01/11/2025
14th – 31st Aug 2025
We kicked off our Alaska road trip the day after our wedding – me, Lu, my brother and Jířa (our fun crew from Belgium, haha) boys had flown in to join us. Guys arrived on July 28th, but the first two days were spent sorting out a few last details with the car, which we later handed over for them to travel and sleep in. We had prepared a 14-day itinerary for them, squeezed in a few hikes together, celebrated with a wedding helicopter flight and a very punk-style feast, and finally, on August 14th, we set off on a shared adventure.
Day 1 (August 14, 2025)
The plan was simple: stop by the registry office in the morning because of the marriage certificate and hit the road straight after. Reality, of course, had other plans. We overslept, had to completely repack the car to fit four people, picked up some extra responsibilities along the way, and nothing went quite as smoothly as we expected. Luckily, Péťa – our host for the last few days – is an absolute gem and sent us off with delicious chickpea patties for the road. That first day we tried not to make too many stops, pushing as close to Alaska as possible, but with so many kilometers ahead of us, progress was slow. By sunset we still hadn’t even crossed into British Columbia. Tired and ready for rest, we started scouting for our first overnight spot.
Day 2 (August 15, 2025)
Our goal for the second day was ambitious: cross both the British Columbia and Yukon borders. That meant another long haul of endless kilometers.
The first real highlight of the day came at Liard Hot Springs. Even before we reached the pools, the road turned into a mini safari — first we spotted reindeer, then several herds of bison grazing right next to the road. By the time we sank into the steaming hot springs, it was around 6 p.m. The water was blissfully warm, in some spots even too much, it hit nearly 47°C (and probably more where the bubbling surface made it clear no human should step). For just 5 CAD per person, it was worth every minute of soaking.
Back on the road, the wildlife encounters didn’t stop. A few hundred meters after leaving the springs we came across a black bear, and shortly after — a mother bear with two cubs, right by the roadside. After all that, we would’ve loved nothing more than to crawl straight into sleeping bags, but the kilometers kept calling.
We made a quick stop in Watson Lake, Yukon, to refuel and check out the famous Sign Post Forest — a maze of over 100,000 signs and license plates from all around the world. We even found a Czech one, along with plenty from neighboring countries. Without lingering too long, we pushed further down the road until we found a spot to spend the night, ready for another big day ahead.
🌲 Fun Fact – Liard Hot Springs:
The springs are Canada’s second-largest natural hot springs, and they stay open year-round — even in the dead of winter when temperatures drop below –30°C. The area is also home to a rare ecosystem called the “warm water swamp,” where tropical-like plants grow thanks to the constant heat of the springs. It’s a little pocket of paradise in the middle of the Yukon highway wilderness.
Day 3 (August 16, 2025)
Our third day kicked off with a stop at the Carcross Desert, which proudly claims the title of “the world’s smallest desert.” In reality, it’s not technically a desert — the area gets too much rainfall. Scientists believe it’s actually a remnant of Ice Age sand dunes. As the glaciers retreated, they left behind lakes, and winds piled sand from the shores into rolling dunes. Thanks to the region’s dry climate and persistent winds, the dunes are still shifting today, creating the look of a miniature Sahara in the Yukon.
Next stop: Emerald Lake — supposedly one of the most photographed spots in the territory. Honestly, it didn’t quite live up to the hype for us, but it was a great place to cook up some lunch. We were joined by two local dogs who hung out with us the entire time. At first, we thought they belonged to other people parked nearby, but when everyone else left, it was just us and the dogs. Since the houses were close by, we assumed they must be from there. We even considered scanning the QR code on their collars, but of course, no signal in the Yukon wilderness!
Trying to push further toward the trailhead for the next day, we eventually had to admit the drive was wearing us down. We made a short stop by the Yukon River, where the current was impressively strong. Two paddlers in a canoe appeared, balancing what looked like suitcases (at least from afar, haha). They handled the crossing with surprising speed and skill — much better than we expected given their unusual “cargo.”
