The Dalton Highway: Fairbanks to Deadhorse, the road to the Arctic Ocean

The James W. Dalton Highway was built in 1974 as a haul road for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, and the pipeline still runs beside it most of the way. From the Elliott Highway north of Fairbanks it crosses the Yukon River and the Arctic Circle, climbs over the Brooks Range at Atigun Pass, and runs out across the North Slope tundra to Deadhorse, the oilfield camp at Prudhoe Bay.

It has been open to the public since 1994. It is mostly gravel, has three places to buy fuel, and no hospital between Fairbanks and Deadhorse. This guide covers what you need to drive it safely.

The road

Most of the road is gravel. Some sections are paved, but expect potholes, washboard surfaces, deep dust when it’s dry and slick mud when it’s wet.

Fuel: the 240-mile gap

There are only three places to buy fuel: the Yukon River crossing, Coldfoot and Deadhorse. From Coldfoot to Deadhorse it’s about 240 miles (388 km) with nothing at all. The road’s maintenance stations and pipeline pump stations offer no public services.

Fill up at every stop and carry spare fuel. Gravel, hills and cold all push consumption up.

Trucks, dust and safety

The Dalton is a working road. Big rigs haul supplies to the oilfields day and night, fast.

• Drive with headlights on, and slow down and pull right when a truck approaches. Gravel thrown up by trucks breaks windscreens.
• Never stop on a hill or a bend. Use pull-outs.
• There’s no hospital between Fairbanks and Deadhorse, about 500 miles. Phone coverage is almost non-existent; carry a satellite messenger or beacon.
• Carry two full-size spare tyres, tools, food, water and warm clothes, even in summer. Snow can fall at Atigun Pass in any month.

The Arctic Ocean

There’s no public access to the Arctic Ocean from Deadhorse. The shore is inside the oilfield, so to reach the water you must join an authorised tour, booked in advance. Plan this before you drive up, not after you arrive.

Renting a car for it

Most standard rental contracts forbid the Dalton. A few Fairbanks companies rent vehicles set up for it, with extra spare tyres and the right insurance. Book early for summer.

Wildlife

Watch for caribou, moose, muskoxen, Dall sheep and bears along the road, and even polar bears near Deadhorse. Never feed or approach them, and keep food sealed in your vehicle at night.

When to go

June to August is the main season: long days (the sun barely sets north of the Arctic Circle in midsummer), open campgrounds and the fewest closures. Late August brings autumn colour on the tundra. In winter the road stays open for the trucks, but temperatures far below zero, short days and blowing snow make it a serious expedition.