Pound for pound and inch for inch, The Milepostis the most valuable piece of luggage you could include on a trip to Alaska and northwestern Canada, whether you're going by plane, car, bus, or bicycle. No wonder they're celebrating their fiftieth anniversary as the "Bible of North Country Travel." This is not a fluff and nonsense production, because there's serious driving to cover when you're heading to Anchorage or Denali Park, and you need to know things, like what the major highways and roads contain, mile-by-mile, where there are gas stations, campgrounds, fishing, lodging, and food, what the geography is like and what road conditions to expect. There's even some information on the history of the lands and communities, and what attractions are nearby. The maps are exceptional and the abundance of information remarkable, making this the most irreplaceable of guides for a trip up north.


Reader
"The Milepost® was a lifesaver for us."


Reader
"Best travel investment we could have made for our Alaska trip--absolutely irreplaceable!"


MotorHome, January 2004
"The most valuable resource for anyone driving to Alaska is The MILEPOST®."


Outside magazine, May 2003
"...carry extra fuel, several spare tires, and a copy of The MILEPOST, the definitive guide for all northern roads."


Seattle Times, March 12, 2000
"The MILEPOST bills itself as 'the bible of North Country travel.' It is, especially if you're driving to Alaska."


Book Description
The 57th edition of The MILEPOST has 784 pages of detailed travel information for Alaska, Yukon Territory, British Columbia, Alberta and Northwest Territories. Mile-by-mile descriptions of all travel routes in Alaska and northwestern Canada, including the famous Alaska Highway and the Inside Passage. Details on sightseeing, wildlife viewng, camping, fishing, food, gas and lodging, road conditions, gold rush history, glaciers, shopping and services, tours, cruises, hiking trails, and Native heritage sites. Fares, schedules and travel planning help for Alaska State Ferry, B.C. Ferries, the Alaska Ralroad and White Pass & Yukon Route. General travel planning help includes information on Crossing the Border, Driving to Alaska, going by motorcycle, traveling with pets and bear viewing. Profiles of all communities in Alaska and northwestern Canada, from big Northern cities like Anchorage, Fairbanks and Whitehorse, to places like Chicken, AK, population 37. Community descriptions include the history, local attractions, and available lodging and services. Featured attractions include Denali National Park, the Kenai Peninsula, Prince William Sound, Dawson City, Southeast Alaska, Glacier Bay, Kodiak Island, and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.Trip planning maps identify all Northern routes and provide driving distances for travelers. Special features in the 2005 edition of The MILEPOST on the construction of the Alaska Highway; the Klondike Gold Rush; the Matanuska and Susitna valleys; the Deh Cho Route through Northwest Territories to the Alaska Highway; and attractions in the Copper River valley. The MILEPOST has more than 500 color photos and 100 maps, including the pull-out "Plan-A-Trip" map.


From the Publisher
The MILEPOST annual travel guide to Alaska and northwestern Canada has been called the "bible" of North Country travel since it was first published in 1949. The Associated Press has called The MILEPOST "the quintessential reference." Recommended reading for anyone traveling to Alaska and the Yukon. Recent reviews in the New York Times (June 6, 2004, National Geographic Traveler (March and April, 2004), and Trailer life (March 2005). The MILEPOST has been the perennial best-selling travel guide to Alaska since the Alaska Highway first opened to the traveling public.


From the Author
The MILEPOST is updated annually by a crew of resident field editors who drive the highways and byways of Alaska and northwestern Canada, updating the information for publication in the spring. In addition, our text is reviewed for accuracy by hundreds of checking copy sources in the communities and in government offices.


About the Author
MILEPOST field editors live and work in Alaska and northwestern Canada. Most have been working for The MILEPOST for between 10 and 20 years. Field editor Earl L. Brown grew up on the Alaska Highway: he works out of Fort Nelson, British Columbia. Editor Kristine Valencia drives Alaska and Canada's roads extensively each summer, checking facts, updating information, taking photographs and greeting advertisers and travelers along the way. Other field editors, contributing editors and advertising representatives who drive the roads year-round are Blake Hanna, Marion Nelson, Lynn Owen, Nyla Simmons, Fatima Mulholland, Leah Boltz, Carol Phillips, Lyn Hancock, Mike Miller and Michael Robb.


Excerpted from The Milepost 2005: With Plan-a-Trip Map by Kristine Valencia. Copyright © 2005. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
For many people, the Alaska Highway is a great adventure. For others, it's a long drive. But whether you fall into the first group of the second, the vastness of wilderness this pioneer road crosses can't fail to impress you. It is truly a marvelous journey across a great expanse of North America. And if you take time to stop and meet the people and see the sights along the way, it can be the trip of a lifetime. Following are some facts about the Alaska Highway and answers to common questions about driving the highway. Also see the accompanying features on construction of the Alaska Highway--"Blazing a Trail North"--in this section, beginning on page 117, for a look at the highway as it existed in 1942.