The Dalton Highway, sometimes called “the Haul Road”, was built in 1974 for the sole purposes of building the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and providing a land route to haul supplies to the Prudoe Bay oilfields on the Beaufort Sea Coast. The 415 mile road runs from the Elliot Highway about 85 miles north of Fairbanks to Prudoe Bay, crossing the Arctic Circle at mile 115. The road is mostly dirt/gravel with some paved sections. It is considered one of the most remote, dangerous and challenging roads in Alaska but also has great scenic beauty, wildlife and recreational opportunities. It is recommended that visitors take at least two days to drive one way from Fairbanks to Deadhorse. The Dalton Highway gained some fame as being the location, starting in season 3, for “Ice Road Truckers“.
The Dalton Highway is mostly gravel and dirt surface with several paved sections mixed in
There is a five mile corridor which includes the pipeline and the road which is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Until 1994, the road was closed to the public. In 1994 the BLM began to allow public access through Disaster Creek at mile 210. More recently they have opened the road to Deadhorse at mile 412. To reach to Beaufort Sea, you will need to hook up with a private tour company.
The Dalton Highway
This route has a history of being hard on vehicles. The muddy sections become very slick with rain. There are washboards, potholes and frost heaves throughout the length. It is recommended that you carry 2 full size mounted spare tires, tools, and everything else you would possibly need, such as water and food, with the goal of being completely self-sufficient. Services along the road are extremely limited. Almost every vehicle rental agency prohibits rentals from driving on this road. There are no services, such as AAA which will come out for a problem on the Dalton. There is no cellular service from about 25 miles north of Fairbanks on the Elliot Highway and along the entire Dalton Highway. CB radio is recommended and used by the truckers and road maintenance workers. Be prepared for the full spectrum of weather. Snow can occur throughout the entire year especially at higher elevations.
The Trans-Alaska Pipeline was constructed between 1974-1977 and transports oil 800 miles from Prudoe Bay south to Valdez, the furthest north port to remain ice free year round. The pipeline construction cost $8 billion in 1977, involved 70,000 workers, and was the largest privately funded construction project ever taken. The pipeline is a constant companion along the Dalton Highway. Sometimes it ducks underground and the distance to the road varies throughout the route, but it is never far from view. There is a very good display about the building of the pipeline at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Yukon Crossing Visitor Contact Station located at mile 56. We learned that the pipeline was built to withstand fires, earthquakes and freezing temperatures. The coldest recorded temperature in Alaska, of -80°F/ -62°C, was recorded at Prospect Camp, near mile 135.
A closer look at the Trans-Alaska pipeline
“Headache bars” which look like a goal post are designed to prevent tall vehicles from hitting the pipeline
The pipeline is your constant companion
Given the conditions of the region, the construction of the road is quite a feat and provides challenges for ongoing maintenance. The road is built above permafrost of varying depths. If permafrost melts, the road above it will sink. The road is constructed on a berm of gravel which can be 20 feet high in places. There are numerous steep grades up to 10%, narrow sections with little or no shoulder, sharp curves and minimal pullouts. Constant attention is required of drivers. Trucks have priority and passenger cars should use pullouts where available or slow and pull over for trucks. Be prepared for damage to windshields. We had at least 3 rocks hit our windshield, but were lucky to only have surface chipping.
The Dalton was built as a “Haul Road” and trucks are still top dog, move out of their way
The road is built over permafrost of varying depths using a berm that can be up to 20 feet high
We decided to take a 3 day trip on the Dalton in our Jeep, leaving the RV at a campground in Fairbanks. We could easily have made this a longer trip if we were traveling without our cat. We left Fairbanks in the morning and headed up the Elliot Highway to the beginning of the Dalton Highway. Enroute we hit patches of fog and drizzle. There is a nice photo-op sign at mile 1.1 of the Dalton Highway.
Sign for photo-op at mile 1.1, the road was muddy and slick at the entrance from recent rain
On the first day we drove to Coldfoot Camp at mile 175. The day’s drive included several named hills: the Rollercoaster (mile 75), Mackey Hill, Beaver Slide (mile 109), and Gobbler’s Knob (mile 132). At mile 55 we reached the open deck Yukon River Bridge, which is constructed with a 6% grade. The bridge surface is wooden plank, similar to many of the smaller bridges. Just after the bridge is the Yukon Crossing Visitor Contact Station at mile 56. There is a BLM staffer who provides information about the road. There are two viewing decks for the Yukon River and its bridge and informative displays about the building of the bridge and the pipeline. Yukon Crossing also has fuel and food services, but they are not available 24 hours per day.
The Yukon River bridge has a wooden plank surface and a 6% grade
Yukon Crossing Visitor Contact Station is located just across the Yukon River Bridge
The Yukon River and its bridge from a viewing deck
We stopped at the Finger Mountain wayside at mile 98, which has some interpretive panels about the surrounding tundra. It’s a great area to get out and explore. Finger Mountain is a landmark used by travelers for centuries.
Finger Mountain Wayside Interpretive Trail
The road and pipeline stretching out across tundra viewed from Finger Mountain Wayside
At mile 115 we reached the Arctic Circle Wayside located at 66° 33’. There is a sign for photos. At this latitude, the sun does not set on the summer solstice or rise on the winter solstice. One third of Alaska lies within the Arctic Circle, the only true polar region in the state.
