered over 10,000km and provided some of the best views I’ve ever experienced.
From dancing streams of light in the sky to running off the road in the arctic circle, from brewery hopping to wildlife encounters I’d only seen on television – my month driving through the north and west of Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories and Yukon) and throughout Alaska was an adventure I’ll never forget – I did almost die… I guess.
This is my detailed recount of how a road trip in Canada and driving a loop throughout Alaska was achieved. While this post is aimed to be just a road trip itinerary throughout Canada and Alaska, there are many links to specific posts that dive deeper into that specific topic.
If you’ve ever thought about taking off for a month in a car/campervan into Canada and Alaska, I want to show you how easy it can be, and how I did it, so maybe you can too!
For this road trip into Alaska and through four provinces of Canada, it all begins and ends in the same city. Edmonton, Alberta. Here are some great things to do in Edmonton.
Please note: Some links below are affiliate links. I earn a small amount through certain purchases you make, this does not increase the cost for you and helps support this site.
Short version of the great Canadian and Alaskan roadtrip
If you’re not up for reading over 6,000 words about this road trip through Canada and Alaska, I get it. That’s a lot of words. So, I’ll make it easy for you.
I have a bit of a cheat for you. You can click one of those blue links above and you’ll be teleported by magic to that heading below.
That way, you can read only what you want to.
But, if you’re itching to know more, then let’s get into the ultimate month-long Canada/Alaska road trip!
Short run down of my road trip itinerary throughout Canada and Alaska
As I mentioned, this road trip through Canada and Alaska took 31 days from beginning to end. Most days were spent covering hundreds of kilometers and exploring seemingly untouched wilderness (apart from the presence of a road).
This trip was taken back in August and September of 2017.
Driving around Canada and Alaska gave plenty of unforgettable experiences, northern lights, grizzly bears fishing for salmon, panning for gold, taking the Inside Passage Ferry and running off the road in an Arctic Circle storm (well, technically 5km south of the Arctic Circle, but that sounds way less cool!).
There are plenty of sights along the ALCAN Highway. If you’re thinking about a road trip in Canada and Alaska, here is how to make the best of your journey!
Where did you stay along the way?
This road trip goes through some extremely remote places (the Dempster Highway is 700km (434 miles) with only a hotel along the way.) So, my partner and I made sure we always had a bed and warmth with us.
For this trip, my girlfriend and I built a makeshift camper van from a large truck. This enabled us to sleep wherever we could find space. Highway rest stops were an easy place to rest for the night and with a bed in the back, along with all camping gear.
I’m moderately useful with tools. Not great, but okay. We brought a second hand 2003 Ford Expedition, removed the back two rows of seats and I put together a very simple wooden bed frame in the back. Made storage compartments. A little bit of foam, a fitted sheet, pillows, blankets and blackout blinds and let me tell you, I’ve had much worse less sleeps than that truck!
Now, for the actual itinerary from Alberta to Alaska!
We left my home of Edmonton, Canada on the 29th of August, and 31 days later, arrived back in Edmonton.
Only one crash, one flat tire, and many, many coffees later, I had ticked a bucket list item off my to-do list.
29th of August – Edmonton, Alberta to Dawson Creek, British Columbia
6 hours – 585 km/363 miles
Starting out around noon on Thursday the 29th of August, we set off from Edmonton.
Today was mostly full of driving as there weren’t too many interesting points to see.
After fueling up at Costco (cheaper fuel, but you need a membership card) in Edmonton, we set off on Yellowhead Highway eastbound and turned north on Highway 43.
After stopping in a small northern Alberta town of Grande Prairie, we got to the town of Dawson Creek.
Dawson Creek is well known for being ‘Mile 0′ of the Canadian and Alaskan Highway, also known as the ALCAN Highway.
Wal-Mart parking lots are great places to sleep if you have a campervan or truck. You will often see giant RV ‘s in the car park overnight. It’s free and usually can find a quiet spot of your own.
