The Stunning Alaska Highway! Dawson Creek to Liard Hot Springs!
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 4 ноя 2024
- 2023 Alaska Journey - Episode 3
This week we start our journey on the Alaska Highway through British Columbia as we travel from Dawson Creek to Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park.
First Stop, Dawson Creek and the N.R.A. Station Museum at the Visitor Center, where we learned a lot about the AlCan highway.
The Alaska highway, also known as the AlCan Highway, was built in response to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941. In 1942, the US entered into World War II and a supply and defense route to Alaska was critical. Canada agreed to building the Alaska-Canada highway on the condition that the United States foot the bill, and that the highway be turned over to Canada after the war.
The construction of the highway was a massive undertaking. It was constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers with over 10,600 soldiers and 16,000 Canadian and American civilian contractors to complete the road. The highway stretches over 1,500 miles from Dawson Creek, British Columbia to Delta Junction, Alaska. The crews worked in extreme weather conditions, rugged terrain, swamps and lots of mosquitoes. Despite the challenges, the AlCan highway was completed in just eight months.
After the war, the road was opened to the public, and it has since become a popular tourist destination, offering stunning views of the Canadian and Alaskan remote wilderness.
We left Dawson Creek a day early due to wildfires along with unbearable smoke. We found a nice boondocking spot just outside of Fort Nelson.
We were astonished by the state of the road as we drove down the highway the following morning. It was hard to see all of the stories we had heard and our worries about the rough remote highway! So far, this highway is superior to many others in the lower 48 states!
We had good roads, great views, no cell service past Fort Nelson and lots of wildlife!
Next stop, Summit Lake Campground in Stone Mountain Provincial Park with a campsite right on the lake. Stone Mountain Provincial Park encompasses much of the Northern Rocky Mountains. The park is home to alpine valleys, mountain peaks, rivers, remote lakes and many species of wildlife.
We moved on to our next location, Muncho Lake Provincial Park. This stretch of the highway is breathtaking and Muncho Lake is a major highlight of the Alaska Highway. We stayed at Northern Rockies Lodge RV sites, a full service stop for Alaska Highway travelers.
Last stop, Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park is located on the Alaska Highway north of Muncho Lake.
This section of the highway had a lot of wildlife! (Caribou, Stone Sheep, Moose, Bear and Wood Bison)
When we reached Liard River Hot Springs we saw the electric fence we had read about.
BC Parks constructed the 8-foot electric fence around the entire campground to prevent bears and other wildlife from becoming accustomed to humans and to keep them moving through the wildlife corridor. The park has a warm water swamp home to a wide variety of plants, mammals and birds. There were even small fish, Lake Chub, that have adapted to warm water. They have been isolated from other populations for thousands of years.
Moose and bear both eat in the warm water swamps so we had to be on the look-out at all times. A rare predatory black bear attack occurred at the park in 1997, claiming two lives.
Liard River Hot Springs is the second largest natural hot spring in Canada. It is a natural river of hot water rather than a spring fed man made pool. It is a must when driving the Alaska highway!
Stay tuned for more from the SilverVagabonds! Next week we continue our Journey to Alaska through the Yukon Territory!
#alaskahighway #muncholake #airstream
You two are seeing much more wildlife than we have seen. Lucky!! We stayed at Testa Lodge for a couple of nights. Such nice people and their buns are delicious 🤤. We encountered road construction delays and bad roads from Destruction Bay to the border. A few stops to the hardware store to beef up some hardware and we are good to go. Leaving Denali National Park today and headed to Talkeetna. If you want to try a good place for food and beers we recommend 49th State Brewery in Healy. Safe travels!
Wow…we are going through Chicken and hitting Destruction Bay later.
@@SilverVagabonds Can’t wait to see those videos!!
I was wondering if you are both proficient in driving the camper?
I think i could drive one...
But i dont think I could back into a campsite to save my life!
I'd drive 6000 miles for a good cinnamon roll!😊
Beautiful video as always!
Thanks for sharing.
Yes…we both drive but I (Colleen) do most of the backing! It is easier than you think! 😀