Detour #281: Adventure Awaits on Alaska’s Denali Highway, USA
Photo Joseph Corl / Unsplash
The window of opportunity to drive into the wilds of Alaska’s Denali Highway is narrow.
Weather conditions mean that the direct route from Cantwell to Paxson is normally only open from May to October. When the snow comes you’ll be faced with a detour that’s almost three times the length instead.
That’s because the Denali Highway is the second-highest road in Alaska (narrowly missing out to the Dalton Highway), reaching 1245m above sea level as it crests Maclaren Summit and is easily blocked by snowfall.
But that’s not the only challenge drivers face on this Alaskan adventure. Only just over 20 miles of the road are paved; the first couple of miles on leaving Cantwell and the final 21 heading into Paxson, with the rest a graded gravel that’s easily broken up by heavy vehicles and heavy rains. Water presents another problem with plenty of river crossings to negotiate over narrow, rickety-looking bridges. Then there’s the wildlife to consider, with grizzly bears prowling the region and huge herds of caribou making their annual migrations in the spring and autumn.
Photo Shutterstock
The speed limit varies from 55mph down to 35mph in parts and, although you could make the drive in a day, most people would take the opportunity to camp out in the wilderness in one of the many parking spots along the way.
Between the two towns you’ll find nothing in the way of amenities apart from a few isolated camp grounds, with Tangle Lakes being about the best-equipped. Such are the perils of the road that you’re unlikely to find a rental car firm willing to let you drive the Denali, so you’ll need to be self-sufficient for the journey in your own 4x4 or trail-ready camper.
Photo Cherime Macfarlane / Unsplash
ROADBOOK
CLASS: into the wild
NAME: DENALI HIGHWAY
ROUTE: Cantwell TO Paxson
COUNTRY: USA
Distance: 135 Miles
The window of opportunity to drive into the wilds of Alaska’s Denali Highway is narrow.