A remarkable feat of human effort, the Alaska Highway (Highway 1) was built in 1942 with the express purpose of strengthening Alaska against the possibility of Japanese invasion. Cutting through rugged wilderness in an unforgiving climate, the engineers left us with a scenic route that makes for a splendid road trip. The full route of the highway runs from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, to Fairbanks, Alaska. It's a reasonably comfortable stretch of road (with stores, motels and gas stations), but it's a long one—1,387 mi/2,233 km. Some good Yukon stops include Watson Lake, the George Johnston Museum in
Teslin (a large Tlingit artifact collection, named for a famous trapper and photographer of the 1920s-40s), Whitehorse, Burwash Landing and
Haines Junction (the gateway to Kluane National Park, with guided walks, a visitor center and good food at the Village Bakery & Deli). At mile 588/km 946, slow down to see Contact Creek, the point where army engineers working from either end of the highway met in 1942.
One option for those making the full circle from British Columbia to Alaska and back is to take the Stewart-Cassiar Highway on one of the legs of the trip. The Stewart-Cassiar meets the Alaska Highway near Watson Lake. (Be forewarned—both the road and services on this route are not the same quality as those on the Alaska Highway.)
