No RV? No problem! The Alcan Highway is the perfect place to travel by bicycle

One of the things I love about traveling are the surprises that inevitably reveal themselves along a journey. Some of the best experiences are the least expected. I had such a time on my latest travels to Alaska. After traveling internationally for the past year and a half I decided to accept a gig from a family on the Kenai peninsula in Alaska. I'd be working on their farm and helping with projects on their rural property, including taking care of their 19 huskies and getting them ready to run the sled for the winter.

On my way from Phoenix, Arizona to Kasilof, Alaska I took my vintage '50's Schwinn to several national parks - riding her over nicely paved park paths in the Grand Tetons, around treacherous curves in Yellowstone where people in cars only slow down for Bison but not for human cyclists, and up Going-to-the-Sun road in Glacier for a grueling 3,200 vert feet.

Bison families!

After leaving Montana, I knew I would have to pass through Canada – through Alberta, British Columbia, and finally Yukon - to get over to the 49th state. People told me it would be a pretty ride, but what I didn’t expect was the Alcan Highway!

WHAT A TREAT! The Alcan Highway (so called to capture both Alaska and Canada in the name) stretches 2,224 km, or 1,382 miles, from Dawson Creek, BC to Delta Junction, Alaska. As I was headed south once I crossed into Alaska, I bypassed the last couple hundred miles of the highway to head down to Anchorage, rather than going up to Delta Junction. However, I got to see some of the greatest highlights of the Alcan Highway, and boy was I grateful for it! It certainly broke up a looooooong ride through Canada.

I had never heard of the Alcan Highway before, and only began to realize that I had rode upon something truly unique when I hit Dawson Creek, BC and saw people taking photos in front of the sign that welcomes visitors to the Highway. I still didn't quite know what I was about to experience, but I knew that there must be something exciting waiting up ahead.

You're likely to see black bears along the highway

The ride is, indeed, beautiful. You'll get stunning views of the Rocky Mountains, and dang if I didn't see just as much wildlife on the Alcan Highway as I saw in Yellowstone! I counted 12 black bears, plus caribou, bison with their little bison babies, moose, and the Alcan's most popular creature, the RV. Yes, siree, if you're cycling the Alcan Highway you are going to see many an RV. I took the Alcan because it was the only way to get from the contiguous U.S. to State 49 (apart from flying), however many people drive the Alcan for vacation. And for good reason! I could definitely understand how the Alcan is an RV'r's golden trip, but seriously it is the perfect trip for bikepacking (or touring) as well. Just don't forget your passport, you'll have to have it to pass into Canada and then to come back into the States when you get to Alaska. You might also consider carrying bear spray, though I didn't have any, much to the disappointment of the border guard. After I handed the guard my passport, he asked me if I had any weapons. I replied, "No, no weapons." He then asked me if I had a gun. Wanting to assure him that I would not bring a deadly weapon into his country, I waved my hand and adamantly replied, "No, of course, no gun!" He then asked, "Do you have any bear spray?" to which I said, "Um, no." His final question was asked with what sounded more like frustration than concern, "How are you going to defend yourself? There are bears!" I take it you are permitted to carry a gun across the border from the U.S. to Canada, though you may want to do your own research on that. I could be very wrong on that point! As far as bears go, I simply just kept my distance and didn't interact with them. Same with bison, moose, and really any other wildlife. I never try to cycle past them, I let them move on their way before I safely proceed. I urge anyone to take the same precaution. The number one mistake people make when it comes to wildlife is trying to interact or get too close to take pictures. People go gah-gah over bears and it's obvious why, they are pretty darn cute. But people, please, don't disturb them. They're much more afraid of you than you are of them, and when animals are afraid they can go on the defense. So let them be and take your photos from a (very) safe distance - what do you think the zoom feature is for?

As you make your way up (or down, depending on your direction) you'll pass through several towns, though I much preferred to bypass the towns altogether. There is no shortage of campgrounds along the entire stretch of the highway, and my are they cute. At many of the campgrounds you'll find tiny merchant shops, gas pumps (which of course you don't need if you're on a bicycle!), and cafe's. You'll also have no trouble finding showers and laundry for a fee. There are numerous hiking trails along the highway - a great way to take a break, stretch out your legs, and get off the pavement.

The most scenic stretch of the entire highway is from Stone Mountain Provincial Park to Muncho Lake. And there are so many things to do like hiking trails, kayaking, and many other activities. Muncho Lake is gorgeous and like most of Canada and Alaska, is painted with the most spectacular colors. I am always entranced by how blue the water is - like a pure turquoise color. Just stunning! (GAH - I wish I had taken pictures! My friends tell me I really need to work on that if I'm going to be running a blog - #lifegoals)

A stop I highly recommend is the Tetsa River Lodge, about 113 km (70 miles) from Fort Nelson along the highway. You'll see signs for the Lodge, where there is a campground and cabins you can rent. (There are also showers you can pay to use if you're not ready to stop for the night but need to clean up after a long, sweaty ride.) There is a super cute cafe and shop where you can try the tastiest homemade cinnamon buns! They're pretty massive so you could half it and save the rest for an afternoon snack. Apparently, they make them in batches so no matter what time of day you arrive, you're guaranteed a fresh bun!

