Communities of the Alaska Highway
Every community on the Alaska Highway is unique and well worth a visit. Here’s an overview of the cities and towns on your road trip.
British Columbia
Dawson Creek
Once a small farming community, Dawson Creek became a regional centre when the western terminus of the Northern Alberta Railways arrived in 1932. The community grew rapidly in 1942 as the US Army used the rail terminus during construction of the Alaska Highway.
Taylor
A commuter town to Fort St. John, Taylor is home to the annual World’s Invitational Class ‘A’ Gold Panning Championships
Fort St. John
One of the largest cities along the Alaska Highway, Fort St. John is the oldest European-established settlement in present-day British Columbia (1794 trading post). It features excellent sports and cultural facilties, many grouped together in Centennial Park.
Fort Nelson
Formerly a town, Fort Nelson amalgamated with the Northern Rockies RegionalDistrict to createthe Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, a first in BC. On 18 June 2005, people in Fort Nelson held a water balloon fight with over 40,000 water balloons being tossed in less than three minutes. At the time, it was a world record.
Liard River Hot Springs
Home to the second largest hot spring in Canada, Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. The park is part of the larger Muskwa-Kechika Management Area. It is a welcoming stop on Alaska Highway road trips and a social media favourite.
Yukon
Watson Lake
The Signpost Forest here was started in 1942 by a homesick U.S. Army G.I. working on the Alaska Highway, who put up a sign with the name of his hometown and the distance. Others followed suit and the tradition continues to this day, with more than 80,000 signs.
Teslin
The picturesque community of Teslin includes the Village of Teslin and an adjacent First Nations community. Teslin is at historical Mile 804 on the Alaska Highway along Teslin Lake. The Hudson’s Bay Company established a small trading post at Teslin in 1903 (i.e. Teslin Post).
Whitehorse
Welcome to the city with the lowest air pollution in the world (Guiness World Records). Whitehorse, with approximately 30,000 people, is capital and largest city of the Yukon and the largest city in northern Canada. It is located at kilometre 1426 on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Named after the White Horse Rapids near Miles Canyon, before the river was dammed. Summer days have 20 hours of daylight.
Haines Junction
Haines Junction is a village in the Yukon at Kilometre 1,632 (historical mile 1016) of the Alaska Highway at its junction with the Haines Highway. East of Kluane National Park and Reserve, it is a major administrative centre for the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations.
Destruction Bay
Destruction Bay is a small community on the Alaska Highway (historical mile 1083) in Canada’s Yukon on Kluane Lake. The name is derived from the wind blowing down structures erected by the military during construction of the Alaska Highway.
Beaver Creek
Welcome to Canada’s westernmost community. Located at kilometre 1934 (historical mile 1202) of the Alaska Highway, it is a Canada Border Services Agency port.
Alaska
Tok
Tok (rhymes with poke) began in 1942 as a camp used for construction and maintenance of the Alaska Highway. So much money was spent on setting it up that it earned the nickname “Million Dollar Camp” from those working on the highway. It is at the junction of the Alaska and Glenn Highways.
Delta Junction
Delta Junction greets you with spectacular views of distant Alaska Range peaks across a largely agricultural area. This is one of the only towns in the world with a big, bad buffalo for every couple of people (humans: 984; buffalo: 500). It is the official end of the Alaska Highway.