Travelers who drive the length of the Dalton Highway, or ‘Haul Road,’ north of Fairbanks end up near the Arctic Ocean in Deadhorse. The Prudhoe Bay industrial complex on the Arctic Ocean is located a short distance away.
Access to Prudhoe Bay and the Arctic Ocean is restricted to oilfield workers and tour groups with special permits. For security and safety reasons, unescorted visitors are not allowed on the docks or on area roads. A number of tour agencies out of Fairbanks, Anchorage and in Deadhorse offer excursions to the Arctic Ocean as well as tours of the Prudhoe Bay oil facility.
Deadhorse is not a town in the traditional sense. It was established to support oil development in the surrounding area. Most buildings are modular, pre-fab-type, situated on gravel pads on tundra bog. Virtually all the businesses are engaged in oil field or pipeline support such as drilling, construction, maintenance, etc.
The 414-mile Dalton Highway is unique in its scenic beauty, wildlife and recreational opportunities, but it is also one of Alaska’s most remote and challenging roads. The road is mostly gravel, and motorists need to watch for ruts, rocks, dust in dry weather, potholes in wet weather and trucks and road maintenance equipment at all times. The volume of truck traffic hauling materials between Fairbanks and Prudhoe Bay can be high and it is recommended motorists give these trucks the right of way. Slow down and pull over to the side of the road when meeting oncoming trucks. Dalton Highway begins at Mile 73 on the Elliott Highway, 84 miles north of Fairbanks.