💡 Wilderness Wisdom
Essential Tips
Everything you need to know before heading into Yukon, Alaska, and BC wilderness with 17 people and 3–4 RVs.
Bear Safety
Non-negotiable in grizzly country
Bear spray is mandatory on all hikes. You cannot fly with it — purchase in Whitehorse or ask your RV company if they provide it.
Bear spray ×2+ per RV — buy locally. Counter Assault or UDAP brands. ~$50–$60 CAD each in Whitehorse.
Bear bells on all packs — make noise on trails, especially through dense bush.
Bear-proof food storage — never leave food in tents or accessible in RVs overnight with windows open.
Bear Boardwalk (Hyder, Aug 20–21) is already booked. Stay on the boardwalk — bears are actively feeding on salmon.
Grizzlies vs black bears — grizzly: stand ground, spray. Black bear: make noise, look big. Know the difference.
Cook downwind from tents/RVs and clean up thoroughly after every meal.
Fuel Strategy
Critical — long distances between stations
Rule #1: Fill up every opportunity. There are 200+ km stretches with no fuel on the Dempster and Cassiar highways.
Dempster Highway — fuel at Dawson City before heading north. No fuel until Tombstone area (limited) or Eagle Plains.
Cassiar Highway (Hwy 37) — long stretches with no services. Last reliable fuel: Whitehorse → Watson Lake → Stewart/Hyder.
RV fuel economy — expect 15–20L/100km. With 3–4 RVs, budget $300–500+ CAD per RV for the full trip.
Fuel prices in the Yukon are high — often $2.00–$2.50 CAD/L. Fill up in Whitehorse when possible.
Jerry can recommended — carry an extra 20L fuel can on the Dempster, just in case.
Cell Reception
Expect to be off-grid for days at a time
Cell coverage is spotty to non-existent outside of Whitehorse, Dawson City, and Haines/Juneau. Plan accordingly.
Whitehorse & Dawson City — good Rogers/Bell coverage. Stock up on connectivity here.
Dempster Highway — zero cell service beyond Dawson. Download offline maps BEFORE you go.
Cassiar Highway — very limited. Occasional signal at Watson Lake, Stewart, and Terrace.
Consider Starlink Roam rental — available in Canada/US. ~$50–200/month portable. Huge for 17 people over 24 days.
US numbers in Alaska — Haines, Juneau, Skagway: US SIM or roaming will work fine.
Canadian SIM or roaming — Canadian legs (Yukon, BC) require Canadian coverage. Rogers best in the north.
RV-to-RV Communication
Staying connected across 3–4 vehicles
Walkie-talkies are essential when driving in convoy. Cell won't work — radios will.
Bring walkie-talkies for each RV — GMRS radios with 5+ km range. Motorola T800 series or Midland GXT recommended.
Designate a lead RV that drives first and scouts parking/campsite availability.
Set a convoy protocol — if one RV stops (fuel, bathroom, breakdown), everyone pulls over at next safe spot.
WhatsApp group for when you do have signal — one group for all families with shared docs, maps, bookings.
Daily meeting time — every morning at campsite before driving. Discuss route, fuel stops, who leads.
Border Crossings
3 countries — know the rules
This trip crosses Canada → USA → Canada → USA → Canada multiple times. Be prepared each time.
Passports for everyone — including kids. All valid, all in hand at the border.
Produce/food restrictions at US border — may confiscate fresh vegetables, fruits, and meat. Declare everything. When in doubt, declare.
Firewood — do NOT bring firewood across international borders. Buy locally at each stop.
Prescription medications — keep in original labeled bottles. Carry prescriptions if controlled substances.
Cannabis — strictly illegal to cross any international border with cannabis. Zero tolerance.
Tetlin/AK border crossing (Stop 2) — smaller crossing, usually quick. US$6 vehicle fee.
Skagway → Canada (Stop 9) — back into Canada via Klondike Highway after Skagway.
Cash & Payments
Remote areas = cash is king
Carry both CAD and USD cash. Many remote campgrounds, small towns, and border-area businesses are cash only.
Deadman Lake Campground (Stop 2) — free, no facilities, cash irrelevant. But nearby fuel stations: cash preferred.
Tombstone Campground — Parks Canada accepts cards, but have backup cash for the Dempster trip.
Chicken, Alaska — tiny settlement, cash only for café and local businesses.
Hyder, BC — tiny border town (~100 residents), some USD accepted alongside CAD.
ATMs — Whitehorse, Dawson City, Haines, Juneau, Skagway. After that, no guaranteed ATMs until Terrace.
Recommend — each family carries $300–500 CAD + $200–300 USD cash minimum for the full trip.
Apps to Download
Download everything BEFORE leaving Whitehorse
iOverlanderCampsites, water, fuel off-grid
Recreation.govUS campground bookings
Discover CampingBC campground reservations
Parks CanadaYukon / Kluane / Tombstone
Google Maps OfflineDownload entire Yukon + AK + BC
Maps.meOffline backup maps
GasBuddyFuel prices when in range
The MilePost AppMileposts for Alaska Hwy
Critical: Download all offline maps in Whitehorse before the Dempster. Once you leave Dawson City heading north — nothing.
Route Maps
Full trip split into two parts
The full route is too long for a single Google Maps link — split into two legs below.
🗺️ Part 1 — Whitehorse → Kluane → Alaska → Dawson → Tombstone → Whitehorse
🗺️ Part 2 — Whitehorse → Haines → Ferry → Juneau → Ferry → Skagway → Cassiar → Hyder → Terrace
Buy The MILEPOST book (~$30) — the bible for Alaska Highway travel. Updated annually. Every campground, fuel stop, and landmark mile-by-mile.
RV Tips
3–4 RVs, 24 nights in the wilderness
Height clearance on Dempster — some bridges and overpasses limited. Know your RV height. Confirm with rental company.
Gravel road tires — the Dempster and Cassiar have gravel sections. Request gravel-rated tires from your RV company.
Dumping locations — use iOverlander app to find dump stations. Whitehorse, Dawson City, and Terrace have good facilities.
Extra sewer hose — bring a spare. Remote campgrounds often have non-standard fittings.
Leveling blocks — mountain and gravel campsite terrain is rarely flat. Pack Lynx Levelers.
Generator quiet hours — most campgrounds enforce 10 PM–8 AM quiet hours. Respect them, especially in Yukon parks.
Water fill-up — Deadman Lake has no water. Always fill tanks at previous campground when heading to remote sites.
Weather & Gear
Summer in the subarctic is unpredictable
Yukon/Alaska in late July–August: gorgeous days (20–25°C) mixed with cold nights (5–10°C) and sudden rain. Layer obsessively.
Rain gear for everyone — waterproof jacket + pants. Even in "summer" you'll need them in Juneau (very rainy).
Warm hat + gloves — for Dempster Highway and Tombstone at elevation. Can snow in August.
Mosquitoes — legendary in the Yukon. Head nets + DEET-based repellent. Especially bad near lakes in late July.
Midnight sun — Jul 29 in Whitehorse: ~19 hours of daylight. Kids may struggle sleeping. Bring blackout curtains or eye masks.
Juneau is very wet — plan indoor activities as backup. The glacier is still incredible in rain.
Sun protection — UV is intense at northern latitudes. SPF 50+ sunscreen daily, even on cloudy days.