The Dalton Highway

The original purpose was utilitarian: to haul equipment north from Fairbanks for the trans-Alaska oil pipeline, which runs from Prudhoe Bay, on the Arctic Ocean, to Valdez, on the Pacific. But the experience of the Dalton Highway for a traveler is so far beyond the ordinary as to require a whole new frame of reference to take it all in. The road is so very long, so remote and free of traffic, and the scenery is so mind-boggling in its grandeur and repetition, that after a time it feels like you're living in a dream. At some point, you have to swallow and say to yourself, "I guess I didn't know that much about the world after all."

Part of the wonder comes in the difficulty of the drive. There are extreme sports -- throwing yourself off the side of a mountain and so forth -- and this is an extreme road trip, one that dives into deep wilderness as far from help as most people ever get. In 500 miles there are only three service stations, two of which are within 4 miles of each other. The road averages only 250 vehicles a day over its entire length. Driving the Dalton is not to be taken lightly or done on a whim. You need to prepare and you need to know you want to do it, because you will be rumbling over dirt for many, many hours, breathing dust, and beating the crud out of your car.

The drive starts in Fairbanks (officially, you drive parts of the Steese and Elliott highways before the real Dalton Highway begins), crossing the rounded hills and low forest of that region before crossing the Yukon River on a high, wood-decked bridge. Over the miles that follow, trees grow sparser and the road crosses some spectacular alpine plateaus until, entering the Brooks Range, arctic vegetation and the mountains' rocky ferocity take over. Beyond towering Atigun Pass, the Arctic Slope extends 170 miles, first through sensuous tundra foothills, then over the broad, lake-dotted flatlands that extend to the Arctic Ocean. Arrival at the oil facilities can be a letdown, especially if you haven't made arrangements for the tour that is the only way through to the shore. More on that below.

Wildlife shows up all along the road: moose, caribou, and grizzly bears, and sportfish and songbirds. Animals far outnumber people. Two highway businesses are near the Yukon; in Coldfoot there is a truck stop; and Wiseman is 16 miles up the road from Coldfoot, where the 2000 census counted 21 people. And that's it for another 240 miles of dirt road to Prudhoe Bay. There are no ATMs, no grocery stores, no cell phone coverage, no medical facilities -- civilization just isn't there. Drive carefully.

Practical Tips

You can drive the highway yourself, staying in the few motels along the way or in a tent or motorhome. From Fairbanks, take the Steese Highway north to the Elliott Highway. The total road distance from Fairbanks to the Arctic Ocean is 497 miles. Road conditions are notorious on the gravel-and-dirt Dalton, but now much of it is kept in good condition, with pavement working its way steadily north. Speeds of 60 miles per hour are possible on some parts of the road, while doing 35 will keep you in one piece on rougher spots; even the good sections can have nasty surprises, however, with unmarked, bone-jarring potholes. The drive takes 12 hours each way, without stops. It's dusty, shoulders are soft, and flat tires are common. In the Fairbanks section, I listed a business that rents four-wheel-drive pickup trucks and campers. Generally, other rental companies don't allow their vehicles on the Dalton.

Preparing for the drive is essential. Pick up the road guide produced by the BLM and get first-hand, personal advice.

Visitor Information

Getting up-to-date advice is critical before heading off on the Dalton Highway, and the best place to do that is the Fairbanks Alaska Public Lands Information Center, in the Morris Thompson center at 101 Dunkel St., Fairbanks, AK 99701 (tel. 907/456-0527; www.nps.gov/aplic). Staffers there drive the road annually to stay on top of current conditions.

Much of the road runs through land managed by the Bureau of Land Management, 1150 University Ave., Fairbanks, AK 99709 (tel. 800/437-7021 or 907/474-2200; www.blm.gov/ak, click Central Yukon Field Office at the bottom of the page). The handy Dalton Highway Visitor Guide, a 24-page booklet, free at the public lands information center or from any BLM information center, or by mail by calling the number above; or read it on the website along with other information about the drive.

Two information stops are along the highway, both open summer only. A contact station at the Yukon River crossing is staffed by BLM volunteers and open daily in summer from 9am to 6pm. It has no phone. The recently constructed Arctic Interagency Visitor Center is at mile 175 on the west side of the highway in Coldfoot (tel. 907/678-5209 or 907/678-2014), open late May to early September from 10am to 10pm daily. The free center is far grander than one would expect in the middle of the wilderness. It has exhibits about the North, a theater for nightly educational programs, a planning room for backcountry trips, a bookstore, and knowledgeable staff. Even if you don't have any questions, you should definitely make this stop.

