The Top of the World Highway (Yukon Highway 9) runs about 105 km (65 mi) west from the Yukon River at Dawson City to the Alaska border at Little Gold Creek. Instead of following a valley, it stays high on the ridgetops, with long views over hills that were never glaciated. Across the border, the Boundary Spur Road and the Taylor Highway carry on through Chicken to the Alaska Highway near Tok. The full drive from Dawson City to Tok is about 300 km (187 mi).
This is a summer road. It starts with a free ferry, the border opens only in summer and only during the day, much of the road is gravel, and there is no fuel between Dawson City and Chicken. Below are planning tips, a road log, campgrounds, history and FAQs.
| Length | About 105 km (65 mi) in Yukon, from the ferry landing in West Dawson to the Alaska border. Dawson City to Tok, Alaska, is about 300 km (187 mi). |
|---|---|
| Start | George Black ferry landing in West Dawson, across the Yukon River from Dawson City, at km 0 |
| End | Little Gold Creek (Canada) and Poker Creek (US) border crossing, at about km 105 |
| Onward in Alaska | Boundary Spur Road, about 22 km (14 mi) to Jack Wade Junction, then the Taylor Highway (Alaska Route 5) south through Chicken to Tetlin Junction on the Alaska Highway, about 19 km (12 mi) east of Tok |
| Ferry | Free George Black ferry across the Yukon River at Dawson City, mid-May to mid-October, 24 hours a day |
| Border crossing | Summer only. In 2026: May 22 to September 15, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Yukon time (8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Alaska time), seven days a week. Not open 24 hours. |
| Surface | Mostly gravel in Yukon, with paved sections. Gravel on the Taylor Highway from Jack Wade Junction to near Chicken, then paved to Tetlin Junction. |
| Season | Summer only. Not maintained in winter on either side of the border. |
| Fuel | Dawson City · Chicken, Alaska (about 175 km from Dawson City) · Tok. No fuel on the Yukon section. |
| Time zones | Yukon is 1 hour ahead of Alaska in summer |
| Cell service | None in Yukon; unreliable on the Taylor Highway |
| Connecting roads | North Klondike Highway (by ferry at Dawson City) · Clinton Creek Road (about km 60) · Sixty Mile Road (about km 87.5) · Taylor Highway north to Eagle (Jack Wade Junction) · Alaska Highway (Tetlin Junction) |
| Road conditions | 511 Yukon (Yukon section) · Alaska 511 (Alaska section) |
Kilometres are approximate and follow Government of Yukon kilometre posts. In Alaska, Taylor Highway mileposts count from Tetlin Junction. Last updated: November 2026.
The Yukon section is about 105 km, from the ferry landing to the border. From the border it is about 22 km on the Boundary Spur Road to Jack Wade Junction, about 154 km (96 mi) on the Taylor Highway from Jack Wade Junction south to Tetlin Junction, and about 19 km (12 mi) on the Alaska Highway from Tetlin Junction to Tok. That adds up to about 300 km (187 mi) from Dawson City to Tok.
There is no official driving time. It depends on the gravel, the weather and your stops, so plan for a full day, with time for the ferry line and the border. Leave Dawson early enough to reach the border well before it closes.
There is no bridge at Dawson City. The free George Black ferry links Dawson City with West Dawson, where the highway starts. It runs from mid-May to mid-October, depending on the weather, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Hours may be adjusted near the end of the season.
Little Gold Creek (Canada) and Poker Creek (US) is the most northern border crossing in North America. It is open only in summer and only during the day. If you arrive after closing, you cannot cross until the next morning.
Everyone in the vehicle needs a valid passport or another accepted document, such as a NEXUS card, a US passport card or an enhanced driver’s licence. See the CBSA’s travel documents page and the CBP’s Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative page. Travellers who need a US I-94 can apply ahead in the CBP One app or online, or pay the US$30 fee at Poker Creek in exact change. Visa Waiver travellers need an approved ESTA to enter the US by land. Don’t bring Canadian firewood into the US.
Yukon stays on Yukon time all year. In summer, Alaska is 1 hour behind. Westbound you gain an hour at the border; eastbound you lose one.
There is no fuel, vehicle repair or drinking water on the Yukon section, and no services at Boundary, just past the border. The first fuel west of Dawson City is in Chicken, about 175 km away. Fill up in Dawson City before the ferry, or in Tok heading east.
| Stop | Where | Distance to next fuel |
|---|---|---|
| Dawson City | East bank of the Yukon River, before the ferry | About 175 km (109 mi) to Chicken |
| Chicken, Alaska | Taylor Highway, about Mile 66 | About 127 km (79 mi) to Tok |
| Tok, Alaska | Alaska Highway, about 19 km west of Tetlin Junction | Full services |
Fuel in Chicken is sold by small private businesses that open only in summer. Carry enough fuel to reach Tok or Dawson City in case they are closed.
