Please check the top-level menu “Routes” for an overview of all routes link

Alaska Highway Fire Situation

Canada fire overview (excellent site):

BC fire map: link

Alberta fire map: link

Yukon fire map: link

Alaska fire map: link

The Alaska Highway Route

Link to large route map here.

Pictures of what to expect along the Alaska Highway route (link)

History

There is a lot of interesting history along this route (Wikipedia article here).  Though most people associate the Hwy route with WW-II, the route was roughly followed by a few intrepid souls as early as the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898, and perhaps of course even earlier by natives.

Technically, for road travellers, the actual Alaska Highway begins at Dawson Creek CYDQ.

Route Description

This website description begins at Cut Bank Montana KCTB.  Of course, you can start anywhere E or W, but I recommend you stay in the U.S. as long as possible for lower fuel prices and perhaps due to there being more frequent airports.

Cut Bank, though outside town a few miles, is nonetheless a good stop.  It is often quite windy (ok VERY windy) there, but, there are several paved runways and even a number of well maintained mowed infield sections.  Between pavement and grass there will surely be a runway almost directly into any local wind.  Use the infield “strips” if they are directly into the wind.

The Cut Bank FBO is plenty spacious with restroom, vending machine and couches if you want to nap.  Cell service is good for calling Flight Service and Customs.  Self-service fuel available–fill up because fuel is significantly less expensive in the U.S. than anywhere in Canada!!

Under the “Customs” menu item on this site I describe clearing Canadian customs at Whetstone H28/CEQ4.  Note “open” times below for Whetstone.  Alternative (7-days/week is nearby Ross Intl 7S8/CEP4.  If you don’t want to use the grass runways at either location you can clear at Lethbridge CYQL (landing fee) or Springbank CYBW (near Calgary).

Check Fuel Prices

If you filled up at Cut Bank you should be able to at least travel on to Sundre CFN7 or Airdrie CEF4, as fuel is over $1.20/gallon less expensive at these smaller fields than at Springbank.

Continuing on I’ve filled up at self-serve at Rocky Mountain House CYRM and Drayton Valley CER3 on occasions.  Point being there are self-serve fueling options in the early part of this route.  A bit further along, Edson CYET is yet another good self-serve stop.

Calgary Area to Dawson Creek or Fort St John

Tip: As you travel further North along the Alaskan Highway, e.g. Fort Nelson, Fort St John, etc., generally only full service fuel is available.  There are often weekend call out surcharges for such full service fuel locations.  Plan accordingly–ideally stop at these locales on weekdays.

If you have the range, I encourage you to bypass Grande Prairie CYQU and again aim for a less expensive self-serve fuel stop, Dawson Creek CYDQ. Again, you’ll typically save over a dollar or more per gallon versus the full-service larger airports.  Dawson Creek is the official start of construction on the Alaska Highway in 1942 (link).

Once past Dawson Creek your fuel options are only the larger airports.  In fact, other than perhaps the rare uncharted personal airstrip, there aren’t any charted stops.  However, there is the occasional emergency strip along the Hwy that the Army built during WW-II.  Some of these are still there and somewhat maintained–but they are not charted.  You can always land on the Alaska Hwy itself if needed.

Personal Comment

I suspect most people start out on the Alaska Highway route with the thought that following the highway is ultimately safer than traipsing across the wilderness (it is safer). But–many of us quickly start cutting corners where we see the road taking long detours around lakes, mountains or just terrain in general.

Not to be trite, but once you’re more than a few miles from the main Alaska Highway, if you have to set down in an emergency you are simply not walking out to the highway–the terrain is often thick with muskeg (bogs), brush, water and in generally not like hiking through the forest in the lower 48.

I encourage you to think through your flight planning route ahead of time.  Go direct between airports or follow the road–I postulate that mixing and matching such isn’t doing justice to one of the primary decisions to follow the Alaska Hwy route in the first place.

Food for thought–direct from Dawson Creek to Fort Nelson is 202 nm; By road it is 245 nm (That’s a lot in a Super Cub, maybe not so much in other planes!).  I talked to a pilot who made the trip last fall.  Upon seeing the frequent road “detours” around mountains they started going in straight lines.

There is a lot of oil field activity in Northern Alberta and BC.  Oil service roads and drill/well pads offer many emergency landing options with a reasonable expectation that there might be people somewhat close by.

Fort Nelson–fuel up.  Get a cab if desired and go into town for motel and/or restaurants.

A pilot recently asked about roads-to-follow from Cut Bank up to Ft Nelson.  Answering that question:

I plotted a direct route from KCTB to CYYE.  Then, in ForeFlight, I was able to plot a route along roads.

