Long road trips often lead to unique experiences and chance encounters — especially when you’re traveling the open road in western Canada and Alaska. From small towns to big national parks and everything in between, no day on the Alaska Highway is the same.

These roads lead to an astonishing variety of activities, whether you’re interested in gold rush history, wildlife viewing, Indigenous cultures, dog mushing, outdoor exploration, and beyond. Choose an Alaska Highway driving route (the Inside Passage, Rocky Mountain or Gold Rush routes) to find the region’s most unforgettable experiences and hit the road in search of the extraordinary.

Alberta

While the Rockies route just gets its start in this province, there are plenty of reasons not to rush on down the road. Home to six designated dark sky preserves, six UNESCO World Heritage Sites and even more unique places to stay the night, there are countless places to explore. Here’s a few to get started:

• Check out Cypress Hills Provincial Park Dark Sky Preserve. This spot has the highest elevation in the country east of the Canadian Rockies. Plan your visit during a new moon for the most spectacular skies.
• While Jasper and Banff National Parks are both part of Alberta’s most famous World Heritage Site, several others are near this Alaska Highway route. Visit Writing-on-Stone Áísínai'pi Provincial Park, a place that has held cultural significance for local Indigenous people for more than 10,000 years. Tour the park to see ancient petroglyphs and pictographs. Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump World Heritage Site preserves the hunting grounds where Indigenous peoples would kill prey by chasing them over the natural cliffs. You can hike trails above and below the cliffs, visit the onsite museum or learn more about the history from interpretive programs.
• Unique places to stay along the way range from the iconic Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise to glamping spots on an Indigenous-owned campground or a medieval encampment near Calgary to a ranch farm stay on a 125-year-old homestead in Mossleigh.

British Columbia

Outdoor adventures draw countless visitors to this western province, but what makes their experiences unique is described as “The British Columbia Effect,” a powerful connection to nature. Road trippers looking for a transformative journey should spend at least three days immersed in nature. A few possibilities:

• Take a wildlife viewing tour with an operator in the Indigenous Coastal Wildlife Collective. While you’re looking for bears, whales and other animals, you’ll hear about the First Nations peoples’ connection to these creatures and the land.
• Forest bathing isn’t hiking. It means spending time to slow down and sit with Mother Nature. Whether you find a guided experience or explore on your own, it can be a bit like therapy as you find yourself re-connecting with nature and yourself.
• While the Inside Passage and Gold Rush routes start in Vancouver, don’t shy away from the city; the wilderness is right at its doorstep. Outdoor adventures lie just beyond its borders, from mountain gondolas and horseback riding to hot springs resorts and kayak tours.

Yukon

You can traverse any of the three Alaska Highway routes through the Yukon, but only the Gold Rush route leads from Whitehorse to Dawson City, or the “Paris of the North,” where Klondike Gold Rush history runs deep. Museums and tours can leave you feeling like you stepped back in time, but that’s not all that’s unique about this region:

• While in Dawson City, belly up to the bar and order the Sourtoe Cocktail, invented by Captain Dick Stevenson to initiate visitors — if you can get past the mummified human toe they put in your drink, that is.
• Visitors from around the world stop at Watson Lake to see the Sign Post Forest started by a homesick American soldier who was helping to build the Alaska Highway in 1942. He posted the first sign pointing toward his hometown back then, not knowing the collection of signs would grow to nearly 90,000.
• Kluane National Park and Reserve is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is the largest internationally protected area in the world. While the highway runs parallel to the park’s boundaries, a tour into the park is practically a requirement. Raft down the Alsek River or take a flightseeing plane over the world’s largest non-polar icefields.

Alaska

The Great Land is known for its mountains, glaciers, wildlife and Indigenous culture — and you will see all of that while driving through the state. But Alaska also comes with a few quirks and extraordinary adventures that make for unforgettable experiences — ice climbing, dog mushing, and more.

• First off, you don’t always have to drive the Alaska Highway here. Instead, take the Inside Passage route and board the Alaska Marine Highway System in Prince, Rupert, BC for a ferry ride through Southeast Alaska. Used by locals for transportation on a regular basis, it’s a great way to get an insider look at the region, while seeing marine wildlife and dramatic landscapes along the way.
• Dog mushing is Alaska’s state sport (and another unique form of transportation) and most visitors will find year-round opportunities for a sled dog tour. Visit the sled dog kennel in Denali National Park and Preserve to learn about the history of these working dogs [the kennel is celebrating 100 years of canine park rangers!] or take a ride at a locally owned kennel by a championship musher like Jeff King.
• One of the best parts of Alaska is getting off the road to experience its remote wilderness areas. This is easier than it seems with a plethora of lodges, public-use cabins, and backcountry accommodations at your fingertips. Stay on Mt. Denali in a luxury lodge, sleep in a glass-domed igloo outside of Fairbanks, go glamping near the Matanuska Glacier, or take a boat to a lodge on a private island near Kenai Fjords National Park.