🌲 Fun Fact – Carcross Desert:
Despite being only about 2.6 km², Carcross Desert is a hotspot for outdoor activities. In summer, it’s popular for sandboarding, hiking, and ATV rides, while in winter the dunes become a playground for cross-country skiing. It’s one of the few places in the world where you can say you’ve gone skiing in a desert!
Day 4 (August 17, 2025)
Grizzly Lake, Yukon [23,11 km, 1 357 m ↑, 1 357 m ↓]
Today was hands down the most exciting day before crossing into Alaska. In the morning, we set off on the Grizzly Lake Trail. The weather was absolutely perfect — blue skies, hardly any wind, and jaw-dropping views in every direction. Grizzly Lake, in the heart of Yukon’s Tombstone Territorial Park, is one of the park’s most iconic spots. It’s surrounded by jagged granite peaks that have earned the nickname “the Canadian Patagonia of the North.” 🌄 The lake’s name isn’t random either — grizzlies are frequent visitors here. It’s an area where bear spray is more than just a suggestion, and hiking in groups is strongly recommended.
In the evening, the adventure took a very different turn in Dawson City at the legendary Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall — Canada’s oldest casino. More than just a place to gamble, it features nightly vaudeville shows all summer long, inspired by the Klondike Gold Rush era. There are three shows each evening; we missed the first one thanks to much-needed hot showers, but made it in time for the last two. Thanks to my brother’s courage in asking a group of three guys if we could share their table, we scored front-row seats. Turned out they were from Ukraine and Russia, all working in Dawson City at a warehouse. The performances were full of glitter and energy, and we even tried out some of the old slot machines and roulette for fun.
A quick note worth mentioning: the casino opened in 1971 and is unique in Canada — it’s run by a non-profit, with all profits going back into supporting the local community and culture. Its name comes from a famous Klondike cabaret dancer, Gertie Lovejoy, who was so extravagant she had a diamond set between her front teeth, earning her the nickname “Diamond Tooth Gertie.”
The night didn’t end there. A local at the campground tipped us off to drive up to Midnight Dome, a lookout point over Dawson City and the Yukon River. We were too late for the sunset, but managed to catch the afterglow of twilight — and later, after returning from the casino, we were treated to a blanket of stars and even a faint northern lights display. ✨
🌲 Fun Fact – Tombstone Territorial Park:
Tombstone is home to permafrost landscapes, tundra valleys, and those dramatic granite peaks that look straight out of Patagonia. The park is also rich in Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin First Nation history, and the Dempster Highway (which cuts through it) is the only road in Canada that takes you all the way to the Arctic Ocean.
Day 5 (August 18, 2025)
The town of Dawson City itself is fascinating — many of the historic buildings or at least their architectural style have been preserved. In 1898, Dawson became the epicenter of the Klondike Gold Rush, a place where time seems to have stopped. In just one year, this tiny settlement transformed into the “Paris of the North” — with over 30,000 residents, theaters, bars, and even electricity before many other Canadian cities. We wanted to explore it in the daylight, so we strolled through the small town in no time, stopping at a busy local café and a charming souvenir shop.
Next, we took the George Black ferry, which runs for free and continuously. There’s only a roughly one-hour maintenance and shift-change break, but otherwise it operates whenever someone is waiting on either side. The ferry is for both vehicles and pedestrians.
Fun historical notes:
- Jack London & Robert Service: The town inspired authors like Jack London (Call of the Wild) and Robert Service (The Cremation of Sam McGee), who both lived here for a while — you can even visit their cabins today.
- Adventure on the way: Dawson is accessible via the legendary Dempster Highway, the only year-round road crossing the Arctic Circle — the drive itself is half the adventure.
- Sourtoe Cocktail: Dawson is famous for Canada’s most bizarre drink. At the Sourdough Saloon, they serve whisky with a real mummified human toe. Legend has it: “You can drink it fast, you can drink it slow, but your lips must touch the toe.”
