BLOG 10 - Alaska HWY from Watson Lake to Haines Junction

On the Alaska Highway, we initially drive east - the 'wrong direction'. Our destination is Watson Lake, where we can refuel and shop. In Canada, the price of gasoline is now around CAD 1.50 to 1.65, which is quite high considering our truck's fuel consumption of 20 to 23 liters per 100 km.

Watson Lake is also home to the famous 'Sign Post Forest', where travelers from all over the world have attached their signs over the past few decades - some specially made for this purpose, others even stolen.

Now we head west - about 700 km to Haines Junction, with a few minor deviations from the Alaska Highway. We don't cover this distance in one go, rarely driving more than 300 km a day. Here, we find a nice place to spend the night at a Yukon Government Campground by a small lake. These campsites may offer limited amenities (although we have everything we need on board our camper), but they always provide plenty of space, a picturesque location, and free firewood for an overnight fee of around CAD 15, which must be deposited in an envelope in a box.

Worth mentioning is the drive along and across Teslin Lake, which spans nearly 150 km.

As with our first Yukon & Alaska trip 6 years ago, we visit Carcross (also known as Caribou Crossing). Though we don't see any caribous here, we do spot two foxes on the road. Carcross is the current terminus of the White Pass & Yukon Railroad, which now operates mainly for tourists. Unfortunately, in 2022, due to Canadian entry requirements, the trains will only run the short section from Skagway, USA to White Pass. Therefore, our planned journey from Skagway to Carcross has to be canceled. The new tribal center of the Tagish First Nation is not yet fully operational, but is worth a visit from the outside.

Immediately after Carcross, we pass by the 'Smallest Desert in the World' - the Carcross Desert - as well as the beautiful Emerald Lake.

We bypass Whitehorse for now, but we will pass by again. Our next stop is Haines Junction - the 'Gateway to Kluane'. This town offers only a few rather curious attractions, such as the 'Yukon Monument' - locally known as 'The Muffin' - and the 'Our Lady of the Way' Roman Catholic church, which was designed by a Dutch priest in the 1950s using materials from an American workshop dating back to the construction of the Alaska Highway.

We have come here because of the mini airport, which will serve as our gateway to the Kluane Icefield.

On the Alaska Highway, we drive east first - the 'wrong direction'. Our destination is Watson Lake, where we can refuel and shop. In Canada, the price of petrol is now around EUR 1.50 to 1.65, which is pretty steep considering our truck's consumption of 20 to 23 liters per 100 km. In Watson Lake, there is also the famous 'sign forest' where travelers from all countries have attached their plaques - some specially made for this purpose or even stolen - over the last few decades.

Now we head west - about 700 km to Haines Junction, including a few minor deviations from the Alaska Highway. We do not cover this distance in one go; we rarely drive more than 300 km a day. Here, we find a nice place to stay at a Yukon Government Campground by a small lake. These places offer little equipment (although we actually have everything necessary aboard our camper), but always plenty of space, an idyllic location, and free firewood for an overnight fee of approximately EUR 15, which must be deposited in an envelope in a box.

It is worth mentioning the drive along and across Teslin Lake, which is almost 150 km long.

As with our first Yukon & Alaska trip 6 years ago, we visit Carcross (actually Caribou Crossing). We do not see any caribous here, but we do see two foxes on the road. Carcross is the current terminus of the White Pass & Yukon Railroad - now mostly catering to tourists. Unfortunately, in 2022 (due to Canadian entry requirements), trains will only run the short section from Skagway (US) to White Pass. Therefore, our planned trip from Skagway to Carcross has to be canceled.

The new tribal center of the Tagish First Nation is not yet fully operational, but is worth seeing from the outside. Immediately after Carcross, you will pass by the 'Smallest Desert in the World' - the Carcross Desert - and the beautiful Emerald Lake.

We bypass Whitehorse for now, but we will pass by again. Our next stop is Haines Junction - the 'Gateway to Kluane'. The place offers only a few rather curious sights, such as the 'Yukon Monument' - locally known as 'The Muffin' - or the Catholic church 'Our Lady of the Way', which was designed by a Dutch priest in the 1950s using materials from an American workshop from the time of the construction of the Alaska Highway.

We are here because of the mini airport, which will serve as our gateway to the Kluane Icefield.