30th of August – Dawson Creek to Summit Lake Campground
6.5 hours – 589km/365 miles
First up was the visitor center in Dawson Creek. These are pretty common in many smaller towns and are great for maps and souvenirs.
If you’re looking for more information on the Alaskan-Canadian Highway, Dawson Creek’s Alaska House Museum is a must-visit. This highway is 1300 miles long, has 113 bridges, and built-in 8 months in rough conditions due to the threat of Japanese invasion after the bombing of Pearl Harbour in 1942.
After stopping at a store called Robins for Apple fritters, we headed north. 25km along sits a large curved wooden bridge that is part of the original highway.
Today was the first sign of wildlife. Black bears and moose were peaceful just grazing the sides of the highway.
Fort Nelson and Fort John were both stops for petrol (or gas) before sleeping at the Summit Lake Campground.
31st of August – Summit Lake to Ross River
10 hours – 735km/456 miles
Caribou made an early morning appearance as we headed towards Mucho Lake and then Watson Lake.
After a quick shower at the Watson Lake Recreational Center and a coffee from Moose Café, we headed to one of Watson Lake’s most well-known sights – the Signpost Forest.
With over 73,000 signs piled on top of one another, it’s an interesting place to visit in Watson Lake. You can even paint and nail your own sign up as well.
Taking the bad rain-damaged Campbell Highway north for around 360 kilometers to just outside of Ross River, where we camped for the night.
The roads near Ross River are full of wildlife – a 2am enormous moose encounter and wide-eyed owls were enough to spook me and call it a night.
1st of September – Ross River to Dempster Highway (23km onto Dempster Highway)
7 hours – 547km/340 miles
From Ross River, we continued to a tiny town called Fark. There isn’t much here, but the gas station and visitor center are very handy.
Today was pretty much all behind the wheel. After filling up in Carmacks, we headed to Minto and Kelly Crossing before filling up once again at Stewart’s Crossing. The number of animals we encountered on the quiet highways was crazy. Bears and moose were common. Almost as common as potholes that littered the asphalt.
As the sun set, we drove 23kilometers onto one of Canada’s most notorious roads, the Dempster Highway. 737 kilometers of desolate road. There’s only one stop along this Highway, Eagle Plains Hotel.
2nd of September – Dempster Highway – Arctic Circle Camp
9 hours – 400km/250miles
The Dempster Highway is worthy of all the effort alone. It’s one of those drives you will never forget. Fall (or Autumn) turned everything shades of red and yellow. Wildlife was abundant and it was one of the most unique and mesmerizing roads I have ever been on.
It’s also notorious for its shale creating flat tires – hence the two spares strapped to the truck.
The Dempster Highway (number 5) heads north from the Klondike Highway and around 73 kilometers in, we stopped at the Tombstone National Park Interpretive Center. It’s a pretty important place to stop, it’s full of the information you most likely won’t get anywhere else as there is no reception. Weather and wildlife reports are super valuable.
The next 70 kilometers is known as Blackstone Uplands and around halfway is the only other building – Eagle Plains Hotel. We were told here two ferries up north to make it to Inuvik were closed due to storms.
In all honesty, Eagle Plains Hotel is kind of dated. It’s still a must-stop most likely to refill, have a drink or something to eat, but I 100% preferred the bed in the back of my truck.
The Arctic Circle was only a short drive away so we decided to set up camp right next to the official sign and stare out over the empty and mesmerizing landscape.
Before going to sleep, I decided to take a slightly raunchy photograph standing by the sign. I was 99% naked except for a snowball I used to cover myself up – of course, the only car I’d seen for hours rolled around the corner and a bunch of German tourists jumped out – it was a little too close for comfort.
3rd of September – Dempster Highway to Dawson City
12+ hours – 445km/276miles
Waking up inside the Arctic Circle is a pretty cool feeling. Pun intended.
Unfortunately, that sense of euphoria didn’t last too long.
