Photo: Zetong Li / Unsplash
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Legs 1–2 · Pennsylvania → Prudhoe Bay, Alaska

United States

Home turf and the start line. We head north from Pennsylvania to the Arctic Ocean, then turn around and run the Pacific coast south toward Mexico.

What to see

5 stops we’re not missing

  1. 01

    The Dalton Highway & Prudhoe Bay

    The lonely gravel haul road that runs north of the Arctic Circle to the Arctic Ocean — the literal top of the entire journey.

  2. 02

    Denali National Park

    Six million acres of subarctic wilderness around North America’s highest peak (6,190 m), with grizzlies, caribou, and one ribbon of road into the interior.

  3. 03

    Kenai Fjords & the Alaskan coast

    Tidewater glaciers calving into the sea, plus whales, otters, and puffins on the boat-and-road country south of Anchorage.

  4. 04

    The Pacific Coast Highway

    California’s Highway 1 — cliffs, Big Sur, and the ocean the whole way down as we turn south toward Mexico.

  5. 05

    The desert Southwest

    Red-rock country — Zion, the Grand Canyon, and the Mojave — on the way to the border.

Planning your own Alaska leg?

We build custom Alaska road-trip itineraries.

By the same crew behind this expedition — hand-built routing, lodging, and timing for your own drive north, at AlaskaRoadTrip.com.

Plan it

! What to watch for

  • The Dalton is remote gravel — long stretches with no fuel or services
  • Wildlife on the road (moose, bison, deer), especially at dawn and dusk
  • Early-season cold and snow up north

⛽ Diesel & DEF

Easy mode: ULSD everywhere, and DEF/AdBlue at the pump or any truck stop. Stock spares and filters here before heading south.

🛂 Borders & permits

No vehicle permit needed at home. Carry proof of ownership and U.S. insurance; sort out international coverage before Mexico.

Sources & further reading

Safety notes link to the live official travel advisory — always check it before you go.