    • Direct KCTB – CYYE is 820 sm
    • Hwy 4 to Lethbridge
    • Hwy 2 to Calgary area
    • Hwy 22 to Drayton Valley CER3 (fuel)
    • Hwy 43 to Grand Prairie CYQU
    • Hwy 97 to Ft Nelson CYYE
    • New distance about 922 sm, so only about 100 sm longer

Fort Nelson to Watson Lake

There are aviation cameras in the Yukon covering key points from Watson Lake, Whitehorse into the U.S. border.  Link here (might have to scroll down to see the Yukon group).

There are two high points where weather might stack up along this section: Summit Pass @ 4,266′ (link) & another unnamed point about 3,358′ (link) just before Muncho Lake (S of the lake).

Fort Nelson to Watson Lake (pictures link) (205 nm direct; 276 nm along the Alaska Hwy).  You start getting in to more scenic mountains not too long after leaving Fort Nelson.  Later in the season there are often landable gravel bars in the Tetsa River, along McDonald Creek and later along the Toad River.

A charted strip, Toad River Mile 422 CBK7 (3,000′ good grass/gravel) does offer a treat.  You can park and walk across the road to a restaurant offering good food and excellent homemade pies!

Just around the corner from Toad River is an uncharted gravel strip at the South end of Muncho Lake. I haven’t landed there, but flying over I have seen several aircraft parked there.

A report on Backcountrypilot.org indicates the folks at Northern Rockies Lodge (link) @ Muncho Lake are super friendly.  Will pick you up if you land at Muncho Lake.  Good coffee & food/lodging.  I don’t know whether there is cell service at Muncho Lake or not.

Liard Hot Springs

A short ways past Muncho Lake you start to follow the Liard River.  On your chart you will see Liard Hot Springs listed (as a point of interest).  There is an uncharted strip just past that.  Land and walk/hitchhike back to the hot springs (link) for a good soak.  A motel and restaurant are available there too.

From Liard Hot Springs along the Liard River into Watson Lake there are exceptionally large landable (in an emergency or with large tires) gravel bars in the river.

Watson Lake

Watson Lake has self-service fuel.  The FBO is manned perhaps 18+ hours/day.  There is good WiFi and a phone to call Flight Service if you don’t want to use your cell phone.  Inside the FBO there are a lot of historical pictures from when Watson Lake was a major hub on the Lend Lease aircraft route from the U.S. to Russia.  Link to history here and here.  The original WW-II (massive) hangar (pictures link) is neat to see–Note: You cannot enter the hangar!  Even though the door was open when we were last there, the folks working inside were decidedly unfriendly.

Camping is available with water at the gazebo NW of the terminal building.  On arrival or departure, if you look closely, there are still the remains of a WW-II bomber on the far W shore underwater that crashed on takeoff.

Watson Lake to Whitehorse

Continuing along the highway there are a few charted intermediate strips between Watson Lake and Whitehorse.  First is Pine Lake  CFY5(no services).  Next is Teslin CYZW (no services).

Whitehorse is a good size airport & city.  Self serve fuel, customs, two museums by the airport (Beringia Center & Yukon Transportation AK Hwy history)–both excellent, as well as a restaurant & motel by the airfield.  Also very cool is that the airport has a DC-3 on a pedestal that serves as a windsock.  Get a cab to town (or walk a couple of miles–good restaurants, museums and more motel options.  One used to be able to camp at the airport, but I believe that option is no longer available.  Whitehorse does have Canadian Customs if you’re arriving from Alaska.

Whitehorse to Beaver Creek CYXQ or Northway PAOR (U.S. Customs)

The “Customs” page on this website has updated information on U.S. Customs at Northway.  Please note the Canada-to-U.S. time difference as well as new hours in 2024 for when Customs is available in Northway.

Depending on your range and desire, you can either flight plan for Beaver Creek (no services) or Northway PAOR (no fuel).  Along the way you pass Silver City CFQ5 (no services), fly along Kluane Lake, thence by Burwash Landing (CYDB) and on to Beaver Creek CYXQ (last stop in Canada–no services; Can camp here).

A good tip for those planning on stopping overnight prior to clearing customs at Northway (Thank you Christina Y.).  “If you aren’t going to make customs in Northway because of the time window, there is a better option than camping on the gravel in Beaver Creek.  It is the old White River Lodge, now called Discovery Yukon Lodging and run by a very nice British lady, Amanda.  They have a beautiful grass strip, and you can either tent camp by your plane or rent one of their nice cabins.  They have a nice lodge with showers, and serve wonderful gourmet meals too.”  Here’s their website: link

A couple of notes.  This section is along the East side of the St Elias mountains.  If there are strong Westerly winds this section can be very turbulent.  Also, Kluane Lake is now significantly diminishing in size and depth.  The river that normally acted as its major inflow has switched course due to receding glaciers, leaving docks and communities that were on the water significant distances from shore.  Read about these changes here and other sources you can Google.  No easy solution to climate change for these communities and the loss of tourist income.

Either file customs for U.S. entry at Northway from Beaver Creek or do so prior to leaving Whitehorse.

Look for more information on the “Northway Onward” page link