Steese Highway to Circle

The Steese Highway runs 162 miles from Fairbanks to Circle, Alaska, following an old winter dogsled route through the heart of Interior Alaska’s mining country and endless boreal forest. The first 44 miles to Chatanika are paved, then it’s 118 miles of maintained gravel through Cleary Summit, Central, and along Birch Creek before dead-ending at Circle on the Yukon River. This state highway passes active placer mining operations, abandoned gold dredges, and offers access to the White Mountains and Steese National Conservation Area for those willing to explore the side trails.

Easy to moderate difficulty suitable for any vehicle with decent ground clearance, though gravel can be rough and dusty in summer, muddy during breakup. Passable year-round with winter driving skills, but summer offers the best conditions June-September. No permits required, fuel available in Central and Circle. The highway provides a taste of Alaska’s vast interior with good camping opportunities, historic mining sites, and genuine frontier towns where the pavement ends and wilderness begins.