Page 181 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Alaska

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y Steese Highway Tour Tips for Drivers

From its start in Fox, the Steese Highway winds through Starting point: Fox, 11 miles
the Alaskan Interior to Circle on the Yukon River (see (18 km) N of Fairbanks.
Length: 161 miles (259 km).
pp198–9). Built in 1927, the high way follows an early Accommodation: Chatanika
mail route. After pass ing rolling hills and low-lying Gold Camp Lodge at Mile 28.5
muskeg, it travels through several river valleys, which Steese Highway has rooms and
are choked with mining residue, and then crosses a a good restaurant. At Mile 39,
the Upper Chatanika River State
scenic alpine stretch. After Twelvemile Summit, it starts Recreation Site has wooded river-
descending into the flatlands around the Yukon River. side campsites, as does Cripple
While the first 44 miles (71 km) are tarred, the rest of Creek Campground at Mile 60.
the route is gravel of variable quality.
6 Circle
Key The highway ends at Circle, the largest town
in the region until the rise of Dawson in the
Tour route late 1890s. Early settlers chose its name
Minor road believing that it lay astride the Arctic Circle –
Trail it is, in fact, about 55 miles (88 km) south of it.
Peak
5 Central
0 km 20 Unique exhibits at the
town museum detail the
0 miles 20
history of Central, which
was the heart of the
4 Birch Creek Access Circle Mining District Twelvemile Yukon
River runners can launch at a during the Gold Rush. House
facility at Mile 94, and put-in
for a float to Mile 147. Birch Creek
STEESE HIGHWAY Circle Hot
Springs

Porcupine Dome
4,915 ft

3 Pinnell Mountain Trail Twelvemile Birch Creek
This 27-mile (43-km) trail Summit
2,982 ft
follows an alpine ridge
from Eagle Summit to
Twelvemile Summit. STEESE HIGHWAY
Two free public shelters
provide a roof for hikers
along the route. 2 Chatanika and Gold
Dredge No. 3
Chatanika was built in
Chena Hot
Little Chena Springs 1925 to supply local
dredging operations.
Dredge No. 3, which
Chatanika closed in 1962, stands
a short hike away from
Chena Chatanika Lodge.
1 Fox
This former gold-mining camp
Fairbanks is the site of such attrac tions
as the Howling Dog Saloon.
Tanana Also worth visiting is the
nearby Gold Dredge No. 8.

For keys to symbols see back flap

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