Our last stop before crossing into Alaska was the Haines Junction. It is the town just south of the beautiful Kluane National Park. We opted not to camp because of the grizzly activities and the rain. Lodging wasn’t cheap here. Out of pure luck, we found this place called Paddle Wheel Adventure Cabin Rental. We are tempted not to tell you about this place because it is such a steal. They have only two cabins for rent in the very quiet but convenient part of town (see review in the hotel section). Other than renting out cabins, they provide guide services to outdoor adventure in the Kluane area.
The drive through Kluane National Park was absolutely stunning. Even though we could not see much driving in the rain, the moodiness of the mountains just add to its beauty. In late August, the forest had started to put on its autumn color. We past by a privately run RV park called Cottonwood at a very picturesque lakeside location. With hind sight, we should have spent a night there.
The drive through Kluane National Park was also slow. Portion of the highway was built over permafrost which made the road surface bumpy and road work were frequent. So, start early in the day and enjoy the scenery. Or better yet, break up the drive into two or more days.
Once we crossed into Alaska, it was smooth driving all the way to Tok and Fairbanks. All together it took us more than 7 hours to get from Haines Junction to Tok. Tok was just a stop over for us. The lodging was overpriced and on that particular day we were there, tour groups had taken over many hotels. Where did all these tourists came from? We sure didn’t see them on our way over!