Kluane Lake to Burwash Landing — Silver City Ghost Town Road

Silver City doesn’t get the attention it deserves. In its early 1900s copper-rush heyday it had a North-West Mounted Police post, a hotel, and a steady stream of prospectors heading toward the Kluane Range. Today it’s a scatter of collapsed log structures sitting on a gravel bench above Kluane Lake’s turquoise shoreline. The access road branches off the Alaska Highway north of Destruction Bay and runs south along the lakeshore, giving you unobstructed views of the St. Elias Mountains — the highest coastal range on earth — reflected in one of the Yukon’s largest natural lakes. Distance is modest but the scenery is staggering.

This is a high-clearance two-track rather than a full technical challenge — a stock 4WD truck or capable SUV handles it fine in dry conditions. The surface turns to greasy clay after rain, which can make even gentle grades treacherous. Fuel up in Haines Junction or Destruction Bay; there’s nothing along the route. No formal permit is needed, and dispersed camping along the lake bench is spectacular. Best run late June through September before the road deteriorates. Bring your own water — the lake is glacially silted and not suitable without treatment.