4 June 2019 The Dalton Highway

Journal Entry

The Dalton Highway

Toolik Field Station, North Slope, AK
June 4, 2019

Photo of the Day:

The Dalton Highway in northern Alaska.

Today, we tackled the 9.5 hour drive from Fairbanks north to Toolik Field Station, along the infamous Dalton Highway. This road was originally constructed as a supply corridor for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, and it follows the pipeline’s length for its duration.¹ It begins in Fairbanks and ends at the Deadhorse oil camp on the Arctic Ocean.

Left: Map of the entire Dalton Highway, from Fairbanks to Deadhorse. Top Right: Our journey to Toolik Field Station. Image Sources: Bureau of Land Management, Google Maps.

It’s quite the dangerous road, given that it’s mostly gravel, primarily driven by large oil trucks, and one of the most isolated roads in the US. As we drove, we had to follow multiple special precautions, notably the 50 mph maximum speed limit and frequent use of a CB radio to communicate with other drivers. Here are a couple videos clips to give you some perspective:

Dalton Highway Top 6:

Here's my top 6 list from the drive.

Crossing the Yukon River

Three hours into our trip, we crossed the famous Yukon River, the longest river in Alaska.

The Yukon River, on the Dalton Highway, AK.

Entering the Arctic

At 66°33° North, we officially crossed into the Arctic Circle!

Sign marking the boundary of the Arctic Circle. Dalton Highway, AK.

The Wildlife

We were blessed on this trip to see a wide variety of wildlife just off the road. The highlights of the trip for me were a red fox with pups and a herd of caribou.

The Names of the Landmarks

Driven by truckers for over 40 years, many of the landmarks along the Dalton have acquired humorous names. My particular favorites were: Oil Spill Hill, the Roller Coaster, Beaver Slide, Gobblers Knob, and the infamous Oh Sh*t Corner.

Oh Sh*t Corner and its accompanying sign. A rather dangerous bend on the Dalton Highway. The sign is no longer present, due to it constantly being stolen. Image Source: Wing-It Worldwide.

Atigun Pass

Crossing the Brooks Range at Atigun pass, we finally entered the North Slope region of Alaska. From this point north, all streams and river flow into the Arctic Ocean, the topsoil is supplanted by continuous permafrost, and there are no trees.²

Arriving at Toolik

We finally disembarked at Toolik Field Station after a very long day in the truck. It is so great to finally be here!

Our truck at Toolik Field Station, after 9+ hours on the Dalton. Toolik Field Station, AK.

The entrance to Toolik Field Station. This photo was taken at 11:30 PM!

Comment below!

“Alaska: Dalton Highway Visitor Guide 2018.” Alaska: Dalton Highway Visitor Guide 2018 | Bureau of Land Management, 10 Apr. 2019, www.blm.gov/documents/alaska/public-room/brochure/dalton-highway-visitor-guide-2018. ↩︎
Huryn, Alexander D., and John E. Hobbie. Land of Extremes: a Natural History of the North Slope of Arctic Alaska. University of Alaska Press, 2012. ↩︎