We decided to turn back and abandoned our goal to visit Inuvik as the ferries were to be closed for around a week. Around 15 minutes later, trouble struck.
The Dempster Highway was experiencing one of the worst storms in the last few decades and the road was covered in deep, thick mud. The trucks back tires got sucked in on a corner and was forced hard left towards a ravine. I got just enough of a look at the drop off to know we would be in serious trouble.
Seeing the steep drop, I hard locked the truck right and straight into dense muskrat/swamp. After trying to dig out the truck for about an hour in freezing water, a road grader turned up (how lucky we were!) and pulled us free, and unfortunately a lot of the plants with it.
Eagle Plains was a bust as the only mechanic had taken off to a wedding. The truck limped back to Dawson City, over 700 kilometers at a speed of 50km/hr. When the truck would reach a seemingly random speed, the motor would screech up to over 5000 RPM, but the truck would shudder and slow down.
To be honest, I drove all day. It was at least 12 hours, but it turned into a bit of a blur. The last thing I wanted was to stop driving and not be able to start again.
Turns out, the 4×4 on the truck had a problem engaging/disengaging. I’m not too sure as I’m less useful with cars than I am with tools, but it took around an hour to fix the issue and cost $100 CAD.
Arriving in Dawson City around 10pm, we were greeted by a friend who lived in this old gold rush town. As we parked and fell asleep, northern lights danced all around above our heads, reds and greens sprayed out across the horizon.
4th to 8th of September – Exploring Dawson City
No driving as the truck needed fixing!
Dawson City is a gold rush town and while the population is a fraction of over 30,000 during those gold rush days, the town is a must-see if you’re in the area.
For such a small town, there is plenty to do in Dawson City, a wonderfully preserved snapshot looking back in history.
Watch the cancan dancer performance (a highlight of Dawson City) and try your luck at Diamond Tooth Gertie’s casino tables. If you’re feeling up to it, there is the Sour Toe Cocktail. Make your way to the Downtown Hotel, where a severed human toe must touch your lips as you take a shot of alcohol (typically Yukon Jack) – yes, this is a real thing! I’m part of quite an exclusive “club” that has done it.
Wander the Yukon and Klondike Rivers collide at Break-up Point and get a stunning view over Dawson City and the beautiful surroundings at the Dome Viewpoint.
You can pan for gold or have a round of golf at Top of the World Highway Golf Course. See out the early morning at The Pit, where illegal mining back in the day causes the floor to sag.
All this while being surrounded with a beautifully preserved old town and plenty of character to go along with it.
Dawson City is only 40kilometers (25 miles) from the begging of the Dempster Highway. Making day trips and day hikes on the Dempster Highway easily accessible. If you’re after a fairly easy hike, head to Tombstone Mountain Lookout and the 2-3hour return Goldensides Trail will be on your right – always take the proper precautions needed to stay safe! Remember, this is grizzly bear country!
9th of September – Dawson City to near Tok in Alaska
6 hours – 295km/183 miles
Today saw the crossing from Canada into the United States at the Poker Creek – Little Gold Creek Border Crossing.
We waved goodbye to the streets of colorful Dawson City and boarded the ferry across the river to the side of Dawson without power. A short ferry ride later, we were off.
The Top of the World Highway is another one of those unforgettable drives. Not one car, red leaves and sweeping vistas were everywhere.
After buying my visa waiver (ESTA visas aren’t accepted here) for $6 USD, we crossed onto Taylor Highway and encountered a sniper rifle-wielding hunter marking the first sign of life in the United States.
The first stop was the town of Chicken. Yes, the animal, and it’s unmissable as metal school lockers form one of the largest statues – of a chicken – I have ever seen.
There wasn’t too much other than scenery to be enjoyed out there. We drove through Tetlin Junction but kept on driving through the colorful leaves and towering hills.
We visited the semi-empty town of Tok, fueled up and stayed a short drive north-west along the Alaskan Highway for the night.
