WATSON LAKE TO WHITEHORSE, YT

From Watson Lake, YT to Whitehorse, YT is a fairly straight run of approx.. 454 kms/283miles on the Alaska Highway (or #1).

The Alaska Highway begins at Mile 0 in Dawson Creek, BC. The first 613 miles/987 km of the Alaska Highway are in British Columbia, where it is designated BC Highway 97 North. The highway travels in a northwesterly direction to the Yukon border near Watson Lake, YT (Historical Mile 635). From there it continues as Yukon Highway 1, crossing 577 miles/929 km of Yukon to Port Alcan on the Alaska border. The Alaska Highway crosses into Alaska at Historical Mile 1221.8, where it becomes Alaska Route 2. From this international border, it is 200 miles/322 km to Delta Junction, AK (Historical Mile 1422), the official end of the Alaska Highway, and 298 miles to Fairbanks, the unofficial end of the highway, at Historical Mile 1520.

Road conditions on the Alaska Highway are not unlike road conditions on many secondary roads in the Lower 48 and Canada. It is the tremendous length of the highway, combined with its remoteness and the extremes of the Northern climate, that often result in surprises along this highway. Historically speaking, however, the Alaska Highway has rarely been closed by any weather-related event, and even then usually not longer than a day. ** Quoted from the Milepost

Here’s a little of what to expect along this route!

First off, you’ll pass the junction of Hwy #37 – The Stewart/Cassiar Highway which leads down eventually to Prince George. It’s one of the 2 ways to arrive to the Yukon – the other being the eastern route along Hwy #97.

Close to the junction, you’ll find Nugget City. The small pit stop includes The Northern Beaver Post gift shop (which hasn’t been open the 2x we’ve been thru the area but it looks intriguing!), an RV park, cabins and The Wolf-It-Down Restaurant. We stopped there for coffee and a snack to keep us going. Their baked goods are delightful – and the turnovers (apple & cherry) were delicious! We’ve had a breakfast there before and it was also really good!

Wolf It Down Restaurant at Nugget City, our home has 6 wheels

Going in for coffee and baked goods!

Along the road you’ll see numerous places where people have spelled out names/slogans etc. in rocks. This was started in 1990 by a Fort Nelson swim team and has grown since!

RANCHERIA FALLS

Rancheria Falls is a worthy stop – there’s about a 10-minute walk along a boardwalk that leads down to a fairly impressive fall. There are toilets and picnic areas for day use only.

Rancheria Boardwalk

Rancheria Falls

Along the road you’ll find numerous Government Day Use and Campground areas. They’re all extremely clean and well-kept. The campgrounds are usually self-register and are small to medium campgrounds with pit toilets, picnic tables, fire pits and usually free firewood. The fee is $12/night which is a bargain! Most of these campgrounds can accommodate tents and mid-sized RV’s … and are generally back-in sites.

About mid-way to Whitehorse is the town of Teslin – home to about 470 residents. The bridge leading into town is called the Nisutlin Bay Bridge and is the longest bridge on the Alaska Hwy at 584 meters in length. You can view the 120km long Teslin Lake which straddles the border with British Columbia.

Just across the bridge is the Yukon Motel Lakeshore Resort where you can gas up, get a bite to eat and have a look around their trading post for unique souvenirs. The RV park is right on the lake, but nothing spectacular (and quite expensive!)

The town of Teslin has many interesting things to explore – my favorite was the Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre which is about 4 kms down the road. There are exhibits to see, cultural demonstrators creating some beautiful articles of apparel and crafts. The town itself has many interesting heritage buildings and is worth a drive through (it’s not large!)

Yukon Motel in Teslin, our home has 6 wheels

Yukon Motel just across the bridge in Teslin

Nisutlin Bridge

Totems at Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre, our home has 6 wheels

Totems outside Teslin at Tlingit Heritage Centre

More Government Campgrounds along the way following Teslin … the largest one being the Marsh Lake Gov’t campground. It has 41 sites that would suite most RV’s … with swimming, toilets, tables, playground and hiking trails. A definite possibility for next time!

Shortly after the campground is the Swan Haven Interpretive Centre. The lake is a very popular and necessary stop for all manner of migrating waterfowl on their migration to/from the north. What the guidebook doesn’t tell you … this migration occurs in April and the centre closes after that … and I would NOT recommend driving an RV down the road. It’s basically a residential road with very limited parking at the Haven. If it wasn’t deserted when we got there … we’d have been hard-pressed to turn around to get out! Still … a beautiful spot to stop and wander around.