Kluane Lake South Shore Road — Destruction Bay to Slims River Delta

When the Alaska Highway swings through Destruction Bay, most rigs blast past without a second look. Pull off and find the south shore track and you’re suddenly running the edge of Kluane Lake — 408 square kilometres of glacially cold water with the St. Elias Range stacked hard to your south. The Slims River delta is a place unlike almost anything else in Canada: a massive braided outwash fan that until 2016 was fed by meltwater from the Kaskawulsh Glacier. The glacier has since rerouted, and what you’re driving toward is a dry ghost delta — dusty, windblasted, and geologically surreal. Expect loose gravel benches, soft silt flats near the delta, and serious wind off the lake.

This is a high-clearance route, doable in a capable stock 4WD with good all-terrain tires, but the silt sections near the delta can surprise you after rain. No permit needed. Fuel up in Destruction Bay before you go — there’s nothing out here. Cell service is nonexistent. The route is best run mid-June through September when the silt has dried enough to travel. Camping on the lake flats is spectacular and exposed. Bring layers — the katabatic winds off the icefields rip through without warning.