10th of September – Near Tok in Alaska to Denali National Park
5.5 hours – 525km/326 miles
Today marked the end of the Alaska-Canada Highway (the ALCAN Highway) at Delta Junction. There wasn’t too much to do other than a helpful visitor center worker who let us wash dirty dishes in the visitor center sink. Hot water is taken for granted sometimes!
After filling up (in gallons…) we continued on to the North Pole. However, Alaska’s North Pole was closed for the season and slightly eerie as all these different buildings were empty. This Alaskan city probably has a very specific time of year it operates!
Want a unique souvenir from Alaska? Notty Shop was next and had was an impulsive stop. Inside was pretty much everything you could imagine made from wood and knots of wood.
Driving to Fairbanks was next on this road trip through Alaska. To be honest, there wasn’t all that much that kept me in Fairbanks. Once again, the visitor center was full of useful information and Fairbanks’ Fudge Pot was a great stop for a snack in Fairbanks.
Denali National Park was to the south and a great place to call it a day and watch the sunset behind the mountains of Denali National Park.
11th of September – Denali National Park to Talkeetna
2.5 hours – 245km/152 miles
Waking up to the mountains of Denali National Park is unforgettable. Towering snowcapped peaks and lush green forests all around.
While I took a free guided walking tour, there are many other tours of Denali National Park.
After a shower in Denali National Park for $5 USD, we met at the visitor center at 10am. Guided walks leave from Denali National Park Visitor Center and are well worth taking one. You will learn so much about the natural wonders of Denali National Park. This flat path was surrounded by beautiful colors and my guide, Ranger Bryce, loved talking about trees in particular.
The guided tour through Denali National Park ended soon after and the group split up. The tour lasted around an hour and is a very easy walk.
Looking at the towering peaks scattered around the horizon, I was excited to get out an explore some of the trails in Denali National Park and finally settled on Savage Creek Trail. An easy to moderate difficulty level around this small loop trail.
Savage Cabin was another short little hike in Denali National Park, but it was only about 10 minutes long through dense forest on a paved track.
Tonight was spent in Talkeetna, from Denali National Park it is another drive dominated by mountains touching the sky. This tiny town had begun closing up for the season and we missed the highly rated Talkeetna Hostel by one day! Sad face!
Tours of the white-water rapids down the Susitna River had almost completely stopped due to water level during my visit.
While there wasn’t too much to do in Talkeetna other than walk around and explore the quiet streets, there were a couple of little gems you should visit in Talkeetna.
Denali Brewing Company is located just outside of Talkeetna and has some delicious beer – Single Engine Red is their most prized brew. You can also grab a great pizza at Mountain High Pizza Pie.
12th of September- Talkeetna to Anchorage
2 hours – 185km/115 miles
Family style seating (sit next to randoms) and a large serving makes Roadhouse a great place for breakfast in Talkeetna.
As Talkeetna shuts over the winter, many of the stores were having 50% sales and a great place to pick up some cheap momentos.
Driving south to Anchorage was next on the agenda. We met a friend we made in Dawson City and was guided around Anchorage by a local.
Kincaid Park is a nice and easy walk, where moose were abundant throughout the lush greenery. We saw 3 very relaxed moose grazing and minding their own business in about 15 minutes – and they were around 50 meters from us.
A waterfront sunset gave a beautiful view over downtown Anchorage before calling it a night.
13th of September – Anchorage to Girdwood and Portage Glacier
1 hour – 90km/56 miles
After saying goodbye to Anchorage, we were southbound along the Glenn Highway. The first stop today was known as Baluga Point. As low tide is common here, Baluga Whales are often spotted in this channel. Unfortunately, no luck for us today!
Before making it to Portage Glacier, a little detour in the small town of Girdwood. While this town doesn’t have too much going on, there a number of beautiful hikes in the area.
Girdwood Hand Tram crosses a gorge and requires a bit of upper body strength to pull yourself from one bank to the other. The Girdwood Hand Tram is part of the 3 mile, Lower Winner Creek Trail. It’s a pretty easy hike but well worth the effort!
