The Taylor Highway, connects the Alaska Highway via the Top of the World Highway in Canada, to Dawson City. The Taylor Highway is wholly in Alaska, branching off from the Alaska Highway at Tetlin junction (Mile 0), just before Tok. This 160mile road winds through the Fortymile mining district to Eagle, at the northern end of the Taylor Highway. The discovery of gold here wrought devastating consequences for the indigenous peoples of this land. Construction of the road took place in 1946 following trails used for centuries. Today the Taylor Highway provides a great road trip connecting the Alaska Highway with the Top of the World Highway. It is only open in the summer months.
Landscapes of the Taylor Highway
The landscape is dominated by boreal forests that dominate this latitude and encircling the arctic circle. The trees are predominantly stunted pine species. Clearly wildfires have wreaked havoc here with acres of burnt trees. Fortunately, in June, the young trees and undergrowth are already emerging. This is a normal part of the ecology of the region. However, the frequency of these events is increasing and is a concern. Wild caribou are once again beginning to roam after a near complete decimation. However, their numbers are still a concern and shooting them requires a permit. The times when it took days for a caribou herd to pass through an area are no longer, thanks to a near wipe-out by humans.
Canada-USA border crossing
It is not often that one road crosses a border without a change of name. The Alaska Highway from Beaver Creek, Yukon’s frontier town with Alaska, has its Border Services Agency just a few miles from the town. Then it is some 30kms of driving through no-man’s land to reach the USA border agency. The drive is through the beautiful boreal forests, a mosaic of stunted spruce, larch and trembling aspen, interspersed with lakes, rivers, bogs and tundra. The permafrost here is softening. As a consequence many telegraph poles along the roadside are no longer upright. Climate change here is real.
Tetlin Wildlife Refuge Visitor Centre
Once inside Alaska, this Visitor Centre is well worth a stop. It has heaps of information on the wildlife, indigenous culture in the area and provides a viewing platform overlooking the refuge below. It is run by local Tanana people and it really is worth talking to them. They have an insight into the landscapes, weather patterns and wildlife activity derived from stories passed down through generations. Hopefully, someone will consider it worth documenting!
Tetlin Junction (Mile 0)
Tetlin junction is at the crossroads of the Taylor Highway and the Alaska Highway, and marked by some ramshackle buildings. At one time this would have been a thriving enterprise providing accommodation, fuel and services to those hoping to make their fortunes.
The gold mining hotspots on the Taylor Highway
Chicken – (Mile 66), Jack Wade Junction – (Mile 97) and Eagle (Mile 160) are the three main gold mining towns on this route. Should you wish to see any of the three gold dredges along the highway they can be found in Chicken -Pedro Gold Dredge, Cowden or Mosquito ford Dredge (Mile 68.2) which requires a 2.8 mile hike, and Jack Wade Dredge at Mile 86.
Top of the World Highway
At Jack Wade Junction, is the road to the Canadian border post of Little Gold. The smaller road continues to Eagle. We took the winding, climbing road to Little Gold. The Little Gold border post is the northern-most border crossing between Alaska and the Yukon. The Top of the World Highway starts at this lonesome border post,still 105kms from Dawson City. One of the things one gets used to quickly is switching from miles to kilometres and vice versa as we traverse the Canada-USA borders.
Nangle angle
The Taylor Highway is one of four highways that completes a circular, cross border road trip across Alaska and the Yukon. The others are the Alaska Highway, Top of the World Highway and the Klondike Highway connecting Dawson City with Whitehorse.
Nangle facts & tips
Fuel is available on the Alaska Highway and once we reached Chicken. It is best to ensure that your vehicle is in good condition due to the remoteness of these regions.
There are major Hiking trails such as the Eagle-Valdez trail from Tanana Crossing to Eagle running parallel to the Taylor Highway. There are also lesser trails e.g. Mosquito Fork Dredge Trail.