There is a nice sign at the Arctic Circle, author points to star denoting location
After the Arctic Circle the number of tourists drops off dramatically. The majority take a day trip to the Arctic Circle and head back to Fairbanks. Around mile 156 we entered the foothills of the Brooks Range.
We reached the Coldfoot Camp, the same camp that was constructed in the 1970’s for the road and pipeline construction, which has been turned into a hotel, restaurant, and fuel stop. They also offer tire repair here. This is the first 24 hour fuel stop on the Dalton Highway. This is a popular stop for truckers who eat in the Trucker’s Cafe, fuel up and park for sleeping. We spent two nights here. The next services are in Deadhorse, 240 miles away.
Coldfoot Camp’s restaurant and truck parking
The Inn at Coldfoot
The Inn at Coldfoot was created by joining a number of individual trailers together and making rooms that are entered from a long center hallway. There are 52 rooms available. Each room contains two single (twin) beds, a sink, small closet and a recently added ensuite toilet/shower room. It is described as “rustic” in their advertising. The ensuite toilet/shower were added in a corner of the room by building a small plywood corner, which has been left unfinished. While the aesthetic level is low, the rooms are functional. As there are no other hotels before Deadhorse at mile 415, there is no competition. In 2016, the price is $219 per night for a room. The mountain views from the exterior helps to make up for the interior.
The Inn at Coldfoot’s entrance
The Inn is the old camp from the 1970’s road and pipeline construction built from trailers connected together
View at room entrance, each room has two single (twin) beds
Looking at the room door, ensuite toilet/shower enclosed in plywood
View from Inn at Coldfoot entrance
The Trucker’s Cafe turned out to be the pleasant surprise. We did not have high expectations. They offer a buffet dinner ($24) and breakfast ($15). The food was tasty. The buffets offered a wide range of choices given the remoteness of the cafe and the small number of people that come through daily. Dinner buffets included nice salad bar options, soup, several vegetable sides, 3 entree options, bread and several dessert options. The majority of the buffet was also completely different from the first night to the second. The breakfast buffet included fresh fruit, yogurt, granola, cereals, eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, burritos, biscuits and gravy, hash browns and muffins. There were also variations between the two breakfasts we ate. We were impressed by the food here.
The trucker’s only alcove is off limits
Coldfoot is also home to the Arctic Interagency Visitor Center which is run by BLM, National Park Service and Alaska Fish & Game from May-September. There are excellent displays about the tundra and regional wildlife, aurora borealis, and other related topics. At the entrance is a great geology display. There are rangers on hand to provide information about Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, the BLM Dalton Highway corridor, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge, and Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge. Back country permits are obtained here or Bettles for Gates of the Arctic. There are several short hikes in the immediate area. A program or film is offered every evening at 8pm.
The well done Arctic Interagency Visitor Center in Coldfoot has great displays
We particularly enjoyed meeting National Park Service Ranger Bob, who has been a NPS Ranger for Gates of the Arctic for 30 years. He is one of the less than 20 year round residents of the small town of Wiseman, located about 13 miles north of Coldfoot. He was very informative, answering all of my questions thoroughly. We also had a lengthy conversation about his time as a ranger. He was kind enough to pull up and go through his slide show on winter patrols of the park. He estimates that while Alaska receives about a million visitors each summer, the Arctic Interagency Visitor Center receives about 8,000-10,000 visitors per season, while Gates of the Arctic National Park receives only about 600-800 visitors per year! The main reason for the low number is the difficulty in reaching the park. There is no road entry. Visitors must be flown in, access via a water route or hike in.
View of the Gates of the Arctic mountains closest to the haul road
On our second day, we traveled north from Coldfoot through the Brooks Range, crossing at Atigun Pass (mile 242). We traveled past Mount Dillon, Sukakpak Mountain and climbed up to the Chandalar Shelf. This section includes the Dietrich and Koyukuk Rivers. Wildlife that may be viewed along the highway includes: moose, brown bears, wolves, caribou, wolverines, lynx, muskox, snowshoe hares, arctic ground squirrels, and lots of birds.
Sukakpak Mountain
Mountain scenery along the Dalton Highway
The Chandalar Shelf follows a two mile climb
Approaching the bottom of the climb to Atigun Pass
After crossing Atigun Pass (elev 4,800 feet), the terrain opens up with a wide tundra valley until opening up to vast tundra views. We drove a little further than Galbraith Lake (mile 274) before turning around. We were very fortunate to spot a wolf on our return trip. The wolf crossed the road in front of us and continued running down into the valley before we lost him in the rolling terrain. We also saw snowshoe hares and arctic ground squirrels. The best word to describe the area we drove through is vast. Other descriptors include scenic, awe-inspiring, and wilderness.
Atigun River and the north side of Atigun Pass
The tundra was staring to turn color with the red bearberry changing first
Tundra and pipeline
A truck travels toward Atigun Pass
The Brooks Range and Galbraith Lake
The Brooks Range and the pipeline
We spent a second night at Coldfoot Camp before returning to Fairbanks. We averaged 30-35 mph through the gravel sections, but had to slow down for rougher patches and to pass vehicles. We had no tire issues or major damage to our Jeep. There are several primitive campsites located along the highway. This is a great trip for travelers who are prepared.
