The Prudhoe (prew-dough) Bay complex is more than a huge oil field; it's an amazing achievement. Massive, complex machinery must operate in winter's deep, dark cold, and in summer must avoid harm to a critical habitat for migrating caribou and waterfowl, on wet, fragile tundra that permanently shows any mark made by vehicles. Workers are forbidden even to set foot on the tundra. Most places, as you look from the edge of one of the gravel pads, the heathery ground looks as undisturbed as a calm sea.
But that doesn't make it a good place to go on your vacation. The grim town of Deadhorse, which serves the oil facility, is really more of an industrial yard, barely deserving to be called a town; it certainly isn't anything you'd travel to see. To get beyond it to see Prudhoe Bay, you have to sign up for a tour. The tour has never gone inside the buildings, and under post-September 11, 2001, security measures it doesn't even go close to the most interesting areas. Visitors do get to stop at the Arctic Ocean, the only way to get to the water for those who drive up on the Dalton Highway. That hardly justifies the trip, however, unless you are bent on driving the highway anyway. Frankly, I can't recommend spending the time and expense required for a Prudhoe tour. If you're curious about the Arctic, a trip to Barrow or Nome makes more sense.
If you do go, you must reserve at least 24 hours ahead to clear security for the oil field tour or the ride to the ocean. Tours are operated by the Arctic Caribou Inn, P.O. Box 340111, Prudhoe Bay, AK 99734 (tel. 907/659-2368; www.arcticcaribouinn.com). They will need your name and an identification number that British Petroleum can use to run a background check before allowing you on the oil field: A driver's license, passport, or Social Security number will work. The inn also offers the area's visitor services, including a hotel and cafeteria; although tours operate only in the summer, the hotel and restaurant are open year-round. Rooms have two twin beds and rent for $185 to $235 in summer. The restaurant offers breakfast ($15), lunch ($18), and dinner ($20). No alcohol is for sale in the town and it isn't allowed in the inn. The hotel is near the airport in Deadhorse and serves as the starting point for the tours. The tour itself lasts 2 hours, including a 20-minute video. Visitors are carried by bus to the perimeter of the oil field but no farther. The focus instead is on a 15-minute stop at the Arctic Ocean. The tour costs $38 per adult, $20 ages 14 and under. There is no other way to get from the end of the road to the water.
Alaska Airlines (tel. 800/252-7522; www.alaskaair.com) has a couple of flights daily to Prudhoe Bay from Anchorage. A round-trip ticket costs around $800 from Anchorage.
Several companies drive bus tours up the Dalton Highway all the way to Prudhoe, flying the other way. Northern Alaska Tour Company (tel. 800/474-1986 or 907/474-8600; www.northernalaska.com) offers these trips, with add-ons to make it more interesting: flightseeing stops, day hikes, village visits, and other choices. The basic 3-day, 2-night tour is $889.
