Driving the Alaska Highway – Muncho Lake area

For any of us who have driven the Alaska or Cassiar highways, we know it can be an adventure-and-a-half!   The first time I drove the Cassiar, it was the middle of December. I was moving to the Yukon from Calgary and didn’t realize the Cassiar wasn’t the best choice in winter highways. It was a much more desolate, less maintained and less traveled than the AK highway, especially in winter.

After the U-Haul jacknifed in the middle of the highway, on a HILL (made it out of that ok), we were stuck overnighting at a gas station in the SUV. In December! What fun!

The trip took twice as long as it would have if we took the Alaska highway, but that was 12 years ago and the information wasn’t out there as it is these days. And summer roads are a different, much more… pleasant experience.

So! Here begins our first in a series of  “The AK highway” travel stories. We’re going to focus on the Muncho Lake area in this post.

My parents are becoming pros at driving the highway. They come up from Calgary every couple of years and have found the best spots along the route to stay and visit and sight-see. Let’s take a look at some of those places and their suggestions for others hitting the Alaska highway!

They have traveled the route in an truck/camper and in an SUV, so they’ve sought out campsites that are RV-friendly and stayed in hotels as well.

The one place they’ve returned to every time and raved about is Toad River Lodge, located on the southern edge of Muncho Lake.  They described the campground as a “quaint, beautiful campground on a little river” and liked it so much they went back a few times. It’s not a 5-star hotel, but if you are expecting one of those on this route… well, you better head in another direction! It was comfortable, reasonable and clean – three must-haves on an Alaska highway journey.

Another highlight of an Alaska highway trip are the encouters with bison along the highway.  You also better not be in a rush on the Alaska highway, sometimes the universe has other plans – like telling you to stop and enjoy the view!

Just ask these folks who owns the road (the commentary and “appropriate Neil Young music” is especially entertaining!)