Top of the World & Taylor Highways

[s.j.ritter@iamnow.net]

HI,

We are Ken and Sandi Ritter (known as the NH Nomads). We will be attending our first FMCA rally at Quartzite AZ this January. We are hoping to find fellow RVers who have driven the Top of the World and Taylor Highways in Alaska. We will be heading for Alaska after the rally and will spend the summer there. After reading the Milepost about drop offs and how narrow the road is we would like input from those who have been there. We drive a 27FT Coach House with an HHR tow vehicle.

Thanks for your help

NH Nomads

[tbutler]

We've been over the Top of the World Highway in our 40' Windsor in 2006. In Canada the road is high and wide and mostly gravel with good shoulders. In the US, the road narrows and is all gravel. I met a tour bus on a section of the road in the US where there was a big drop. The tour bus (by the drop off) wasn't giving me any break, stayed a good 3' from the edge but I made it by between the bus and the hillside with no problem though I was going real slow!

You would have to remind me of the Taylor Highway, I don't think we took that route but I can't remember. I posted another response about Alaska recently see North to Alaska for more information about our trip.

I'm going to add something after reading the post from Chickadee. The Taylor highway is a paved road and is in good condition but when we traveled it, it had been raining so we pulled off at a rest area/scenic overlook and trail. When we pulled off we noticed a wrecker approach and stop just down the hill from where we were. The wrecker proceeded to extract a pickup truck with fifth wheel trailer from the brush along the downhill side of the road. They pulled him out in one piece and once on the road, the pickup with fifth wheel drove off. He had flattened several hundred feet of brush but apparently nothing too large since he was able to drive away. There was damage but nothing too serious. I'm sure once in Tok he went into a shop to get everything checked. My point is even good roads can be hazardous. I don't know if the driver fell asleep or was dodging a moose or bear or just took a turn too fast. Maybe he hit a wet spot and lost control. We decided to stay the night at the rest area rather than continue on in the dusk and rain.

[Chickadee]

Ken & Sandi (NH Nomads):

Hi from Tampa. BOY!!...are you guys in for a FABULOUS trip! ALASKA, including Top of the World Hwy., is absolutely one of the best, if not THE best RV'ing destinations. Wife and I and 3 CATS!! did the Alaska trip in 07 (all summer/June to Oct.) in our 40' MH towing Honda Element w. canoe on top, and YES, we did travel the Top of the World Hwy. from Dawson City, West to the Alaska border and on to Chicken, AK, then down the Taylor Hwy. in to Tok.

There's so much we could "gush" on about that trip, but I'll keep it only to your question about Top of the World/Taylor route.

We were torn about whether or not to take that route due to the conflicting viewpoints expressed by everyone. We ended up electing to drive Top of the World primarily because we definitely wanted to visit Dawson City, and we DID NOT want to backtrack S. down to Whitehorse in order to continue in to Alaska....and.....we're VERY glad we did.

Now, we drove up to Dawson City on our way to Alaska, so after spending time in Dawson we got up early on the day we decided to depart and drove a short distance to the ferry landing at the N. end of town where the barge like ferry takes ya across the Yukon River to start Westward on Top of the World. A couple of things,.....1.-try to pick a weather window for departing that promises good conditions (no rain) and has given Top of World a day or so to dry out prior to your departure.

The reason is that driving the route in very wet conditions can be problematic, and, if your lucky enough to travel it while it's clear weather but a day or tow after wet weather, there will be little or no dust issue...we lucked out in that regard.

.....2.- try to get in line for the ferry early (particularly if there a caravan groups in town leaving the same day) so that ya won't have to wait for the ferry ride across the Yukon for long. We simply drove our 40 ftr. w. toad attached onto the ferry and they zipped us across along with another rig and perhaps two or three cars. No Big Deal there and IT'S FREE!!!!!!

Anyway, the Yukon portion of the road from where ya get off the ferry all the 40ish miles West over to the Yukon/Alaska border was a wide road (like narrow U.S. two lane) that seemed to once have been paved but had stretches of gravel and was all very smooth and no issues. Once we crossed in to Alaska and on to Chicken, AK (about another 20 mi.) the road narrowed significantly to what I describe as a 3 track sandy/gravel. Still VERY drivable but DO be cautious about moving too close to the sholder since soft sandy/gravel sholders could pull ya off road. Don't worry about this but just pay attention and if meeting an oncoming rig, SLOW down and you'll each pass by each other with NO PROBLEM....again....if it is BAD wet weather, ya might want to wait out the drive.

Now once you get to Chicken, (and DO stay a day or two!!), then you're home free since the Taylor Hwy. is a beautiufl, wide, striped, paved two lane all the way S. to the Alaska Hwy. just E. of Tok. although I do recall a few slide areas where they had or were repairing the Taylor.

If ya have questions, just ask, but.....DO TAKE THE TRIP....you'll love it. Steve & Lynette

[rdschoepf@gmail.com]

Think Steve & Lynette have said it very well. Would add that they US border crossing does not open very early. We too got off to an early start (a 74 rig caravan was crossing the river that day) but just had to wait for the border crossing to open. We found the road to have a lot of washboard! Didn't want to beat up our coach so drove it slowly - this makes it a long trip. You will find few if any places to pull off the road on the Canadian side until you reach Chicken - so if you get tired switch drivers - this is no road to drive while tired! Believe the caution about the soft shoulders!!

We have friends who live in Alaska - they told us about the "dust-off snow." They said that typically there will be an early snow which drives the tourists south immediately. They offered the opinion that there is much beautiful weather and lots of fall colors to be seen after that first snowfall.

Wish we could go with you - you are in for a great trip!!