The warming trends in the fall season have delayed the development of snow cover which has compounded the problem as the lack of fall season snow cover has increased the area surface albedo which has caused a further warming influence. July offers warmer temperatures and more wildlife viewing. I may have grown a little beard for Alaska. The road mostly closely follws the Trans-Alaska pipeline. The road is 28 feet wide with 3 to 6 feet of gravel roadbed. The road was exclusive to the oil companies until 1995 when it was opened to the public all the way to Deadhorse in Prudhoe Bay. Keeping records for his record required Ryan to maintain time/date stamped receipts from all gas stops, and to have the beginning and end of the journey witnessed by police too verified his identity. For others  this is the ultimate wilderness road trip deep into the Arctic north hundreds of miles from the nearest town. After driving the Haul Road I can honestly say it was an experience and the scenery North of Coldfoot was amazing. After Atigun the temperature drops immediately as you move onto the Arctic shelf.known as the North Slope. Your road map begins at Seattle, US and ends at Prudhoe Bay, US. It is 1000 mile round trip though and can be very tiring driving at times – but you won’t regret doing it. Change ). Alaska’s Dalton Highway, which takes you from Fairbanks, Alaska to the town of Deadhorse, is 414 miles of the exact opposite!While portions are now paved, it began as a gravel road designed to bring oil field equipment to the edge of the Arctic Ocean. A trip up the Dalton Highway to Deadhorse, Prudhoe Bay, and the Arctic Ocean. Day 1: Prudhoe Bay . Heck, it used to take airplanes that long to get from Prudhoe Bay to Key West. The Prudhoe shop had some interesting hats – I am not sure if you could wear this in London without being lynched though ! Travel writer Tim Cahill wrote a book, Road Fever, about his record-setting 24-day drive from Ushuaia in the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego to Prudhoe Bay in the U.S. state of Alaska with professional long-distance driver Garry Sowerby, much of their … This means that it is easier to move around and the tundra is not damaged by the activities. For some the Dalton highway is considered the most remote, dangerous and challenging road in Alaska. Any new drilling and exploration activity only happens in the winter when the tundra is covered in snow and ice. Some people sprint up the Haul Road in a hard long day – we have chosen to take it slower and taken 2.5 days to drive up and another 2 days back down. Deadhorse (Prudhoe bay) to Marion Creek/Coldfoot 390 kms. This page shows the location of Prudhoe Bay, AK, USA on a detailed road map. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Now we’ve conquered the Dalton we’re heading South and we can truly say that our trip to South America has started. There are two choices for hotels, the Caribou Inn and the Prudhoe Bay hotel, both remnants of the pipe line camps so the facilities are basic, clean, maybe $120 or so a night with meals included at the Prudhoe Bay. The road climbs to an upland Plateau at around 90 miles which is punctuated with Tors and resembles Dartmoor. A few tourists, arriving by bus after a two-day ride up the Dalton Highway from Fairbanks, come to see the tundra, the Arctic Ocean, and the midnight sun, staying in lodgings assembled from modular buildings.Prudhoe Bay was named in 1826 by British explorer Sir John Franklin after his classmate Captain Algernon Percy, Baron Prudhoe. Surely you could have given him a lift…? Travelling the Dalton Highway (Haul Road) The Dalton Highway stretches 414 miles from the Elliott Highway north of Fairbanks to the "community" of Deadhorse, which serves Prudhoe Bay. ( Log Out /  They do have these very cool machines called Rollagons that disperse their weight so well that they can roll over a person with no ill effect. But for adventure riders, the defining, must-do ride is the 414-mile Dalton Highway, more commonly known as the Haul Road, beginning north of Fairbanks, Alaska, and ending at Prudhoe Bay … I picked the Northern Alaska Tour Co., which was advertising 2½-day trips up the road. Early June historically offers drier weather and less road construction. It was established to support oil development in the surrounding area. The Dalton has recently been made famous by the Tv series Ice Road Truckers which is about the truck drivers who travel it in winter. ( Log Out /  Prudhoe Bay is an example of an area that has lost Tundra road operation window due to climate change. His website is www.todayyoucan.nl He looked pretty knackered  already. The Dalton has recently been made famous by the Tv series Ice Road Truckers which is about the truck drivers who travel it in