When you drive to Alaska, you can’t get lost! There are only two driving routes up and back. Even if you get on the wrong one, you will still get to where you were going!!!
One route is called the Alaskan Highway and the other is the Cassiar Highway. Of course, you can take the ferry either way but that isn’t really “driving” so let’s focus on the real topic of driving up and back.
When you drive to Alaska, EVERYONE must travel on the Alaskan Highway over the last part of the journey from just outside of Watson Lake, YT up through Whitehorse and on into Tok, AK. It’s the ONLY highway. Of course, from Whitehorse, you can go up through Dawson City and over to Tok via the “Top of the World” Highway but you have to deal with a little over 100 miles (160 km) of gravel on this route plus some paved surface. I don’t consider 100 miles of gravel a “highway.” If you stay on the “direct” route, however, you will go through Burwash Landing and lots of frost heaves.
We questioned LOTS of RVers going up to Alaska and back and some had driven the “Top of the World” Highway—however, most did not. Every one of them that made that drive told me they were glad they did it—but they wouldn’t do it again!!! (sounds like the description of Army Basic Training).
Driving to Alaska is easy. Sure, it’s a long trip but except for some occasional highway construction (you all know what highway construction is), both routes have been on a good highway. We took our 42′ motorhome to Alaska—the same motorhome—three times. Each time was for one full summer. We have not had any damage from bad roads or construction—none—not a single rock chip in the paint nor in the glass.
It’s a great RV trip. Just do it.