- Sun celebration: Winters are so long here that locals hold a festival to celebrate the first sunlight after months of darkness.
On the other side of the Yukon River lies the Shipwreck “graveyard” — abandoned and decaying wooden steamboats. During the Gold Rush, the Yukon was the main transport artery, and dozens of boats brought thousands of adventurers and tons of supplies. When planes and roads took over, these steamboats were simply pulled ashore and left. Thanks to the permafrost and dry climate, the wooden hulls have survived over 100 years, still revealing outlines of decks and cabins, almost as if waiting for another voyage.
At 1:00 PM, we finally crossed into Alaska. At the border, we met a friendly guy who told us that border guards often stay here for four months, with the nearest small shop in the town of Chicken and larger supplies only in Tok, about 150 miles away. This border is open only four months a year — closed the rest of the time due to snow conditions. At 2:00 PM, we stopped in Chicken, taking a photo with the town’s sign.
Find more about midle days in Alaska section >>>
Day 13 (August 26, 2025)
What was supposed to be just a boring, long drive back toward Banff, we decided to spice up with a stop at Hidden Lake, accessible via a short 1.5 km trail. We had planned to cool off in the lake, but seeing the lilies and other plants poking out of the water, we changed our minds.
Eventually, we discovered two small rowboats freely available by the lake, so we borrowed one for a short while and enjoyed a relaxing moment on the water.
About an hour later, we crossed back into Yukon, and around 10 PM we spotted a perfect spot to spend the night near Kluane Lake, so we parked and prepared dinner.
Day 14 (August 27, 2025)
Kathleen Lake Trail, Yukon [13,14 km, 1 345 m ↑, 1 345 m ↓]
Spirit Canyon Trail, Yukon [3,33 km, 152 m ↑, 152 m ↓]
We woke up around 6:30 AM, still reluctant to leave our warm sleeping bags, but the sunrise outside was too beautiful to ignore. I woke Lu, and together we enjoyed a perfect morning glow.
After about an hour’s drive, we arrived at Kathleen Lake, where we had the choice between a shorter or longer trail. The shorter trail ends roughly halfway, supposedly offering the same views. Realizing that the beginning of both trails is the same and that we could decide whether to turn back later, we set off with a plan to reassess at the shorter trail’s end. Naturally, none of us do things halfway, so we ended up hiking all the way to the Kings Throne Peak summit. The wind gusts were intense in places, and the climb brutally steep, but we didn’t give up.
At the top, we were thrilled to reach the summit. The views were spectacular, revealing the entire lake, including the part that had previously been hidden behind the peak. We had lunch at the summit before heading back down to the parking lot, eagerly anticipating a refreshing jump into the lake.
Fun Fact: The local Indigenous name for the lake is Mät’àtäna Mǟn, meaning “lake with a long shallow end” in Southern Tutchone. Kathleen Lake is unique because it combines two very different water sources – cold glacial streams from Kaskawulsh Glacier and warmer mountain springs – creating a one-of-a-kind ecosystem where trout and Arctic grayling thrive.
After the lake, we explored Spirit Canyon. We had imagined a canyon with flowing water, but it turned out to be dry. Instead, it offered interesting climbing opportunities and some fun scrambling.
Day 15 (August 28, 2025) & Day 16 (August 29, 2025)
These two days were all about driving, as we needed to get as close as possible to the Kiwa Glacier Trail, which we planned to hike the following day. It was a bit of a last-minute idea, and unfortunately, we didn’t have the time (or the internet connection) to properly research it. The trail isn’t marked on AllTrails, and even on maps.com we couldn’t see any clear route.
What we did find was a travel blog and a YouTube video, but neither gave us exact directions. Still, we decided to go for it, hoping we’d somehow spot the path once we got there. From what we know, it involves some wilderness navigation, river crossings, and at the end, a glacier with a lake full of floating icebergs. That was enough to convince us—it sounded like the kind of adventure worth exploring.
