Take the Backroads – #mypubliclandsroadtrip explores the sights along the Steese Highway in Alaska!
Modern day travelers can follow historic mining trails on the Steese Highway that once guided a torrent of prospectors to Interior Alaska’s goldfields. Here you can explore the vast landscape of the Great Interior, traditional home of the Athabascan people, and encounter local people who still hunt, trap, and mine in the same spirit as earlier Alaskans.
The 175-mile-long Steese Highway (Alaska Route 6) connects Fairbanks with the small town of Circle on the bank of the mighty Yukon River. Only the first 80 miles of the Steese Highway are paved, but the road is maintained year-round.
In addition to its own scenic and historic attractions, the highway also provides access to a world of outdoor adventure on BLM-managed public lands north of Fairbanks. From the Steese Highway, you can explore the Steese National Conservation Area, the White Mountains National Recreation Area, Beaver Creek Wild and Scenic River, and Birch Creek Wild and Scenic River.