winter. Construction of the road began April 29, 1974, and was completed 5 months later. Alaska’s legendary Dalton Highway stretches more than 400 miles across the state’s vast Arctic wilderness, crossing rivers and traversing whole mountain ranges on its long journey to Prudhoe Bay. When we got to the Arctic Ocean I was determined to get wet so stripped off to a pair of shorts and ran in. We helped him on his way with some toilet paper and wish him the best of luck. Each company has its own area with prefab workers accommodation however there are a couple of hotels (mainly for oil workers), a petrol station and a general store. The water wasn’t that cold (well it was cold) but the biting wind on getting out was hard to take. As of the 2010 census, the population of the CDP was 2,174 people; however, at any given time several thousand transient workers support the Prudhoe Bay oil field. Helping him with toilet paper? It really is up and down with some awful stuff and some race track. However it was a little colder – I didn’t have quite so much alcohol in my system to numb the pain. The “haul road” was built in 1974 to service the building of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. The tundra itself consists of spongy wet tundra (there’s not too much rainfall but it can’t drain away because of the permafrost) with clouds and I do mean clouds of mosquitos. Its dirty work driving the Haul Road. To be honest the tour isn’t very good – consisting of a 20 minute propaganda video about how wonderful the oil companies here, followed by a quick bus tour around the oil fields and culminating in a visit to the Arctic Ocean. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! I reckon this is to make people turn back thinking there’s another 400 miles of the same. It is named aft… A word of warning – if you want to stay up here it works out at almost $200 for a twin room in very average accommodation. But there is a road to the top of the world, and it's one of North America's great drives. Choose from several map styles. The road was exclusive to the oil companies until 1995 when it was opened to the public all the way to Deadhorse in Prudhoe Bay. There are a couple of campgrounds on the Road but the good thing is that it is fine to camp wherever you want as long as you can pull of the road (and not block access to the pipeline roads). Brooks Range and the Trans Alaska Pipeline from the flight. View of Yukon river as i flew from Fairbanks to Deadhorse. The Dalton kicks off with a pretty rough first twenty miles. Alaska's Dalton Highway is the state's lifeline to the Arctic Circle and The petrol station consisted of a row of labelled boxes. Bear Time: Hallo Bay, Katmai National Park, Antarctica: Peltier Channel & Port Lockroy. The Dalton itself is 414 miles long although the total distance from Fairbanks is 510 miles. Named after renowned Arctic Engineer James W. Dalton, the road was built in 1974 to help with the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. I think that they have a sense of humor up this way in naming things. I chose this direction of travel because of the fact that reviewers complained of being jammed into a van for ten people for a 12 hour road trip. You can also calculate the cost of driving from Anchorage, AK to Prudhoe Bay, AK based on current local fuel prices and an estimate of your car's best gas mileage. First things first though we have to find a car wash and clean off the Beast. The Aurora Hotel is the newer one. The first major landmark on the Dalton is crossing the Yukon River. Moving from north to south, the route starts at Deadhorse, Alaska near the Prudhoe Bay oilfields and for the first 662 kilometres (414 miles) follows the Dalton Highway to Fairbanks. It was built as a haul road between the Yukon River and Prudhoe Bay during construction of the Trans-Alaska pipeline, and was originally called the North Slope Haul Road. The road hit the news last spring when flooding near its terminus at Prudhoe Bay closed it for 18 days. The trip includes riding several hundred miles on unpaved roads which are sometimes slick due to rain, sleet and occasionally snow. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Your cozy cabin lodging for summer and winter adventures in Alaska's Arctic. Prudhoe Bay or Sagavanirktok ( /pruːdoʊ/) is a census-designated place (CDP) located in North Slope Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Once called the North Slope Haul Road (a name by which it is still sometimes known), it was built as a supply road to support the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Systemin 1974. This is followed by travelling through an undulating landscape with mostly stunted trees growing in the Permafrost. About Deadhorse and Prudhoe Bay. Construction of the road began April 29, 1974, and was completed 5 months later. Prudhoe Bay or Sagavanirktok ( /pruːdoʊ/) is a census-designated place (CDP) located in North Slope Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. However another guy there ignored the rules and plunged in – so not to be outdone I stripped off (to my shorts) and jumped in (no pictures of this because I wasn’t hanging around and Sarah was too slow on the draw). The road is 28 feet wide with 3-6 feet of gravel surfacing. But they didn’t have the advantage of the high-mileage, high-confidence, new Metzeler Z6 Interact sport-touring tires. After Coldfoot the road moves into the Brooks ranges and the scenery gets more spectacular. Road to Nowhere. The Dalton Road begins at mile 73 on the Elliott Highway (78 miles north of Fairbanks) and ends at the town of Deadhorse, a few miles from Prudhoe Bay, site of North America’s largest oil discovery. In summer the road is a rough road which is about 25% potholed tar and 75% gravel of varying quality. The Dalton Highway was constructed in 1974 as a supply road to support the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. As of the 2010 census, the population of the CDP was 2,174 people; however, at any given time several thousand transient workers support the Prudhoe Bay oil field. If you are planning a road trip, you might also want to calculate the total driving time from Anchorage, AK to Prudhoe Bay, AK so you can see when you'll arrive at your destination. It begins at the Elliott Highway, north of Fairbanks, and ends at Deadhorse (an unincorporated community within the CDP of Prudhoe Bay) near the Arctic Ocean and the Prudhoe Bay Oil Fields. The bridge is the only one downstream of Whitehorse and is 700m long. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The 20 miles after Coldfoot is brand new tar and lovely – but then you hit some heavy going after. On this scenic 3-day road trip, journey along the Dalton Highway, past the Yukon River, and through the Brooks Mountain Range. The tour guide had told us earlier that full immersion had been banned because of Health and Safety Reasons. ( Log Out /  From street and road map to high-resolution satellite imagery of Prudhoe Bay. Parts of the road are pretty rough and others are surprisingly good quality although the going can change mile by mile. The Pipeline was built to transport the newly exploited oil from the North Slope of Alaska to the ice-free port of Valdez for distribution to lower 48 refinerys. Get free map for your website. Discover the beauty hidden in the maps. First, fly from Fairbanks to Deadhorse / Prudhoe Bay. Don’t forget to put down a Spill Suppression mat though – I did and got shouted at by a local worker. A road trip on the Dalton highway can take you to the majestic Yukon River region, while the Deadhorse area is home to herds of caribou, swans, eagles, polar bears, and the beautiful white arctic fox. You go through a door to swipe your credit card and then back out to the pumps which you switch on and then pump away. You have to book the tour at least 24 hours in advance with your passport details in order for them to security check you. The Dalton Highway is the only road in Alaska that crosses the Arctic Circle and reaches the north coast of Alaska on the Arctic Ocean. We flew north to Deadhorse(Prudhoe Bay) to start the tour, with the ground portion to do on the return south. Dalton Highway near Galbraith Lake. In addition to figuring out the distance to Prudhoe Bay, you can also figure out the route elevation from Seattle to Prudhoe Bay. The road was constructed for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and goes from the town of Deadhorse on Prudhoe Bay, all the way to Fairbanks. The James W. Dalton Highway, usually referred to as the Dalton Highway (and signed as Alaska Route 11), is a 414-mile (666 km) road in Alaska. Mile 414, Prudhoe Bay is the end of the road. The next major stop on the road is Coldfoot where there is a truck stop with fuel and a truckers café. Shortly after this you enter the Arctic Circle and there is an obligatory picture stop. He is on his way down to Argentina so we may cross paths again. They are mostly smooth, well lit, and generally safe. You are a long way from any help so two spare tires are essential – we picked up a nail and another chunk of metal in our tire treads so the chance of getting a flat Is high. The road climbs until reaching the peak at Atigun Pass which is 1448m and the highest point on the Alaska road system. Strangely reminiscent. At the café here there is a truckers only table and on the wall a set of tokens from truckers to each other for free meals (including ones for Lisa Kelly and Jack Jesse of Ice Road Truckers fame). All services are available here, but private