On the Road

The bridge over the Yukon River at mile 56 is the only crossing of the river in Alaska, and many people drive the Dalton just to get to the Arctic Circle at mile 115, where you'll find a sign for pictures as well as a crude camping area. Many, many places along the highway have incredible views; among the most famous are Finger Mountain at mile 98, which has a short interpretive nature trail; Gobbler's Knob at mile 132, which offers the first view of the Brooks Range; and 4,739-foot Atigun Pass at mile 245, where the road crosses the Brooks Range, winding through impossibly rugged country. The pass is the highest point on the Alaska road system, and you may find summer snow. All along the highway are opportunities to see birds and animals, including rabbits, foxes, moose, Dall sheep, bears, and caribou. Sit still if you see the skittish caribou, as they are more likely to wander closer to an unmoving vehicle. Beware of wolves, which several times attacked Dalton travelers in 2006, although that's very rare. Keep pets under control, and if a wolf approaches, yell and throw rocks at it.

The road parallels the 4-foot-wide trans-Alaska pipeline. The line, completed in 1977, serves America's largest and second-largest oil fields, Prudhoe Bay and Kuparuk, carrying the hot crude 900 miles from the Arctic Ocean to docks in Valdez, where tankers pick it up for shipment primarily to the West Coast. The public road ends before reaching the Prudhoe Bay complex and the Arctic Ocean. The only way through the gate is with a tour operator, and you must make arrangements at least 24 hours ahead to clear security. Call the Arctic Caribou Inn (tel. 866/659-2368 or 907/659-2368; www.arcticcaribouinn.com).

Highway Services: Food, Fuel & Lodgings

Among the few places offering services along the 414 miles of the Dalton, you won't find anything luxurious, or even approaching budget chains. The service is generally quite friendly, but except for two small B&Bs in the tiny town of Wiseman, all lodgings are in former construction camp dormitories.

Near the spectacular suspended bridge over the Yukon River, at Mile 56, is a decidedly unspectacular motel, restaurant, and gas station. Yukon River Camp (tel. 907/474-3557), open 9am to 9pm, has a gift shop, fuel (usually), and tire repair, as well as food and lodging, and is open mid-May to mid-September. Just 4 miles up the road from the river, the Hot Spot Café (tel. 907/451-7543), open 10 am to midnight, offers dining, lodging, a gift shop, gas (usually), and tire repair. It also operates only mid-May to mid-September.

The Coldfoot Camp truck stop at Mile 175 (tel. 866/474-3400 or 907/474-3500; www.coldfootcamp.com) is the one big stopping place along the road. After the endless wilderness miles on the road, no one could stand to pass it by. The year-round camp includes several buildings on a large gravel pad. Most important are the gas pumps and the 24-hour restaurant where you pay for the fuel -- a typical but friendly highway diner. Across the lot, the camp's inn is built of left-over construction camp modular units. The small rooms with low ceilings are perfectly comfortable, with private bathrooms, but far from grand. The camp also provides minor vehicle repairs, RV hookup, laundry, a post office, a gift shop, and a saloon. They offer guided rafting on the Middle Fork Koyukuk River, flight tours to the village of Anaktuvuk Pass, tours of Wiseman, and shuttles for hiking. In the winter the camp offers dog-sled rides and aurora-viewing tours. An air taxi, Coyote Air (tel. 800/252-0603 or 907/678-5995; www.flycoyote.com), offers flightseeing of this amazing country from the air. There are other activities farther afield offered by Northern Alaska Tour Company (tel. 800/474-1986 or 907/474-8600; www.northernalaska.com). Don't miss the remarkable new interagency visitor center, described above. The pleasant BLM Marion Creek Campground is 5 miles north of Coldfoot.

Wiseman, 13 miles north of Coldfoot and 3 miles off the road, is the only real town on the entire drive, and well worth a stop to see a tiny rural community about a century out of time's progress. There's not a thing commercial about it. The general store, Wiseman Trading Company, established 1910, was operating on the honor system when we stopped in. A sign read, "If you need change come to the door and yell for Eight Ball or walk to the cabin across the lawn." Other residents sell furs or crafts from their homes. There's not much to do here but see how our great-grandparents lived, when food came from gardens, streams, and forests. Get advice at the interagency visitor center staff in Coldfoot. To spend the night in a homier place than the Coldfoot truck stop, try Wiseman's Boreal Lodging (tel. 907/678-4566; www.boreallodge.com), or Arctic Getaway Bed and Breakfast (tel. 907/678-4456; www.arcticgetaway.com).

