Alaska Highway Through the Yukon: Best Stops

The Alaska Highway is the road that made the Yukon accessible — built in eight months in 1942 by U.S. Army troops in response to the attack on Pearl Harbor, fully paved now, and the entry point for most people who drive into the territory. The Yukon stretch runs roughly 1,000 km from the BC border near Watson Lake to Beaver Creek at the Alaska border. This is the stops-focused guide. Not every kilometre matters equally — here's where to actually slow down. For the full Alaska Highway context and route planning, see the [Alaska Highway Hub](/travel/alaska-highway). ### Watson Lake: Sign Post Forest Watson Lake is the first major stop after crossing into the Yukon from British Columbia. The Sign Post Forest is the thing — over 100,000 signs from places around the world, started by a homesick U.S. Army soldier in 1942 who put up a sign pointing toward his hometown and inadvertently started a tradition that's been growing for 80 years. It's genuinely worth an hour. The density of the signs, the range of origins, and the occasional messages people have left are more affecting than you'd expect from what is essentially a large pile of signs. Watson Lake also has decent fuel, a few restaurants, the Northern Lights Centre (a planetarium-style facility focused on aurora), and a campground. If you're doing the Alaska Highway in either direction, this is a natural overnight stop. Driving time from Whitehorse: about 4.5 hours southeast. ### Teslin Teslin sits at km 1294 of the Alaska Highway, about 183 km southeast of Whitehorse, on a long bridge over Teslin Lake. The lake is one of the most beautiful stretches of the highway — blue water, mountains behind it, and a clarity that makes the north look the way it's supposed to look. The Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre in the community is one of the better cultural sites along the Alaska Highway — well-curated exhibits on Tlingit history and culture, run by the Teslin Tlingit Council. Worth stopping for if the heritage centres interest you. Allow an hour. Teslin has fuel and basic services. ### Haines Junction and Kluane Haines Junction is 158 km west of Whitehorse at the junction of the Alaska Highway and the Haines Road (which leads south to Haines, Alaska, and the BC coast). It's the gateway to Kluane National Park, which is the reason to spend meaningful time here. Kluane is one of the largest national parks in Canada and contains the largest non-polar icefields in the world. The St. Elias Mountains — including Kluane's peaks — rise straight off the highway in a way that is genuinely arresting. Mount Logan, at 5,959 metres, is Canada's highest peak and sits within Kluane. The Kluane National Park visitor centre in Haines Junction is excellent. Stop there for current trail conditions. Hike Tachal Dhal (Sheep Mountain) if you have three to four hours — views of Kluane Lake and the Slims River flats below, plus Dall sheep on the slopes. The Auriol Trail near the park entrance is a shorter half-day option. Kathleen Lake campground within the park is one of the best campgrounds in the Yukon: well-maintained sites, mountain reflections in the lake, wildlife in the surrounding forest. ### Kluane Lake Kluane Lake is 65 km long and one of the most dramatic stretches of the Alaska Highway. The highway hugs the eastern shore for about 60 km, with the lake on one side and the Kluane Range rising on the other. This is one of the places on the drive where you'll pull over repeatedly regardless of your schedule. Destruction Bay and Burwash Landing are small communities on the lake with fuel and basic services. Destruction Bay's name comes from a 1942 storm that destroyed the camp built for highway construction. Burwash Landing has the Kluane Museum of Natural History, which is a small but worthwhile wildlife museum. ### Beaver Creek Beaver Creek is Canada's most westerly community and the last stop before the Alaska border. It's a functional community — fuel, a hotel, basic food — rather than a destination. But it marks the end of the Yukon stretch and deserves a moment of acknowledgement if you've driven the whole way. The border crossing at Beaver Creek/Port Alcan is open year-round. Hours vary by season — check before crossing. ### Honest Notes on the Drive The Alaska Highway is long. Watson Lake to Whitehorse is 4.5 hours. Whitehorse to Beaver Creek is another 4 hours. You don't need to drive it all in both directions — many travellers do the Alaska Highway one way and the Klondike Highway the other, forming a loop through Dawson City. Wildlife on the Alaska Highway corridor is excellent. Bison herds south of Watson Lake. Stone sheep on the rocky terrain. Moose near wetlands. Bears in berry season. Scan the shoulders, particularly at dawn and dusk. Fuel discipline matters on the Alaska Highway the same as every Yukon road. Between Watson Lake and Teslin there are limited stops. Between Haines Junction and Beaver Creek, Destruction Bay and Burwash Landing have fuel, but don't roll past on low. The old rule applies: treat a half tank as empty. The highway is fully paved, but frost heaves — sections where the permafrost has pushed the asphalt — are common, especially in spring. Watch for heave warning signs and slow down. A heave at 110 km/h is hard on your vehicle and your passengers. If you're combining the Alaska Highway with the Klondike Highway, budget two weeks for the round trip. See [Yukon Road Trip Itinerary](/blog/yukon-road-trip-itinerary) for how to structure the full loop. For the full itinerary context, see [Yukon Road Trip Itinerary](/blog/yukon-road-trip-itinerary). For the drive from Whitehorse north to Dawson City, see [Whitehorse to Dawson City Drive](/blog/whitehorse-to-dawson-city-drive). For timing the whole trip, see [Best Time to Visit the Yukon](/blog/best-time-to-visit-yukon). The [Alaska Highway Travel Bundle](/shop/alaska-highway-travel-bundle) includes downloadable guides for every major stop on the Yukon stretch of the highway. Sign up at [/newsletter](/newsletter) for road condition updates and seasonal dispatches. The [shop](/shop) has the full range of downloadable guides.