Try a fresh cinnamon bun at the Tetsa River Lodge!

One of my absolute favorite stops was the Liard Hot Springs. If you're cycling the Alcan Highway it is a necessity. Such a fantastic way to break up your ride, and relax those muscles after several long days of cycling. I've been to several hot springs, in the U.S., Iceland, and Ecuador, but this was by far my favorite hot springs I have visited. Mainly because it felt so remote. If you're cycling you won't miss the signs for the springs, you'll turn off and ride through an entrance where you'll pay a nominal fee to enter the park. You'll pass a children's playground and turn into a parking lot where you'll see pavilions and outdoor toilets (be sure to use the restroom here because there are none at the hot springs). To the left is a campground, so if you wanted to you could stay a night or two. From the parking area, you'll enter through a gate and walk about 10 minutes down a boardwalk through a nature-y marsh (you might even see some moose and will for sure see some birds). Finally, you'll arrive at a beautiful area right out in nature. There is a room to the left and a room to the right for leaving your clothes. Walk in between the changing areas right into the springs. I can imagine that the hot springs might be a little more crowded in July and August. I was there the first week of June and it was very quiet - did not feel cramped at all. I met a lovely couple who were driving through in the opposite direction as me in their RV, and they shared some great tips and recommendations on places to stop further on down the highway. Many hot springs I've visited before have felt so commercial, with bars and lots of people and even gift shops. You won't find any of that here. The entire springs is surrounded by nature, and if you swim down to the left you can wade through a narrow stream where the water is a bit cooler. I spent about an hour in the springs, and felt so clear-headed and refreshed as I headed back out to the highway!

Caribou

A moose family!

Another really cool spot is the Watson Lake Signpost Forest. Had I known about this quirky lil' attraction I would have brought my own sign! If I pass through it on my way back down to the States later in the year, I will definitely add a sign (and take a photo and add it to this post - I have GOT to get better at taking photos!). Apparently a U.S. soldier put up the first sign back in the '40's that displayed the mileage from Watson Lake to his hometown in Illinois. After that, other people started putting up their own signs and now the signpost forest is home to almost 100,000 signs from all around the globe. There are a lot of license plates but you'll also find street signs, wooden signposts, plaques, and some unique handmade signs! (A good tip for cyclists: Watson Lake has a recreation area with a gym, swimming pool, ice rink, game room, and bowling alley. Definitely a nice place to have a long stop and enjoy activities off the bike!)

Pizza made with Italian crust

I was nearing the last of my Canada stretch - stopped at beautiful Emerald Lake (do yourself a favor) - and finally came upon Caribou campground, a stop my Canadian friends from the hot springs recommended I check out. They told me about the lovely little restaurant owned by a German family from Liechtenstein where they served phenomenal pizza made with fresh bread shipped straight from Italy. They weren't wrong about the pizza - it was delish! I had a couple of Kokanees (Canadian brewed beer) with my dinner and decided to stay the night before heading to Whitehorse the next morning. I asked the restaurant owner if I could camp behind the restaurant, and he politely walked me down to the woods behind the building. There were campsites as well as little yurts, and even some showers (so if you're not stopping to camp you might still be able to use the showers if you need to clean up). There are several other facilities here such as laundry, a food truck that serves up European-style street food, and a Swiss bakery. I set up my tent and snuggled in my sleeping bag with my book (I was reading Bicycling with Butterflies by Sara Dykman - an adventurous read!) before resting my eyes for another long travel day.

Camping in Yukon

The next morning, I headed to Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon, and stopped at a little coffee shop for a latte. I was enamored by Whitehorse and if I hadn't been on a schedule to get to my hosts in Alaska, I would've stayed there an extra day. A very bicycle-friendly town, I plan to check stop in at the hostel out there on my way back in November (2025). There is so much to do there, I can't wait to go back!

The last major attraction of my trip before crossing the border into Alaska was Kluane National Park, which treated me to gorgeous views of lakes and mountains. Here is another spot you can take a relaxation in the Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs, not as remote as Liard but still beautiful and worth a visit. I didn't get to spend a ton of time in Kluane (pronounced clue-on-knee), but there are numerous hiking trails, lakes, and cultural centres to visit. I definitely recommend Kathleen Lake, just gorgeous!

These are just the highlights of my trip up the Alcan, and it being an unexpected journey I didn't spend as much time as I could have. There are certainly many more sites and attractions that are surely worth checking out if you plan to visit. I definitely recommend taking a bikepacking trip up the Alcan Highway. If you don't want to cycle back (it is a long trip after all), you can always pack up your bike and fly back from Fairbanks. I only saw a couple of other cyclists on my trip, but I'm going to guess you'll encounter a few more in the months of July and August (along with many more RV's, I'm sure). While it may be a tad windier and cooler in May/June, I recommend starting your trip at that time as it'll be less crowded and a great time to see wildlife out and about, and you're likely to see some animal babies as I did.

So move over RV's, the Alcan Highway is the perfect route for bicycles!