Fortymile Country

A trip through the Fortymile Country up the Taylor Highway will take you back in time more than a century—when gold was the lure that drew travelers to Interior Alaska. It's one of the few places to see active mining without leaving the road system. In addition, remote wilderness experiences and float trips abound. If you're headed to Fortymile Country from Fairbanks, you'll drive along the historic Richardson Highway, once a pack-train trail (think mules with bags) and a dogsled route for mail carriers and gold miners in the Interior. As quirky places to turn off a highway go, North Pole, Salcha, and Delta Junction are up there with the best of them.