Twin Lakes Road — Haines Junction to Auriol Range Backcountry

Most people blow through Haines Junction on their way to Alaska and never look south. That’s their loss. The Twin Lakes road pushes into the Auriol Range off the Alaska Highway corridor, climbing through spruce and willow into open alpine terrain within a few kilometers. The track itself is rough unmaintained two-track with embedded boulders on the upper section and a creek ford midway that runs knee-deep through July. The twin lakes sitting in a cirque below the Auriol peaks offer some of the most dramatic unobstructed views of the Saint Elias mountain front anywhere accessible by vehicle — the kind of scenery that belongs in a National Geographic spread but sees maybe a handful of rigs per season.

This is a short route by Yukon standards, but the upper section demands a properly built rig — high clearance, good approach angles, and ideally a locker for the boulder field on the final push. A capable stock 4WD can reach the lower lake but will struggle with the loose rocky section beyond. Best run June through September; the ford typically mellows by late July. No permit required, no fee. Haines Junction has fuel, a decent grocery store, and the Kluane National Park visitor centre if you want beta on conditions. Zero cell service past the highway turnoff.