Community Forums

Superslif · 03-02-2014, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Thank you Superslif for the Sue Thomas site. Wonderful site, if you can't find your answers here you got a problem.

I agree....Been going over her site...taking little mental notes...One thing that comes across is she said many times rolling into a private campground without a reservation they were filled...Had to settle for a dry site or boondock.

Might have been because it was a salmon fishing spot, or a caravan had taken all the sites. We plan to do some boodocking (where allowed), but will need a CG's here and there. I do want to spend a few days inside the Denali NP. at one of their CG's so I know a reservation will be needed.

My Alaska pic: Alaska Aug. 2013 Alaska Aug. 2008

Hope to make it up there the summer of 16'

Bruce H · 03-02-2014, 12:46 PM

Roger on the boondocking and CG's Superslif. I plan on doing the same. I also plan on Danali NP. I have a grandson and his wife living in Anchorage and we plan on doing a camping trip to Danali. Can't wait, hope to leave AZ May 15. Sounds like you are planning a trip, when you going?

Superslif · 03-02-2014, 05:45 PM

My sis-n-law lives in North Pole AK., so we have a spot to stay while up there. While up there last Aug. I picked out a spot in their driveway...I said we'll be back in 3 years. Also plan to spend some time at one of the campgrounds (dry) along the Chena Hot Springs road, north of Fairbanks. There are also some nice boondocking pull-offs along that road.

I have to plug the Fairbanks Visitor Center New building, plenty of RV parking...and loads of maps, brochures and great exhibits. Many volunteers are on hand to answer ?'s. I can spend many hours there. My DW had to drag me out...

North Pole (15 miles SE. of Fairbanks) also has a Visitor Center, but not very much there. It's located 1/2 mile east of the main North Pole exit at the now closed Santa Claus Campground. Right next to Santa Claus House (Gift Shop) Visit with Santa Claus 365 days a year...It's worth a stop.

OLYLEN · 03-02-2014, 07:24 PM

There are lots of places to pull over and rest on the way. At least one CG at BLM Walker creek and is big enough for about any size rig. Then on to Chicken. Use bubble wrap taped on the front of the towed or 5th wheel or tow trailer where your own rock chips may/will happen. Also I saw bubble wrap on the front of a lot of RV's or tow rigs for on coming rock chips. You will get dirty one way or the other but thats part of the trip. There is another BLM camp ground before Tok, West Fork BLM CG with a view of Johna's lake and of course the CG at Chicken. So you can take 4 days to get from Dawson City to TOK if you wish, we did 3 days so we had time in Chicken and rroaming around time at the two BLM camp grounds.

LEN

Superslif · 03-02-2014, 09:29 PM

They say there is a free gold panning area in the Chicken campground. Are there any other "free" gold panning area's up that way along the TOW route? I figure Parker S. (Gold Rush Discovery Channel) can bag 1020 ounces, I can get an ounce. $$$ Yes, I got the gold fever.

TdogKing · 03-03-2014, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superslif

They say there is a free gold panning area in the Chicken campground. Are there any other "free" gold panning area's up that way along the TOW route? I figure Parker S. (Gold Rush Discovery Channel) can bag 1020 ounces, I can get an ounce. $$$ Yes, I got the gold fever.

Remember that's made for TV, your quest will be reality ! I was in Dawson City this past summer and was just about to leave and I decided to drive one of the back streets of of town. I glanced as I drove past a truck parked with a few guys talking to the driver and it was Parker. I stopped and as I walked back the other guys were walking away and I introduced myself etc told him of watching the show. My wife took a picture of us but bottom line was he acted like a knucklehead and wasn't friendly at all. I took maybe 2 minutes of his time . So if you find gold and I hope you do....don't turn into a knucklehead !

AFChap · 03-03-2014, 09:34 AM

We drove from Dawson thru Chicken last July. There had been light rain for two days before ...that held the dust down. We ran apx 35 mph the first part, and hit only one stretch apx 1/2 mile long that was pretty soupy where they had been doing some construction ...we were the tail end of a 22 rig caravan traveling in groups of 3 apx 30 minutes apart. After crossing the border into AK the road condition became much poorer, with speeds more like 15-20 much of the time.

