How to Cycle the Dalton Highway

One of the last true wilderness roads is the Dalton Highway in northern Alaska. The highway is 414 miles of rugged sub-Arctic and Arctic road that starts at 84 degrees north latitude. The road is often toured in combination with the Steese Highway, which starts just outside Fairbanks, the nearest connecting city for the Arctic highway. This is no place for novices, because you are in a remote wilderness. Risks of animal attacks, mosquito clouds like you have never experienced, and isolation make this bike tour a place for those with experience and gravitas.

Things You'll Need

  • Waterproof panniers
  • Bike racks
  • Rain gear
  • Face guard
  • Bug netting
  • Bug repellent
  • Tool kit with pump, inner tubes and patch kits
  • Bear spray
  • Hydration system
  • EPIRB or Spot messenger
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Instructions

    • 1

      Pack your camping gear into waterproof panniers. Weather is highly unpredictable, and the road gets muddy when wet. Keep all food and scented items in separate bags, isolated from clothing and gear. This is for bear avoidance.

    • 2

      Push a bear spray canister into an empty water bottle cage on the bicycle and keep it handy. Grizzly bears are seen in the first 200 to 300 miles of the highway and are often right at roadside. Know how to use the bear spray. Do not attempt to use it on a polar bear. Polar bears are Arctic dwellers, and the closer you get to the Arctic Ocean, the chances of seeing one increases.

    • 3

      Camp at least a quarter-mile from the roadside. Truckers use the road for hauling goods to Prudhoe Bay and send up dust and rocks. In addition, the Bureau of Land Management requests that you camp away from the road to preserve the view on the road.

    • 4

      Plan the precise number of days you plan to be on the road. There is one resource for food and supplies in Deadhorse, at the intersection of the Steese and Dalton Highways. You must be self-contained for the journey. As a general rule, plan 5,000 calories per day per person, because you burn tremendous amounts of energy cycling the rugged roads.

    • 5

      Purify all water before drinking. Parasites and diseases such as giardia exist in the waters of the north. Do not risk getting sick.

    • 6

      Bring a land-based EPIRB or Spot messenger for emergencies. These devices send out a distress signal to search-and-rescue dispatchers. Even when they receive the signal, you may wait up to three days before help gets to you. Have medical knowledge and training before heading up the highway.

    • 7

      Resupply at Coldfoot between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Coldfoot is at mile 60 along the highway and is the last true resupply along the route. If you plan to stay at the lodge, make reservations well in advance.

    • 8

      Contact the Alaska division of the Bureau of Land Management before departure to check on any road closures, restrictions or fires in the region.