Day 17 (August 30, 2025)
Kiwa Glacier Trail, BC [30.37 km, 738m ↑, 738m ↓]
The first 12 kilometers weren’t exactly a walk in the park, but definitely easier than we had feared from the trail descriptions. Then came the tough part… we weren’t sure if we were supposed to crawl under fallen trees or climb over them. Soon we were all scratched up from bushwhacking, completely losing track of where the trail was. For a while we spotted a few faded ribbons marking the way, then nothing. At times we stumbled onto a faint path, at others we found ourselves wading through swamps—but at least we could still dodge the worst of it.
Eventually, when the trail disappeared altogether, we decided to head closer to the river and cross it. The current was much stronger than on the Crow Pass Trail, but we all managed to make it across. What none of us expected was that on the other side… there was nothing but bog. We kept searching for drier ground, but it was hopeless. The glacier was already in sight, seemingly close, but across those endless swamps it felt impossibly far. At one point I stuck my trekking pole into a bog and it sank so deep I nearly went in headfirst after it.
We set ourselves a hard turnaround time of 4 p.m. to get back across the river and through the worst section before dark. The plan was to leave the last 12 kilometers for headlamps if needed. Defeated by the swamp maze, we finally turned back—only to find that the river had already risen. The moment I stepped in, the current surged higher than before. At one point I froze, unsure whether to keep going or retreat, as the rocks under my feet started shifting. Lu and my brother came back for me, making a human shield so I wouldn’t get swept away. We finally made it across, soaked and shaken, realizing too late that of course the heat of the day (around 30°C) had melted more glacial ice, raising the water level. Another reason why people usually camp overnight at Kiwa Glacier instead of trying to do it all in one go.
The way back was no easier. We lost the trail several times, I managed to lose my sunglasses, and we all felt utterly drained and frustrated that we never reached the glacier itself. For about three hours we fought through brush, climbed over and under trees, and hopped over streams—this time in complete darkness. We pushed hard, moving quickly, yet still didn’t reach the car until around midnight. By then, nobody was talking; we were just stumbling forward on autopilot. Back at our campsite, we half-heartedly wiped ourselves clean with wet wipes and collapsed into bed, too tired to do anything else.
Fun fact:
Kiwa Glacier was named after Kiwa Creek, a tributary of the Fraser River. The name dates back to the early 20th century railway surveys, when the first surveyors and railway builders entered the area. Today, Kiwa Glacier remains almost unknown even among Canadians – it doesn’t appear on popular map apps, and there is no officially marked trail leading to it. That’s why it has become something of a “secret expedition” for adventurers willing to face wilderness, swamps, and powerful glacial rivers.
Another interesting detail: local guides often warn that the water level of glacier-fed rivers can rise significantly within a single day, especially in sunny weather. That’s why it’s common practice to ford the river in the morning, when the water is lower and the current weaker.
Day 18 (August 31, 2025)
Today is mainly about returning to Banff. We drive through Jasper, where we make a short stop for coffee and a little rest. Along the way, we visit some of the stops we had recommended to the guys, but they didn’t manage to find them. In the evening, we go for a welcome/farewell drink with Péťa, which marks the end of our road trip with the guys.
Approximate expenses for the whole 18 days and 4 people:
· Gas = $1,346
· Food = $1,896
· Showers + Tips + Parking + Entry Fees = $318
TOTAL: $3,560 (64USD/person/day)
Note: We didn’t pay for any accommodation. Throughout the trip, we looked for places to sleep using the iOverlander app 2, and it worked perfectly. In Dawson City, we planned to use the RV parking, but it was fully booked. When we asked about wild camping, the camp manager recommended a spot with an amazing view. We also used the same app to find showers and drinking water.
Note 2: Once again, there are some unfinished adventures from this trip that we will have to return for, such as climbing Denali, the highest peak in North America, glacial adventures like ice caves, or swimming in a glacial pool.