The Government of Yukon describes the Yukon section as mostly gravel, with paved sections near Dawson City (about km 0 to 9), between about km 83 and 94, and near the border. On the Alaska side, the Boundary Spur Road is paved from the border to a few miles before Jack Wade Junction. The Taylor Highway is gravel from Jack Wade Junction to near Chicken. Alaska DOT&PF says its first 60 miles, from Tetlin Junction, are paved and the rest is gravel, which can be soft, wet or rough.
The road is narrow and winding in places, with little or no shoulder. Gravel is dusty when dry and slick when wet. Drive with your headlights on, slow down for oncoming traffic, and carry a full-size spare tire.
To drive through to Alaska, go between late May and mid-September, when the border is open. The ferry runs until mid-October, so after the border closes you can still drive the Yukon section and back. Rain, low cloud and fog on the ridges are possible all summer.
The highway is closed in winter. The border is closed, the ferry does not run, and neither side is maintained. Alaska DOT&PF ended maintenance on the Taylor and Top of the World highways on October 15, 2026, expects to resume in May 2027, and strongly discourages conventional vehicles. In winter the corridor is used as a trail by snowmobiles and dog teams.
There is no cell or internet service on the Yukon section, and Alaska DOT&PF says cell service on the Taylor Highway is unreliable. Download maps before you leave, and tell someone your plans. The Yukon emergency number for satellite phones is 867-668-9911. Check 511 Yukon and Alaska 511 before you go.
Yukon kilometres count from the ferry landing. Taylor Highway mileposts count from Tetlin Junction, so they go down as you drive toward Tok. Treat all figures as approximate.
| Campground | Location | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Yukon River Campground (Government of Yukon) | Top of the World Highway km 0.3, West Dawson | 102 sites, 20 pull-through. First come, first served, no reservations. Serviced May 14 to October 1 in 2026. |
| Walker Fork Campground (BLM) | Taylor Highway Mile 82, near Chicken | 24 sites, 18 pull-through. US$12 a night in 2026. |
| West Fork Campground (BLM) | Taylor Highway Mile 49 | 25 sites: 7 pull-through and 18 back-in. US$12 a night in 2026. |
| Eagle Campground (BLM) | Taylor Highway Mile 160, at Eagle (off the main route) | 18 sites |
BLM campgrounds have drinking water but no dump stations, so use the dump stations in Dawson City or Tok. Overnight camping is not allowed at BLM waysides. Chicken and Tok also have private RV parks.
The highway crosses the traditional territory of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, who still hunt and harvest in these hills. The Forty Mile caribou herd is co-managed across the border.
Gold was found in the Fortymile country as early as 1881, years before the Klondike strike. Miners worked the Fortymile and Sixtymile creeks on both sides of the border, and Forty Mile, at the mouth of the Fortymile River, became an early trading and mining town. By about 1902, a wagon trail between Dawson and the Sixtymile country followed much the same route as today’s highway. The trail later became a road and then a highway; pieces of the 1930s and 1940s road can still be seen. The Klondike Visitors Association dates the present highway to 1955.
On the Alaska side, the Taylor Highway was built between 1947 and 1951 to reach the Fortymile Mining District. From 1967 to 1978, the Cassiar Asbestos Corporation ran the Clinton Creek mine, reached by the Clinton Creek Road.
The Yukon section (Yukon Highway 9) is about 105 km (65 mi), from the ferry landing across from Dawson City to the Alaska border. Including the Boundary Spur Road and the Taylor Highway, the drive from Dawson City to Tok, Alaska, is about 300 km (187 mi). Plan for a full day.
Only in summer. The border sets the season: in 2026 it was open from May 22 to about September 15. The ferry at Dawson City runs from mid-May to mid-October. The road is not maintained in winter. Dates for 2027 have not been announced, so check before you go.
In 2026 the crossing was open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Yukon time (8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Alaska time), seven days a week. It is not open 24 hours, so plan your day around these hours.
Yes. In summer, Alaska is 1 hour behind Yukon. Westbound you gain an hour at the border, and eastbound you lose one.
Yes, if you start in Dawson City. The highway starts on the west bank of the Yukon River. The free George Black ferry runs from mid-May to mid-October, 24 hours a day, with no reservations.
Only in parts. The Yukon section is mostly gravel, with paved sections near Dawson City, between about km 83 and 94, and near the border. In Alaska, the Taylor Highway is gravel from Jack Wade Junction to near Chicken and paved for its last 60 miles to Tetlin Junction.
There is no fuel on the Yukon section. Fill up in Dawson City. The next fuel is in Chicken, Alaska, about 175 km away, from small businesses open only in summer, and then in Tok. Carry enough fuel to reach Tok in case Chicken is closed.
Everyone needs a valid passport or another accepted document, such as a NEXUS card, a US passport card or an enhanced driver’s licence. Some visitors also need a US I-94 or an ESTA.
No. The border is closed, the ferry does not run, and the highway is not maintained in winter on either side of the border.
The Yukon River Campground at km 0.3, across the river from Dawson City, has 102 first-come, first-served sites. In Alaska, the BLM runs Walker Fork Campground at Taylor Highway Mile 82 and West Fork Campground at Mile 49.
Dawson City
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Dawson City
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