Virgin Creek Falls is a much shorter and quite hike in Girdwood, Alaska. In fact, there wasn’t another person there at all. Gentle streams and overgrown banks make this stop in Girdwood so memorable!
Hiking in Girdwood is a pretty special thing, even though this was the location of our only flat tire in the 31 days!
As I patched the punctured tire, a local man, Norm, saw my struggle and presented us with homemade honeycomb. There are definitely worse places to get a flat tire than Girdwood!
We spent the night in the car park of Portage Glacier Information Center to be on the first tour tomorrow morning!
14th of September – Girdwood and Portage Glacier to Seward
1.5 hours – 135km/84 miles
Portage Glacier boat tour took off at 9am, and the price tag of $40 USD is well worth the quiet glacial-fed lake the boat tours. The four crew members aboard the boat took a total of 4 tourists (including my partner and myself) around Portage Glacier for around 1.5 hours and it was an unforgettable experience of Alaska.
Another option is a day trip from Anchorage – this covers the Portage Glacier cruise and a number of other sights in the area.
Driving through the small Alaskan town of Hope gave some beautiful views and salmon spotting viewpoints. Lots of salmon, but no grizzly bears to be seen.
Seward Brewing Company is a perfect place for a decent meal and a pint! I had begun collecting growlers – 5L glass jugs of beer you can take to be refilled!
After booking a kayaking tour for tomorrow, we set up “camp” by the kayak tour company Sunny Cove Sea Kayaking office for the night.
15th of September – Seward to near Valdez
7.5 hours – 682km/424 miles
An early 630am start and we jumped on to kayaks and set off from Seward. The misty shoreline made an eerie setting as our Japanese guide, Toro, took us to some beautiful highlights of Seward.
25 minutes in, we pulled into a rocky beach were a seagulls frenzy swarmed over the shallow pools of salmon. After a short forest walk, where a tsunami struck the coastline and the bare trees never recovered, we set back towards Seward.
After being told by Toro that seeing a Puffin is incredibly unlikely, around 15 minutes from the end of the tour, in the middle of the empty bay, one Puffin poked it’s head up and was gone almost as quick.
Seward has a nickname of the mural capital of Alaska, and after a short walk around this small town, it’s pretty easy to see why. They are everywhere and beautiful!
If you’re after a great coffee in Seward, try Sea Bean. After being caffeinated, we drove back to Anchorage and visited yet another brewery – the Midnight Sun Brewery. Plenty of beers on tap and a lively and friendly atmosphere.
After heading east on the Glenn Highway, through the town of Palmer that holds the annual state fair, we stopped along the side of the highway – right next to a glacier with no name, but it didn’t take away from its ancient beauty.
16th of September – Near Valdez to Valdez
Less than 10 kilometers driven today
This overnight stop was close to the town of Valdez and was our first and only stop for today.
Valdez is a bit more spread out and the town itself was moved in 1967 after it had suffered extensive damaged from waves resulting from a giant landslide in 1964.
The drive through Valdez can only be described as stunning. Towering waterfalls and vibrant green forests. On top of that, Keystone Canyon was one of the best places I was able to photograph on this Alaskan Road trip.
Vertical Solutions is a helicopter tour company in Valdez and they were amazing. While we went in set on having a helicopter tour of the area today, they advised us the weather wasn’t really worthwhile and that if we had time, to wait a day or two, which is what we did.
After pretty much an entire day of relaxing in Valdez, we parked just out of town by Mineral Creek and set up for the night.
17th of September – Valdez to Tok Cut-off Highway
2.5 hours – 220km/136 miles
Today began with a short and muddy walk along Shoup Bay Trail. While there wasn’t too much to see along the trail, there were a few beautiful lookouts over the bay of Valdez.
After a shower at the Dockmasters Place right on the pier, Vertical Solutions called and said the weather had cleared up and now was a perfect time for a helicopter tour of Valdez.