The ferry will handle ANY RV you will be driving. We normally had 2-3 plus some cars on each crossing, and saw a very long semi w/lowboy trailer hauling a huge piece of equipment cross alone.

There are plenty of places to pull over along the way. We really enjoyed it, and felt it was not at all the worst road we drove on the two month adventure. Take your time and enjoy the trip!

Tom-NC · 03-03-2014, 09:49 AM

HI,

All I can say is don't take Top of the World Highway from Dawson City to Tok!

I did it and it took me 3 months to get rid of the mud plus along the way a 40 footer ran off the road and if it wasn't for some trees would have been down the mountain. they told us that a lot of tow bars have broken and there are cars down the mountain.

What I would do if I want to go to Dawson City is go there and then go back the same way you came and take the Alcan Highway to Tok and leave RV in the campground there which is very nice and then drive the car to Chicken when the weather is dry.

There really is nothing to see in Chicken except for 4 stores and gas there is extremely high.

Enjoy your trip to Alaska as we did there is a lot of things to see and do.

Superslif · 03-03-2014, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Remember that's made for TV, your quest will be reality ! I was in Dawson City this past summer and was just about to leave and I decided to drive one of the back streets of of town. I glanced as I drove past a truck parked with a few guys talking to the driver and it was Parker. I stopped and as I walked back the other guys were walking away and I introduced myself etc told him of watching the show. My wife took a picture of us but bottom line was he acted like a knucklehead and wasn't friendly at all. I took maybe 2 minutes of his time . So if you find gold and I hope you do....don't turn into a knucklehead !

Just thought I would keep it low key as far as a hobby. In the planning stages for a small homemade sluice (Dragon sluice). Also have an idea for a fine gold recovery system made from low cost things found at Home Depot. Might buy a small manual sluice setup off Ebay ($125). Got to do something in retirement. Mostly was interested if there were creek areas that it was OK to pan in.

dwkerch · 03-04-2014, 01:29 PM

Top Of The World Road is an experience one should not miss when in Alaska. We did it in 2012 in our truck camper from Chicken to Dawson City. Take it easy and enjoy the scenery and the experience. It's worth the time and effort

Ray,IN · 03-04-2014, 02:23 PM

Our S.M.A.R.T. caravan drove from Tok (shortened from Tokyo during WWII) to Dawson City YT. We were 1 truck camper, 1 TT, 4 5ers, 7 MH's. We all drove the "highway", stopped in chicken (they now have 2 CG's). The entire town is self-sufficient, relying on diesel generators for electricity. No WiFi, no cell phone service. I would strongly suggest not just walking out to a creek to pan for gold. Claim-holders are very suspicious of everyone they do not know personally, and all carry firearms of some variety.
There is a trick to driving top-of-the-world, it is to drive very slowly and stay away from the berm (it is so soft you can sink to your knees in places) of the road. We completely stopped when meeting oncoming vehicles for safer passing. Ask questions of locals in either Dawson or Tok= start end. They will give advice about safe driving the road if asked.

Bruce H · 03-04-2014, 03:08 PM

From everything I've heard it is a GO. However I think I will try to get some info on road conditions when I get to Whitehorse, that way I can decide whether I go to Dawson City and over to Chicken AK. or to Beaver Creek way.

Ray,IN · 03-04-2014, 05:26 PM

Bruce, if you only want to visit/see Chicken, AK vs driving the top of the world highway; access is much easier and the road is considerably better from Tok than Dawson. It's only between Chicken and the AK/CA border that the road gets harder to traverse.

TurtleKent · 03-04-2014, 06:30 PM

We did TOW July 4, 2012 on a cruise/tour with Holland America. The road was in good condition, with rough areas marked with orange cones/flags. Opposing traffic was sometimes in a big hurry. I would not hesitate driving my DP across TOW.

Holland America ran their busses across TOW in a caravan with a flag car leading.

I was riding shotgun on the bus as we came across a Prevost off the road.

Also, when you cross on the ferry at Dawson City going to Chicken arrive early. Tour busses have priority boarding over RVs. The day we crossed there were approx. 35 RVs in the queue lined up all the way thru Dawson City.

Downtown Chicken