After Coldfoot, the next service area is Deadhorse, at the end of the road another 240 miles north, with rooms, fuel, restaurants, a post office, vehicle maintenance, a general store, and an airport

Activities

Fishing -- The streams and lakes of the Arctic are cold, poor in nutrients, and frozen much of the year; fishing is not a good reason to drive the Dalton. However, if you are taking the adventure anyway, there are fish in streams from July to mid-September and in lakes that don't freeze to the bottom. Many of the streams have Arctic grayling, but you'll want to hike farther than a quarter mile from the road to increase your chances (off-road vehicles are not allowed). A good bet is the Jim River area between miles 140 and 144, where the river follows the road and fishing pressure is more spread out. Most North Slope rivers have good Dolly Varden fishing in late August and early September. Many of the lakes along the road have grayling, and the deeper ones north of the Brooks Range have lake trout. Check current regulations. Contact the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 1300 College Rd., Fairbanks, AK 99701 (tel. 907/459-7207; www.alaska.gov/adfg); they produce a booklet called Sportfishing Along the Dalton Highway, which you can get at the office, at some visitor centers, or by mail.

Hiking -- The road has no established hiking trails, but most of the area is open to self-reliant hikers who know how to pick their own route. Hiking brushy or marshy Interior country isn't fun, but the dry tundra of the ridgetops and mountains creates a wonderful sense of freedom. The country opens up north of the Chandalar Shelf at mile 237. The best hiking area is the zone of dry tundra in the foothills north of the Brooks Range. But even at upper elevations, you still run into tussocks, wet ground, and stream crossings. Topographical maps and advice on hiking the Brooks Range are available at the sources listed under "Visitor Information," above. The book Outside in the Interior describes a handful of hikes along the road. Remember, this is remote wilderness; do your research, be prepared, and tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back.

Camping

The Bureau of Land Management has a few campgrounds along the road, but there seems little reason to wait to reach them, as there are any number of places to pull off the road on a spot of gravel and spend the night, often in places of stunning beauty. The only requirements are for safety and the environment: Get far enough off the road to avoid the fast-moving truck spewing rocks as far as 30 feet; read up on bear avoidance; don't leave toilet paper or anything else behind, and stay no longer than 14 days in one spot. Parking on pipeline access roads is okay if you don't block the road or security gates. I have listed the BLM's developed areas along the Dalton, which include campgrounds and spots where you can park for a while and obtain water. Unless the description mentions a formal campground, these are just pull-outs where you can park and camp or sleep in your car. Add 83 miles to the mileposts to get the distance from Fairbanks.

• Mile 60 (Five Mile): Artesian well with potable water, outhouses, and free public dump station (this is the last dump station on the highway). Don't wash your vehicle here, as it will contaminate the groundwater.
• Mile 98 (Finger Mountain): Nice views, outhouse, and wheelchair-accessible trail with interpretive signs.
• Mile 115 (Arctic Circle): Outhouses, picnic tables, and an interpretive display; camp only in the undeveloped campground up the hill, which has an outhouse but no water.
• Mile 150 (Grayling Lake): Wayside with outhouse.
• Mile 175 (Coldfoot): A private campground with hookups is part of the truck stop described above.
• Mile 180 (Marion Creek): A developed BLM campground with 27 campsites, 11 of them for large RVs (no hookups). The campground has a potable well and outhouses; the fee of $8 may be increased.
• Mile 235 (Arctic tree line): Outhouse; not an attractive camping site due to truck traffic on a steep grade.
• Mile 275 (Galbraith Lake): Undeveloped campground with an outhouse about 4 miles off the highway; follow the access road past the state-operated landing strip, then continue 2 1/2 miles on an unimproved road. Filter or boil water from the nearby creek before use.
• Mile 301 (Slope Mountain): Land north of this point is managed by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, not the BLM; however, you can use the same visitor information sources mentioned above.
• Mile 355 (on the North Slope): Wayside with an outhouse.
• Mile 414 (Deadhorse): The end of the road. Deadhorse has a post office, general store, hotels, and other services, and an operator offers tours through to the Arctic Ocean, which must be arranged in advance.