The 90-minute ride to Columbia Glacier is one of the most memorable travel moments I’ve ever had. It was honestly that good. We flew over the top of 20+ Black Bears and mountain sheep grazing on the lush mountainside. A number of ancient glaciers scattered the barren landscape.
Columbia Glacier is enormous. 30 miles long with crevasses of over 100 feet in depth – making it impossible to land and walk on. So, we parked a safe distance away and explored the black sandy beach for around an hour. The creeks and cracks were eerie and when we were lucky enough to hear the glacier calving. It was a testament to the immense power in this sleeping giant.
After we landed and said goodbye to our pilot and guide, we headed along the Richardson Highway and visited Worthington Glacier. You can walk up to this one, but be very careful – some of the drops are very dangerous.
As the sun set, northern lights made another appearance and we stopped along the Tok Cut-off Highway for the night and enjoyed the beautiful display of dancing greens across the dark sky.
18th of September – Tok Cut-off Highway to Kathleen Lake, Yukon, Canada
8 hours – 680km/423 miles
Along the Tok Cut-off Highway, we were headed back into the province of Yukon, Canada. Destruction Bay was a scenic drive full of lakes and mountains.
After fueling up in Haines Junction, we set up camp at the beautiful Kathleen Lake for the night. There is a little day-use shack which was perfect for having more room to cook and reorganize a little.
Today was a pretty relaxed day with a decent amount of driving.
19th of September – Kathleen Lake to Haines, Chilkoot State Park
3 hours – 214km/133 miles
Driving south towards Haines, we technically entered the Yukon and British Columbia provinces of Canada, as well as Alaska in around half an hour.
After making it to Haines, our first stop was wildlife spotting at Chilkoot Bald Eagle Reserve. And just like my luck, there were none.
We then decided it was time for a drink – Southeast Alaska’s first distillery Chilkoot Distillery (at the time of my visit, it was Alaska’s only distillery) was a unique place for a strong drink. Moonshine and absinthe were two of the best – but be careful, they are strong.
Haines Brewery is a great place for a beer and a meal in Haines.
After sobering up, we spent some time at a bridge in Haines known for local wildlife, Brotherhood Bridge. Sea lions fished for salmon, as did grizzly bears and bald eagles. It was a frenzy.
Camping for the night just outside Chilkoot State Park on the side of a little out along the road.
20th of September – Chilkoot State Park to Teepee Stay near Haines Junction
Roughly 3 hours – 218km/135 miles
The morning was filled with more wildlife as a mother grizzly bear and her two cubs fishing for salmon. Watching from a good distance away, these bears hunted for at least an hour with eagles soaring above.
Today was mostly spent exploring Chilkoot National Park and the area around Haines.
Tonight was spent in a little teepee around 30km (roughly) south of Haines Junction in Canada. This was a unique experience for me and was a nice change in sleeping in the back of a truck – even though the fire died around 2 am and it was incredibly cold.
I’ve tried to find the location of this night’s accommodation, but I can’t find it listed anywhere. It may have been just a house that doesn’t really have many guests. None the less, if you know where this place is, I’d love to hear about it!
21st of September – Teepee Stay near Haines Junction to Emerald Lake
2.5 hours – 233km/145 miles
Waking up to a thin layer of snow is always a lovely sight for me. I’m from Australia, we don’t get too much of it!
Before heading to the city of Whitehorse, we took a 20km detour to Otter Falls, the image on Canada’s old $5 note.
Whitehorse didn’t have too much of interest to my partner and me, so after visiting the tourist center and the S.S. Klondike, that made regular trips to Dawson City during the gold rush times, and a visit to the Yukon’s only brewing company – Yukon Brewing Company – we left Yukon’s largest city of Whitehorse.
Emerald Lake is where we stopped for the night. This odd-shaped, lime green lake with snow-capped mountains in the background was a beautiful sight to end the night. There is even a little trail for a more bird’s eye view.
