If you decide to drive from Tok, Alaska into the Yukon at Dawson City, you’ll get to experience the ‘fun’ of the Top of the World Highway!

In Alaska, you’ll be driving on the Taylor Highway.  This highway leads from Tok right up to the town of Eagle and goes through some of the richest gold mining areas in Alaska.

Driving the Taylor Hwy. is not for the faint of heart. Firstly the term ‘highway’ is misleading; it is ‘paved’ from Tok to Chicken … but by ‘paved’ I mean a roller coaster ride up and down paved patches interspersed with gravel, potholes, and crazy frost heaves. Luckily there’s not much in the way of scenery along the way as you’re too focused on trying to keep your vehicle in one piece to look around!

Low shrubs, forests of stunted black spruce … much of which has been consumed by a forest fire at some point in the past.

views on Taylor Highway

Views on Taylor Highway

 

I can’t even imagine how tough the gold miners were during the gold rush. Straying off the highway today would be tough going even now … within meters you’d be hacking your way through almost impenetrable bush, wading through swamps, fording rivers … but the lure of striking it rich was a powerful one!

Here’s some views of along the Taylor Highway leading up to Chicken:

Along Taylor Highway

Along Taylor Highway

Along Taylor Highway

Along Taylor Highway

CHICKEN, Alaska

 

Reaching Chicken is such a relief that you’ll be ready for a break. This is a very funky little (little!) town with several gift shops, a saloon, campgrounds, gas station and a wonderful café with great espresso drinks and really good food! There’s a large eating area both indoors and out and good and clean outhouses to use.

There’s an old gold dredge with tours you can take or you can pan for gold yourself. And of course … a giant chicken!

Chicken Alaska

Chicken Alaska

Chicken Alaska

Chicken Alaska

 

After leaving Chicken … the excitement really begins. It no longer pretends to be paved … it’s just gravel/dirt. But still has lots of the above mentioned potholes AND lots of washboard/teeth rattling/pottery-shattering areas. We drove through during/after a rain, so very quickly our RV and tow vehicle were covered in mud.

I was able to white-knuckle it through about another 20 miles when we happened upon Walker Fork BLM where we swerved in, found a site and I attempted to unclench my hand from the door handle. It’s a really nice campground and only $10! A nice respite before finishing your journey.

 

After that it’s more of the same only now you’re climbing … up to over 4,000 ft at the summit! And just to add to my delight with the road … we were now in extremely dense fog with visibility almost nil. What fun!

Top of the World Highway

Top of the World Highway

Top of the World Highway

Top of the World Highway

The only good this is that about 13 miles before the U.S./CDN border crossing there’s new, wonderful pavement! Enjoy it because it doesn’t last!

 

The Little Gold/Poker Creek border crossing from Alaska to the Yukon is the northernmost international border crossing in North America … in the middle of nowhere … I wonder how lonely/boring it gets for those border guards? Anyway … made it though with no issues and off we go.

 

After the border crossing into the Yukon, the road becomes Yukon Hwy #9 or (unofficially) The Top of the World Highway. It is officially open from May – September but stays open till the first snowfall. The border crossing however closes in Mid-September and after that point there is no crossing the border! Travelers beware!

In the clouds at the Top of the World Highway

In the clouds at the Top of the World Highway

 

The road now goes back to gravel/dirt but when it’s clear … you can see forever! No high mountains, but rolling hills and large forests of black spruce and brush. Quite lovely in it’s own way. You can also see snowbanks along the side of the road – even in summer!

Views at the top of the world hwy

Views at the top of the world hwy

This continues for about another 65 miles (105 km). 65 miles and about 3 hours of what people pay money to ride in amusement parks to scare the heck out of themselves! It took me a day to recover (and many glasses of wine!)

It’s quite desolate and there are no amenities along the way although there is a wayside with outhouses and garbage pails at about mile 54 from Dawson. But as for fuel … you either gas up in Dawson – if you’re going west and either Tok or Chicken – if you’re going east depending on the range of your vehicle. There’s nothing in between.

Upon reaching the Yukon river … you’re almost to Dawson … but you still have to get across the river. This is done via The George Black ferry – a free ferry that runs continuously 24 hours a day in the summer and in the spring and fall from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily. It’s a short trip which takes only about 10 minutes … and you’ve made it YAY!

George Black Ferry to Dawson City

George Black Ferry to Dawson City

 

Dirty Car after the Top of the World Hwy

Dirty Car after the Top of the World Hwy