Have You Driven the Haul Road to Prudhoe?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

arcticfox2005

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 18, 2011
Posts
716
We have driven to Alaska three times, and are considering one more trip. We have done the haul road as far as the Arctic Circle, but maybe would like to do the whole thing (we have watched all the episodes of Ice Road Truckers). We would probably be there in the July-August time frame. We have a 26' class C and tow a Jeep Rubicon, but would probably leave it at home in Wyoming. If you have done this, we would like to hear from you. Really worthwhile or just another 400 miles of black spruce?
 
IRT use to be a good watch,, this season has become stupid with staged drama scenes. Its more than coincidence when a truck slides around a corner and the camera is in a perfect aerial position,, the truck makes a turn too tight,  and into the ditch,,camera is positioned at the inside of the turn to "catch it",, a trailer looses its rear duals but all the wheel studs are intact and the driver didn't know it .. I predict a slow death.>>>Dan  ( I would like to do the trip to say I did, but summertime would be hell on windshields with oncoming traffic on gravel road, winter would be hell with tires chained up and beating the coach to death. The cost of fuel is unthinkable.)
 
We drove the haul road last August.  We drove up in our truck and  thought it was a good road and had no problems.  The speed limit of 50mph is pretty strictly enforced, so we had minimal problems with rocks.  Most of the gravel is fairly fine and does not cause problems.  If its raining, your rig will be covered with the typical Alaskan mud that is mighty hard to get off, and it covers everything.  As far as road condition, the roughest part of the road is the paved part where the frost heaves have buckled the pavement.  Construction slowed us several times and you can plan on a delay of at least a couple hours for the whole trip. 

The last spruce tree is just south of Atigan Pass over the Brooks Range.  It is standing dead because someone girtled and killed it several years ago.  North of that is Tundra.

We left our trailer in Fairbanks and drove up in the trick.  We stayed at a B&B in Wiseman on the way up and turned the Prudeau Bay Hotel in Deadhorse.  You have to make reservations ahead to take the tour that goes through the oilfields to the Arctic Ocean.

We really enjoyed the trip, however we drove a truck that's used to mud and grunge.  If you don't want to have to clean up your rig, you can always take one of the tours that make the trip in Vans.

It's a great trip and one everyone should make.
 
If you don't want to drive it....I think both Holland America and Princess have tours. We went on Holland America's several years ago. Flew from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay then the bus brings you back to Fairbanks. On the way back we overnighted in Coldfoot. Or you can take the bus up and fly back. The tour bus would be more comfortable than a van.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
131,753
Posts
1,384,359
Members
137,524
Latest member
freetoroam
Back
Top Bottom