22nd of September – Emerald Lake to Skagway
2 hours – 116km/72 miles
We then drove the 100 kilometers to Skagway. As this was a short driving day, we broke up thus leg by visiting a number stops near Skagway.
Caribou Crossing, hone to dog sledding teams was a busy stop – the first tour bus we had seen in weeks. But the husky puppies that were playful and adorable made up for the number of visitors.
Just down the road, Carcross Dessert was a small sea of sand surrounded by mountains and glaciers. It’s something I never expected to see in Canada, that’s for sure!
After a short stop in the town of Carcross, which was mostly shut for the season, the drive south gave plenty of stunning vistas.
After crossing the border once again into Alaska, we decided to have a short walk along NWMP Log Cabin Walk. This was a very easy trail and provided a great and well-deserved stretch.
Skagway had a very different feel than what we were used to. It is a major port town of Alaska and this means lots of visitors. Many of the shops were closing for the season and giving 50% off sales – which only increased the number of shoppers.
Skagway Brewery was more of a pub than a brewery, but it did have some tasty burgers!
We decided to spend the night out of town, and chose a cemetery parking lot as our campsite. This is where the gang member Soapy Smith is buried and was a little difficult to find his gravesite during a walk through the quiet resting place.
23rd of September – Skagway
No driving today.
Waking up next to a cemetery is only made a little stranger by busloads of tourists. Apparently, Soapy Smith and his grave are highly visited parts of Skagway.
Today began with organizing the overnight ferry of The Inside Passage. This is a ferry route in Alaska and British Columbia of Canada. It covers the distance from Skagway to Seattle, covering over 1600km (1000 miles) in length. After sorting how to take the truck off on our stops (ask the dockmaster during boarding to park on the boat last) we set off to explore more of Skagway.
The Gold Rush Brewery was one of our first stops of the day. Being out of town, it is much quieter with a local vibe. We even met Pablo, a man we met on the Log Cabin Hike a few days ago.
As the sun set, the brewery was handing plenty of totally free beer as they were shutting down for the season. Pretty cool experience to get drunk with a bunch of Skagway locals! And, plus free!
We then headed with our impromptu guide, Pablo, who took us to Red Onion Saloon. Once a brothel during the gold rush days is now the home of some very tasty pizza!
24th – Skagway on Inside Passage Ferry
Waking up a little hungover for the first time on the trip, as booking into the ferry started around 6-7 am. After check-in was done, we headed for breakfast at Bites On Broadway. And made it back in time to ask the dockmaster we wanted to drive off the ferry on our stopover in the capital of the state, Juneau.
After watching the Inside Passage Ferry take off from Skagway, most of the next couple of days were spent whale watching as the ferry navigated the winding and narrow waterways of the Inside Passage.
All up, we were lucky enough to see around 15 whales, and possible an Orca (it might be been just a dolphin).
A few hours later, we docked in Juneau, around 7 hours after takeoff from Skagway, and disembarked around 4 pm. All up, we had to be back by 9 pm roughly to make sure we had enough time to re-check in. This left us around 5 hours to explore Juneau.
Our first thing to see in Juneau was Mendenhall Glacier, around 15 kilometers away. There is a little bear lookout as soon as you arrive and the information center giving tips on things to see at Mendenhall Glacier.
We decided to forget about the beautiful blue caves, around a 5-hour walk away – not only did we not have enough time, but one had recently collapsed. We did go on a small walk and get a beautiful viewpoint of Mendenhall Glacier itself.
Alaskan Brewing Company was next on the radar and has one of my all-time favorite growlers (glass jugs of beer to takeaway).
Looking for dinner in Juneau? If you’re after seafood, then head to The Hangar. Right on the water and super fresh seafood!
We made it back to the ferry and set off at 10 pm as planned. We paid for a private bunk style bed set up and while it was small, it was comfortable. We took The Inside Passage for three days, from Skagway to Prince George, including transport of our truck, cost $500 USD each for my partner and me.
