North! Up The Steese Highway!
One-Day Trips to Circle City, Central, and Circle Hot Springs
This wonderfully scenic day-trip on the Steese Highway features the mining town of Central, the Athabascan village of Circle on the banks of the Yukon River and a visit to Circle Hot Springs Resort for a soak in the hot springs’ outdoor pool.
Your day will begin around 7:00 a.m. when your guide picks you up from your hotel or bed and breakfast in Fairbanks. You will see the trans-Alaska pipeline just out of town, along with the historical mining area where gold was first discovered near Fairbanks. Your first stop will be at Chatanika Lodge, a rustic restaurant and lounge, that features Alaskan memorabilia. From there, you’ll travel past small lakes, creeks and the Chatanika River in the foothills of the White Mountains. You’ll see the Davidson Ditch, a magnificent feat, built in 1925 to carry water to float huge gold dredges in the 1930’s. The 83-mile ditch originated in the White Mountains and ran through the Chatanika River Valley to the mining town of Fox, near Fairbanks.
At mile 85, you’ll stop at Twelvemile Summit in the White Mountains, with an elevation of 2,982 feet, for photographs and to stretch your legs. This summit divides the Yukon and Tanana River drainages. From Twelvemile Summit, you’ll continue climbing to Eagle Summit at an elevation of 3,624 feet. Here, you’ll have a 360-degree view of the White Mountains and the deep valleys below. Eagle Summit has the best wildflower viewing on the Alaska Highway system.
After your stop at Eagle Summit, you’ll descend from White Mountains into the historic mining town of Central, where you’ll visit the Circle District Historical Museum.
From there, you’ll travel the last 35 miles of the winding, spruce-lined Steese Highway to the town of Circle City, located on the banks of the Yukon River. You’ll eat lunch on the shore of the mighty Yukon, if weather permits. After a short tour of the town, you’ll head back to Central to Circle Hot Springs Resort. In years past you used to be able to take a swim in the hot springs, unfortunately the hot springs have been closed for more than 5 years. The resort also has a saloon and several shops, its a great stop along the way.
Throughout the trip, your guide WILL pull over and stop for photos of wildlife. Watch for migrating bands of caribou, moose, fox, arctic hare, ptarmigan and possibly black or grizzly bear and wolves along the road. The cost is $300 per person and only $250 per person if 3 or more go.