Driving from Michigan to Alaska
The road to Alaska is paved with amazing views.
Greetings friends!
Driving the Alcan (Alaskan/Canadian Highway) isn’t a trip I really knew anything about. Even growing up in Montana, we never really went further north than Calgary, Alberta. Taking a travel assignment in Anchorage, Alaska meant either fly and rent a car, or drive 4,185 miles. Being that the journey getting to your destination is part of the experience, my husband and I decided to drive. We quickly started researching the best route, and knew we had to stop in Montana part way through to visit my family. After all, my husband had never made the drive from Michigan to Montana, and hadn’t been further west than Glacier National Park. We packed our bags, loaded up the dogs, and headed out on our next big adventure.
All packed up with somewhere to go!We decided to take the route through South Dakota as my husband has always wanted to see the Badlands and the Black Hills. Our goal was to make it to Montana in two days so that we could have plenty of time with my family. Sioux Falls, South Dakota was where we stayed the first night. We ended up in six states that day (Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota), so we were feeling pretty accomplished. The trip to Chicago was the same as it always is, filled with lots of cars and a desire to stop at every Starbucks along the way. The drive past Chicago towards Sioux Falls was pretty. The grass was a lush, dark green, and the rolling hills of cornfields helped us get the feel of driving with a trailer. We quite enjoyed the scenery as we made our way to South Dakota.
The verdant views while driving through Iowa.The next day consisted of stopping for some Caribou Coffee on our way out of Sioux Falls to fuel us as we cross the rest of South Dakota and Wyoming before stopping for a few days in Bozeman, Montana. The Black Hills and the Badlands were really pretty to see from the road. Though, I’m pretty sure the South Dakota State tree is Wall Drug signs as the highway is littered with them. Of course we had to make a stop to see the historic Wall Drug. It was a great stopping point on our journey. Wyoming gave us our first sightings of antelope along the way. We elected to bypass Yellowstone National Park, in part because we were there on a previous trip to Montana, but also because there were massive washouts from flash flooding leaving the route utterly impassable. Instead, we drove by Custer’s Last Stand and marveled at being in Montana after only two days of driving. The stretch of road between Billings and Bozeman had many beautiful mountains along the way, so we were able to take some great “driving off into the sunset” type pictures.
After a few days in Bozeman, we headed for my hometown in the Great Falls area. We spent multiple days there with family, and even took a few day trips. We stayed up late staring at a sky littered with more stars then you could ever see from our home in southern Michigan. Our favorite day trip was to Rock City, a small area north of Valier, Montana where the river has carved out sandstone Hoodoos. If you are in the area, I recommend stopping. Its unique features are fun to climb around on and makes for some cool pictures. You will also be visiting an area that is only ever really visited by locals in the know.
You can read more about Rock City in a future blog post. We left my hometown and traveled from Montana to Edmonton, Alberta. We headed north past the Sweetgrass Hills and stopped at the border. The drive was pretty easy and this time of year, it was filled with field after field of the most vibrant yellow. Southern Alberta was mostly large expanses of fields with mountains off in the distance. It very much reminded me of driving through central Montana. At the end of our day, we stayed in a nice Airbnb in Edmonton.
This field full of canola is one of many that fills the landscape with beautiful yellow flowers. It’s the perfect backdrop to a long road trip.The next leg of our journey comprised of the drive from Edmonton, Alberta to Fort Nelson, British Columbia. I had never been to British Columbia before, so I was excited to see what the providence had in store. Northern Alberta was very similar to southern Alberta, except the towns started getting further apart. The topography changed pretty drastically when we crossed into British Columbia. Be prepared for large hills and spectacular views of the mountains. I understand why British Columbia mandates at least M+S tires starting October 1st as there are many large elevation changes. The largest elevation change we had was over 1000 feet, and it happened quickly. The wildlife was out in full force as well. We saw a grizzly, a black bear, and a moose all within the course of a few miles.
The drive from Fort Nelson to Whitehorse, Yukon is unbelievable. Holy cow! I was not prepared for how much wildlife we would see. Multiple moose and black bear, a bison herd, and a fox were all out and right along the road. Not to mention, there were some stunning views as well. We weren’t able to count the amount of times we would come around a curve and our jaws would drop because the scenery was breathtaking. Our favorite scenic part of the day was right along Muncho Lake. The water is this beautiful teal green, and when coupled with the mountains that surround it, it’s a view that begs to be photographed. The road was littered with enough campgrounds to have a remarkably private experience. British Columbia has a lot of stunning vistas to offer. The motto on their license plate is “Beautiful British Columbia” and I would say that is an understatement. I want to go back and bring a camper so we can take advantage of the tranquility offered by the lakes and mountains of British Columbia.
The final leg of our journey was from Whitehorse, Yukon to Anchorage, Alaska. There was some wildlife, though not as much as the previous day. Right outside of Whitehorse we came upon a herd of elk. The only other animal we saw was outside of Palmer, Alaska. What we lacked for in wildlife we made up for in views. All I can say is wow. The drive from Tok to Palmer is riddled with stunning vistas. It reminds me of driving through Glacier National Park… except it takes much longer. Since it was such a long day, we didn’t stop as frequently, but I can say it is a must see. That drive is one of the most beautiful drives I have ever taken. Let’s not forget about the drive through the Yukon though. Destruction Bay is stunning, too. We drove along a dirt road that kicked up massive amounts of fine dust behind us, shrouding the landscape to our rear, but highlighted how small we felt in comparison to our surroundings. An expansive valley of fine sand surrounded by titanic mountains, it has a vaguely ominous, immense feeling to it. Throughout the sandy valley there is also a large lake. It’s difficult to put into words how colossal and how wonderful it was. The colors feel muted, yet the experience was utterly beautiful. Be advised, the sand along the road is incredibly fine, so it will get everywhere. On a drive of outstanding vistas, Destruction Bay is high on the list of our favorite places to see. The road on the other side of the bay to Alaska was quite the experience. Be prepared for rough roads and slow driving speeds. There are a ton of ponds and small lakes along the road, so the slow speeds will allow you to appreciate them.
All in all, we spent 6 days on the road. This was the furthest I have ever driven in one trip, but I can definitively say I would take this trip again. Not just for work, but for fun. In the past, I had never really explored Canada. This trip has made me even more determined to make it a priority. One of the things that makes the U.S. unique is how different each state is, from the people to the landscape. I have been to much of the west side of the country, where the Rocky Mountains are an ever looming presence. However, the continuous mountain vistas of the Alcan Highway blew me away. This drive makes me even more excited to continue traveling and visit parts of the United States I never thought I would see. I am looking forward to more long drives like this one. Until then, I’ll just have to explore everything that Alaska has to offer.
Happy Traveling!
Kat