25th of September – Inside Passage Ferry
Today was our only full day and night aboard the Inside Passage Ferry. And most of it was spent whale watching and enjoying the sea breeze.
I woke up in the morning to Petersburg outside my cabin window. And had a filling breakfast aboard the ferry café.
Another small town known as Wrangell was a stop well known for passengers going for a walk and missing the departing time. This cool little town was a small stop of around 90minutes.
Watching the sunset from the deck of the Inside Passage Ferry was unforgettable. You could always find a quiet corner or section of railing to be alone with your thoughts and beautiful scenery.
During the night, we disembarked at Ketchikan. There wasn’t much time to sightsee due to it being around 8 pm. So we headed to a close-by supermarket for snacks.
26th of September – Inside Passage Ferry to Prince Rupert to Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
8 hours – 718km/446 miles
After an early 2 am departure from the Inside Passage Ferry at Prince Rupert, we parked just off the boat and immediately went back to sleep.
Around 9 am, it was off into Prince Rupert itself. One of our first memorable sights in Prince Rupert was the historic quarter of Cow Bay. Cowpuccino definitely made use of this with a pretty smart coffee pun.
Between Prince Rupert and Prince George is a section of highway engrained in the history of Canada for terrible reasons. Since 1970, an unknown number of women have gone missing. Accounts vary from under to more than 40. With a large majority being Indigenous.
Many of them hitchhikers and many still remain missing. This section is known as The Highway of Tears. This 720km (447 miles) stretch of highway is unmistakable. Driving on this road, there are plenty of signs around warning of the dangers.
In the small town of Hazleton is a massive suspension bridge, Hawilget Canyon Bridge. It’s a pretty cool walk and view if you have the time to stop off.
Sherwood Mountain Brewhouse is in the town of Terrace. And if you’re looking to continue your Alaska and Canadian Brewery tour, then this is a great addition. There’s also a great roof terrace.
Prince George was our final stop tonight and after arriving around midnight, it was pretty easy to fall asleep.
27th of September – Prince George to Edson
5.5 hours – 538km/334 miles
Today was a cloudy start in Mt Robinson Provincial Park. There was still a great deal of beauty around the around.
Terry Fox Memorial was next on the places to see between Prince George and Edson. This Canadian hero was diagnosed with cancer in 1976 and began a cross country run across Canada. He made it an incredible 8000 kilometers (4970 miles) before he had to stop due to his illness.
Jasper was our last sightseeing stop for the day and pretty much the entire Canadian road trip. While Jasper is a beautiful Albertan town, but today was just dinner and a drink at Jasper Brewing Company.
The short 2-hour drive from Jasper to Edson in Alberta marked the end of our last full day on the road around Canada and Alaska.
28th of September – Edson to Edmonton
2 hours – 203km/126 miles
From Edson, Edmonton is a 2-hour drive away and honestly, after seeing all the beauty of some parts of Canada and Alaska, there wasn’t too much to see other than flat farmland.
Is the great Canadian and Alaskan road trip really worth the effort?
Yes. A thousand times yes. The route we took and preparation took months of planning. The sights, the undisturbed wilderness, the wildlife, and people were all incredible.
Road trips are one of my favorite ways to explore a country – the freedom allows to absorb culture and scenery without stress of a timeline. Along with a transportable bed and cooking facilities into the very back of your truck, it makes it a lot more cost-effective.
So, if you’re thinking of a similar road trip through Canada and Alaska – you will not be disappointed.
Even when you run off the road in almost the arctic circle, or repairing a flat tire in an Alaskan downpour – it’s still enjoyable. Even the terrible times on the road are masked by the beauty and sense of adventure only driving these open roads can give.
I want to hear your opinion about this great Canadian and Alaskan road trip
This post condenses 31 days of solid driving and exploring. While I tried to keep it short and easy to read, it isn’t always possible to cover everything.
Please, if you have any questions or comments – I would love to hear them.
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Thanks for reading!
Happy and safe travels,
Ben – Horizon Unknown
