Dalton Highway

Dalton Highway Corridor https://www.blm.gov/visit/dalton-highway The Dalton Highway stretches 414 miles across northern Alaska from Livengood (84 miles north of Fairbanks) to Deadhorse and the oilfields of Prudhoe Bay. Built during construction of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline in the 1970s, this mostly gravel highway travels through rolling, forested hills, across the Yukon River and Arctic Circle, through the rugged Brooks Range, and over the North Slope to the Arctic Ocean. Along most of its length, you'll see no strip malls, no gift shops, no service stations, just forest, tundra, and mountains, crossed by a ribbon of road and pipe.

Bureau of Land Management 2021 The 2020 / Dalt Dalto on Dalton H i g h w a y Visitor Guide Experience America’s Arctic Road Conditions . . . pages 6-7 Points of Interest . . . page 8 Bear Safety . . . page 16 Contents Trip Planning 4 Preparing and Safety 6 Mileage Chart 11-14 Maps 23 Planning Your Trip Exploring 8-11 Points of Interest 15 An Icebound Land 17 Watching Wildlife 18 Recreation Facilities and Services 5 Visitor Centers 18 Campgrounds The Dalton Highway BLM Coordinators: John Rapphahn and Ultimate Road Adventure The Dalton Highway is a rough, industrial road that begins 84 miles (134 km) north of Fairbanks and ends 414 miles (662 km) later in Deadhorse, the industrial camp at Prudhoe Bay. It provides a rare opportunity to traverse a remote, unpopulated part of Alaska to the very top of the continent. Traveling this farthest-north road involves real risks and challenges. This publication will help you decide whether to make the journey, how to prepare, and how to enjoy your experience. Please read this information carefully. Know Before You Go • There is no public access to the Arctic Ocean from Deadhorse. You must be on an authorized tour. Call toll-free 1-877-474-3565; in Fairbanks, 474-3565. • There are no medical facilities between Fairbanks and Deadhorse, a distance of 500 miles (800 km). For emergency information, see the back page. • Food, gas, and vehicle repair service are extremely limited. See page 5. • There are limited cell phone service or public Internet connection between Fairbanks and Deadhorse. Contact your cell phone provider. • In 2019 the BLM hauled 20 tons of Dalton Highway trash to Fairbanks, the nearest landfill. Please do your part by reducing waste and returning to Fairbanks with what you brought. Kelly Egger Contributors: Craig McCaa, Cindy Hamfler, Zach Million and Erin Julianus Produced and Designed by All photos courtesy of BLM unless otherwise noted. Printed on recycled paper using soy-based inks. The Dalton Highway Visitor Guide is published by the Alaska Geographic Association in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management. This free publication is made possible by Alaska Geographic bookstore sales. ©Alaska Geographic Cover photo: Fall colors around Nutirwik Creek by AIVC Staff Arctic Interagency Visitor Center The award-winning Arctic Interagency Visitor Center introduces visitors from around the world to the unique and extreme environment of the Arctic. Explore interpretive exhibits, walk the nearby nature trails, and talk with our knowledgeable staff to learn more about the region’s history, natural environment, and recreation opportunities. The visitor center is a partnership between the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and hosts an Alaska Geographic Association bookstore. Open Daily from May 24 to September 16, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Phone: 907-678-5209 or 907-678-2014 (summer only). www.blm.gov/learn/interpretive-centers/aivc FREE digital public maps - www.blm.gov/maps/georeferenced-PDFs 2 Built for Black Gold In 1968, oil was discovered at Prudhoe Bay on Alaska’s North Slope. Excitement was high at the prospect of new money to fuel Alaska’s boom-and-bust economy. The nation was in the throes of an energy crisis and pushed for an 800-mile-long (1290 km) pipeline. But first, Native land claims had to be settled, permits granted, environmental safeguards designed, and a road built to get workers and supplies north to the oil field. When finally approved, construction of the TransAlaska Pipeline was run like a wartime project— money was no object and time was of the essence. The weather conditions, terrain, and the immensity of the project were all extreme. Engineers overcame permafrost, mountain ranges, and the relentless flow of the Yukon River in the process. Incredibly, the Haul Road was completed in just five months and the pipeline in three years (1974-77). The previously remote Arctic was changed forever. Haul Road or Highway? At first, the highway was called the Haul Road because almost everything supporting oil development was “hauled” on tractor-trailer rigs to its final destination. In 1981, the State of Alaska named the highway after James W. Dalton, a lifelong Alaskan and expert in arctic Road and pipeline workers remember the hardships of completing the highway – long hours of extreme cold, miles of dust, shirts black with mosquitoes, and months of exhausting work. engineering who was involved in early oil exploration efforts on the North Slope. The highway was open only to commercial traffic until 1981, when the state allowed public access to Disaster Creek at Milepost 211. In 1994, public access was allowed all the way to Deadhorse for the first time. Today, the Dalton Highway beckons adventurous souls to explore a still-wild and mysterious frontier. Respect this harsh land and appreciate the opportunity to visit a special part of our