Whitehorse to Tok, Alaska Through Kluane National Park

After waiting 8 days in Whitehorse for a replacement Visa card and some parts for our roof rack to arrive we finally hit the road, heading for Tok, Ak. Our first rest stop was at Canyon Creek to check out the Historic Canyon Creek Bridge originally built by Sam McGee and Gilbert Skelly in 1903. It was dismantled and rebuilt in 1942 in just 18 days by the US Army Corp! It has since been restored to it’s original condition. The Alaska Highway takes you right along the base of the mountains in Kluane National Park & Reserve and makes for a spectacular drive. We chose to stop at Congdon Creek, a Yukon Government Campsite right on Kluane Lake for the night and would have stayed another day accept that the weather crapped out on us so we decided to push on.

Canyon Creek Bridge

The roads along here are constantly in a state of degradation and repair making for some very rough and very slow driving at times. The roads are built over the permafrost, so they can begin to heave causing some severe dips in the road. Along with the heaving you get the usual cracked and potholed asphalt. Eventually whole sections of the road stretching for miles need to be not just resurfaced but the dips filled and regraded. As a result there can be 20+kms of road reduced to gravel and dirt.

Frost Heaves Make for Interesting Driving

Approaching Kluane

The Yukon is full of abandoned businesses

An Overgrown Section of the old Alaska Hwy

Slim’s River Mud Flats & Cliff Swallows

Slim’s River Valley – Glacial Sediments

Congdon Creek Campsite – our screened room was needed that night

Appie Night…One of our favorites on a nice evening when you can sit outside enjoying the view!

Kluane Lake

Spectacular views everywhere

Mountains in Kluane National Park & Reserve

Abondoned cafe near Tok, AK

Along with all the abandoned cafes, lodges and gas stations you see along the road in some pretty remote locations, there are also all kinds of closed, shut down and businesses for sale in small communities like Tok. This one was open two years ago when we were through Tok.