vehicles are restricted from entering the Prudhoe Bay oilfield, which provides access to the Arctic Ocean. There are only 3 hotels in Deadhorse area where tourists can stay. ( Log Out /  If you don't have your own vehicle, Arctic Outfitters can rent a vehicle specially prepared for travel along the gravel Dalton Highway from the end of May through mid-September. Jumping into the arctic was probably no different to a midwinter swim of Eastbourne. The Dalton Highway is also known locally as the Haul Road, or perhaps even more famous as the "Ice Road", a trucker supply route to the North Slope oilfields. The Dalton Hwy, also known as the Haul Rd, is a long, winding truck route that cuts 414 miles from Alaska’s Interior to the North Slope, paralleling the Trans-Alaska Pipeline to its source at the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Maphill is more than just a map gallery. After the full 414 miles you reach Deadhorse which isn’t really a town but more an industrial camp. The airport, lodging, and general store are located at Deadhorse; the rigs and processing facilities are located on scattered gravel pads laid atop the tundra. Road Map from Seattle to Prudhoe Bay. Which one would you prefer? Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. In the summer you can make this road with a normal car – if it doesn’t rain too much – however almost everything up here is four wheel drive and I wouldn’t risk it without. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. But after that things improve for a while. ... Deadhorse serves as the transportation and supply hub for the Prudhoe Bay oil fields and is the farthest north you can drive in the USA. Soon after starting we bumped into a dutch guy named Art who was resting next to his bike after having spent a week cycling from Deadhorse. Get the reverse directions for a Prudhoe Bay to Anchorage drive, or go to the main page to plan a new road trip. Then, enjoy a fully-guided van tour along the Dalton Highway. You can also compare the travel time if you're flying or driving by calculating the distance from Anchorage to Prudhoe Bay . The 414-mile (666-kilometer) road from Livengood to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, carves a path through forest and tundra, crosses the Yukon River, traverses … For security reasons the actual oil fields are closed to the public so in order to reach the Arctic Ocean you have to take a $45 tour with the Arctic Caribou Inn. Driving on most American roads today is anything but a challenge. Hotel Accommodation. The wildlife doesn’t seem bothered by all the drilling and oil field activity. The diesel here is expensive at $5.299 but no more fuel for over 200 miles till Prudhoe so you’d better top off. There are others as well, but they are only available for the workers of the oil field. It was built as a haul road between the Yukon River and Prudhoe Bay during construction of the trans-Alaska pipeline, and was originally called the North Slope Haul Road. The worst section of the road comes on the first section of the North Slope with a mud surface peppered with stones which have been forced upwards by freezing and lead to a really rough ride. Prudhoe Bay traffic updates reporting highway and road conditions with live interactive map including flow, delays, accidents, construction, closures,traffic jams and congestion, driving conditions, text alerts, gridlock, and driving conditions for the Prudhoe Bay area. It is only during winter that the surface is hard enough to support heavy equipment and new construction happens at that time.Prudhoe Bay is the unofficial northern terminus of the Pan-American Highway. Along the way, stop at the Arctic Circle Trading Post in Joy, visit the historic town of Wiseman and the Prudhoe Bay oil fields, and traverse the … A unique journey along one of the most remote roads anywhere in the world. – The Prudhoe Bay Excursion is an EXTREME Adventure and should only be undertaken by riders with experience on unpaved roads in a variety of adverse weather conditions. The highway, also known as the haul road, provided an essential land link allowing the companies to transport fuel, food and equipment to the Prudhoe Bay oil facility. The road then drops steeply to the flat, marshy North Slope. Access to the Arctic Ocean (8 miles from Deadhorse camp) is possible only through the authorized tour operator, Deadhorse Camp, by paying 69 USD. We’re often asked which one is better, and it comes down to your tastes. Deadhorse is more of a work camp than a town in the traditional sense. Ironically the fuel at Prudhoe itself is a little cheaper at $5.2 dead. Located at the northernmost reaches of the U.S. road system, Deadhorse and Prudhoe Bay sit on the coast of the Arctic Ocean at the heart of Alaska’s oil patch.