Let’s get an overview of Alaska III – Excluding the Arctic Circle

Starting from Fairbanks, the northernmost city in Alaska, there is a road called Dalton Highway. All the way north, you can reach some ocean (I am not good at geography and dare not lie, you know). I saw some tourists even stripped naked and danced when they got there. Swimmed in icy water.

 

Starting from Fairbanks, it takes about four and a half hours to reach the Arctic Circle. There is a Arctic Circle Sign on the roadside. Another two hours further north, we arrive at Coldfoot, where there are many people. Will stay there to watch the Aurora. Six hours further north, you will reach the end of the road Deadhorse and experience the feeling of the end of the world.

 

Highlights on this road:

unique scenery

The lonely snow-capped mountains and glaciers along the way, plus the tragic and heroic journey to the end of the world

 

Followed Highway 4 to Dalton Highway all the way to the Deadhorse oil pipeline

The large oil pipeline and the highway run together, accompanying each other all the way, undulating according to the terrain and even rising into the air

 

The above photos are from:

Dalton Highway: Expedition to the Arctic Ocean | Self-driving guide to the world's most dangerous roads [2017 new edition]

This article has almost everything you need to know about the Dalton Highway

 

The retreat on this road:

 

The road conditions are very bad

The road conditions are very bad in summer and even worse in winter, especially after passing Coldfoot, which is all gravel. Only Coldfoot has a gas station on the road. There is no way to turn back after Coldfoot , so you have to drive all the way north to Deadhorse to refuel .

There is no point in checking in during the summer when there are no aurora.

Unless you just want to check in at Deadhorse, there will be nothing more than a mine and the ability to swim in icy water when you get there. If you only go to the Arctic Circle sign, the round trip from Fairbanks will take 10 hours.

 

Ordinary cars cannot drive on this road

Only a few special car rental companies are allowed to rent four-wheel drive off-road vehicles on the Dalton Highway. The price is 2-3 times that of ordinary vehicles. Any problems with other vehicles on the Dalton Highway will not be covered by insurance, and the car rental company will not provide rescue services. Even though it is a special vehicle, I have seen various problems in several travel notes.

See the car rental company Alaska Auto Rental for the following regulations:

If you will be traveling on the Dalton Highway, Elliot Highway past Livengood, Steese Highway past milepost 82, Denali Highway, Denali Park Rd (past milepost 15), McCarthy Road, Taylor Highway, Petersville Rd past Kroto Creek, Hatcher Pass Rd (MP 17 to MP 33), or the Dempster Highway, or if any of your destinations include the Arctic Circle, Coldfoot, Wiseman, Deadhorse, Central, Circle, Minto, Manley, McCarthy, Chicken, Eagle, or Dawson City you will need to rent a Gravel Highway Vehicle.

 

Alaska Auto Rental’s Gravel Highway Vehicles are equipped with heavy duty puncture resistant tires, two spare tires, and a CB radio. Gravel Highway Vehicles also follow a thorough preventative maintenance program and undergo safety inspection before each rental.

 

After all these considerations, Dalton Highway was abandoned.