Haines Junction to Kluane Lake — Slims River West Bench Road

The Slims River delta was one of the most dramatic glacial outwash systems in North America until Kaskawulsh Glacier retreated and rerouted the meltwater south in 2016 — now you’re driving across a wide, sandy, windblasted plain that geologists are still trying to understand. The West Bench track runs north from the Alaska Highway near Destruction Bay toward the historical Slims River delta flats, with Kluane Lake to your east and the wall of the Saint Elias Mountains hammering the western horizon. The soft glacial silt and outwash sand make this route genuinely challenging in wet conditions — vehicles sink fast and the wind-driven dust in dry weather can drop visibility to near zero in minutes.

You need a capable 4WD with good ground clearance and ideally lockers for the soft sections near the lake edge. Airing down to 18-20 psi is not optional here. The Kluane National Park and Reserve boundary runs through this area — check with park staff in Haines Junction or at the Kluane Visitor Centre before driving; some portions require backcountry permits. Best season is late June through August when the ground is firmer. No fuel, no cell service, and the nearest real help is Destruction Bay to the north or Haines Junction to the south. What you get: absolute wilderness solitude and a geological story you won’t find anywhere else.