Five Mile Lake — Alaska Highway Rest Area and Staging Viewpoint

Five Mile Lake sits just outside Watson Lake on the Alaska Highway and functions as a legitimate staging and stretch-your-legs stop for rigs coming from the south or heading into the Yukon interior. The lake is calm and reflective on still mornings, ringed with spruce, and the rest area has pit toilets and a picnic area — basic but functional. It’s well-known to Alaska Highway veterans as a first night option when Watson Lake campgrounds are full or overpriced.

Located approximately five miles west of Watson Lake townsite on the Alaska Highway (Yukon Highway 1). Easy pull-in for any rig size. No hookups, no fee for day use. If you’re running the Campbell Highway south or staging for the Liard corridor, this is a sensible fuel-and-regroup stop before committing to longer stretches.

Quiet lake stop before Watson Lake chaos.