The Dalton Highway
near Fairbanks → Deadhorse, AK · 414 miles · 2+ days each way
Stylized illustration, not a photo — the real place looks different (and that’s half the fun).
Built in 1974 to supply the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, the Dalton Highway runs 414 mostly-gravel miles north from near Fairbanks — across the Yukon River and the Arctic Circle, over the Brooks Range, and onto the treeless North Slope to Deadhorse at Prudhoe Bay. It’s the only road in the U.S. that crosses the Arctic Circle and reaches the Arctic Ocean.
Good to know: Mostly gravel, extremely remote, and genuinely hazardous: heavy truck traffic, fuel only at Yukon River / Coldfoot / Deadhorse, and no cell service. Carry two spare tires and supplies; many rental contracts forbid it, and reaching the Arctic Ocean at Deadhorse requires a pre-booked tour.
Updated July 2026.
The gravel haul road to the Arctic Ocean.
The legendary “haul road” to the top of the continent — pipeline, Arctic Circle, the Brooks Range, and the oil fields on the Arctic Ocean.
States on this route
The signature stops
What to pull over for.
The best stops on the The Dalton Highway are the places that define the drive, not just the nearest towns. Roamward orders them for the road: start with Yukon River Crossing, Arctic Circle sign, Coldfoot, Atigun Pass, then open each stop guide for the pull-over context.
01Yukon River Crossingthe long bridge over the Yukon at Mile 56 — open the stop guideAK
02Arctic Circle signthe latitude marker and classic photo stop at Mile 115 — open the stop guideAK
03Coldfoota tiny truck stop and the gateway to Gates of the Arctic — open the stop guideAK
04Atigun Passthe highest highway pass in Alaska, over the Brooks Range — open the stop guideAK
05Deadhorse / Prudhoe Baythe oil-field end near the Arctic Ocean — open the stop guideAK
Where to eat
Restaurants along this route.
Restaurants on the The Dalton Highway are chosen for trip usefulness: gateway-town location, a clear reason to stop, and enough quality to make a traveler save the pick. Start with Coldfoot Camp Cafe, Coldfoot Camp Restaurant, Deadhorse Camp Dining Hall, Big Daddy's BBQ.
A curated set of trip-useful meals near the route — enough to anchor driving days without turning the guide into a phone book.
- Coldfoot Camp Cafe
The practical Dalton Highway meal stop between Fairbanks and the Brooks Range, famous mostly because there are so few alternatives.
- Coldfoot Camp Restaurant
Buffet-style roadhouse dining deep on the Dalton, where the recommendation value is less novelty and more survival-grade certainty.
- Deadhorse Camp Dining Hall
A utilitarian far-north meal stop for travelers reaching the Prudhoe Bay end of the Dalton Highway.
- Big Daddy's BBQ
A Fairbanks barbecue stop that works as a filling launch meal before Coldfoot or a welcome return meal after Prudhoe Bay.
- Cookie Jar Restaurant
A Fairbanks breakfast and pie stop before the long northbound Dalton day, practical, hearty, and early-road friendly.
- Hilltop Truck Stop
A northern Fairbanks launch meal before the Dalton Highway turns into long, remote gravel-and-truck country.
- Lavelle's Bistro
A polished Fairbanks gateway meal for the night before or after the Dalton, especially when the trip needs a civilized reset.
- The Pump House
A Fairbanks riverfront dinner for Dalton Highway travelers who should eat well before the haul-road services thin out.
- Yukon River Camp
A true Dalton Highway pause at the Yukon River crossing, best used as fuel and a reality check before the road turns even emptier.
- Yukon River Camp Cafe
The essential Dalton Highway meal at the Yukon River crossing — simple, remote, and exactly where travelers need it.
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Stay & experience
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Things to do near The Dalton Highway
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