Dateline: December 10, 2002. Major rebuild completed: March 28, 2023.

A Guide to Alaska-Yukon Highways

To Page 2, Fort Nelson to Whitehorse
To Page 3, Whitehorse to Delta Junction

Click on the images below to enlarge them

Mile 0: The start of the Alaska Highway in Dawson Creek, British Columbia. For more information and photos about where it starts and ends, see this article.

This historic railway trestle is on a scenic driving tour we have developed. This is an all-day trip - 186 km long, covering much of the Dawson Creek region, with a wide variety of natural and historic attractions that could easily make it even more than one day. See our Dawson Creek Scenic Driving Route.

This is the better-known Mile 0 monument in downtown Dawson Creek, and behind it is Alaska Highway House, a combination visitor centre and interpretive centre that was open year-round, but unfortunately is now closed permanently.

The historic Kiskatinaw Bridge, the last of the original wooden bridges built on the highway. It is accessed by a loop road at Km 27.8. Construction of the bridge by civilian contractors began in November 1942; 534 feet (162.5 meters) long, it curves 9 degrees along its length. It had a weight limit of 25 tons, and the large number of trucks exceeding that weight made construction of a new bridge necessary by the 1970s.

Km 33.6: The impressive new Kiskatinaw River Bridge was opened in 1978. The bridge is 8.5 meters wide (28 feet) and 248.5 meters long (815.3 feet).

Km 33.6: There is a provincial park beside and under the old Kiskatinaw River Bridge, and this large rest area with a nice walking trail is at the north end of the new one.

Km 51.6: From the hill down to the Peace River Bridge, the community of Taylor, British Columbia, can be seen ahead.

Km 55.4: The Peace River Bridge at Taylor is the longest one on the highway. Opened in 1960, it is 649 meters (2,130 feet) long. The original bridge, which opened on August 30, 1943, collapsed on October 16, 1957 when the north tower foundation sunk.

The Alaska Highway memorial park at the Taylor Civic Centre honours the 341st Engineers, US Army, who were stationed at Taylor in 1942.

Km 82.4: On the morning of May 14, 1942, the largest loss of life during construction of the Alaska Highway occurred when 12 of the 17 soldiers on a pontoon boat crossing Charlie Lake sank. In 2008, a large monument was erected to commemorate the tragedy. A visit to the significant and lovely site, preferably following stops at Mile 0 in Dawson Creek, and the Kiskatinaw Bridge, provides another excellent introduction to the history of The Road.

Km 127.3: The Historical Mile 80 Rest Area is very nice, with a large paved parking area, heated washrooms with flush toilets, picnic tables and a playground. This photo was shot in late April.

Most of the Alaska Highway in British Columbia is maintained by the federal government.

Km 140: The view northbound as seen in July 1998. Within about 10 years, the days of seeing an empty highway in this area were over as oil and gas well drilling and production boomed.

The abundance of pipelines in the region north of Fort St. John help to make it very attractive to moose due to the ease of traveling and better browsing.

As you drive further and further north in the summer, two of the things you will notice are bugs and the sun. This photo of our motorhome windshield was shot at about Km 150 in mid-August, at 8:20 p.m.

Wildlife along the Alaska Highway - cows on the road near Wonowon, BC. This photo was shot in October 2002 - quiet scenes like this ended many years ago.

Northbound at about Km 165 in mid-May.

Km 202: This hill offers nice broad views in both directions - this is looking north.

Km 215: Northbound at about Km 215 in mid May.

Km 226 (Historic Mile 143): Looking north up the highway from Pink Mountain in early October.

Km 227: Looking north up the highway from Pink Mountain in mid May.

Km 233.4: Perhaps the most famous (or infamous) hill on the road to Alaska, Suicide Hill, was only in use for a very short period. Two signs about Suicide Hill were erected at Mile 148 (Km 233.4) for the 1992 Alaska Highway anniversary celebrations.

Km 234: The Sikanni Chief Airstrip was built as an emergency strip along the Northwest Staging Route during WWII. This tower was used for the rotating beacon during that period - the airstrip is behind and to the right of it.

Km 241: Northbound at about Km 241 in mid-May.

Km 246: The original tote road has been re-routed in many places (in some cases more than once in a single location), and past routes can be seen often. This is the view northbound.

Km 250 (Historic Mile 158): This re-routing of the original road is just south of the Sikanni Chief River. This photo looks southbound.

Km 252: A rainbow brightens up the long and sometimes steep northbound hill down to the Sikanni Chief River.

Km 258, Sikanni Chief Hill: Looking south at Km 258, the top of the hill down to the Sikanni Chief River, in mid September.

Km 279 (Historic Mile 175): Looking north up the Alcan to Buckinghorse River, BC, in early October.

You will pass by and/or cross over countless natural gas pipelines - this one is at about Km 280.

Km 282: Below, one of the major re-routing projects on the Alaska Highway was at Trutch Mountain, Historic Mile 178. The old road went to the right to the top of the ridge at 4,134 feet in order to avoid the extensive muskeg below, while the new highway, opened on November 8, 1987, deals with the wet conditions in the bottom of the Minaker River valley. This section of the old road, about 30 miles long, is still driveable.

Looking north from near the summit of the Trutch Mountain section of the old road. There's a mule deer on the left side of the road down by the corner.

Km 293: Northbound at about Km 293 in late June - the pullout ahead is at Km 293.2.

Km 364.7: One of the earliest lodges on the Alaska Highway was Lum 'n' Abner's at Mile 233, and it was one of the most popular stops for many years. It closed in about 2010 - this photo was shot in May 2013.

Km 366.1: In this view looking south, the highway can be seen crossing Adsett Creek. Above that, the old Alaska Highway can be seen angling off to the right. The Adsett Creek realignment was one of the longest in Alaska Highway history, but that 56-kilometer section of road, with an incredible 132 curves, became part of the highway's history when the new road opened in 1992.

Southbound at about Km 380 in early October.

The 965-km (600-mi) section of the Alaska Highway in British Columbia is numbered as part of Highway 97, which is the longest highway in the province, starting at the BC-Washington border where it joins US 97.

Km 391: Southbound at about Km 391 in mid-April.

Km 451.7: It surprises most people to find out that the Muskwa River at Fort Nelson, BC, is the lowest point on the Alaska Highway, at 1,000 feet (305 meters). This photo was taken from the highway bridge.

The Fort Nelson Heritage Museum, located just West of the historic Mile 300 milepost, has a huge collection that should be considered a must-see for anyone interested in the history of the Alaska Highway. This photo was shot on a cold and foggy morning in late August.

To Page 2, Fort Nelson to Whitehorse

All photos are © 1998-2023 by Murray Lundberg, and are not to be reproduced without permission.