Steese and Elliott Highways

On the Steese and Elliott highways modern-day travelers follow the historic mining trails that once guided a torrent of prospectors to Interior Alaska's goldfields. Here you can explore the vast landscape of the Great Interior, traditional home of the Athabascan people, and encounter local people who still hunt, trap, and mine in the same spirit as earlier Alaskans.

The Steese Highway offers easy access to the Chatanika River for fishing, camping, and boating.

The 175-mile-long Steese Highway (Alaska Route 6) connects Fairbanks with the small town of Circle on the bank of the mighty Yukon River. The Elliott Highway (Alaska Route 2) starts just outside of Fairbanks in the historic mining town of Fox and leads north to the beginning of the Dalton Highway near Livengood. It then turns west to end in the village of Manley. Only about the first 60 miles of these highways are paved, but both are maintained year-round. See the Know Before You Go page for information on safely traveling these remote highways.

In addition to their own scenic and historic attractions, these highways also provide access to a world of outdoor adventure on BLM-managed public lands north of Fairbanks. From the Steese Highway, you can explore the Steese National Conservation Area, the White Mountains National Recreation Area, Beaver Creek National Wild River, and Birch Creek National Wild River. The Elliott Highway provides access to the White Mountains and to public lands along the Dalton Highway.

Contact Us For more information about traveling the Steese and Elliott highways, contact our office:

Bureau of Land Management Fairbanks District Office 1150 University Avenue Fairbanks, Alaska 99709-3844 tel: 907-474-2200 or toll-free at 1-800-437-7021

Now It's Official—They're Scenic! The State of Alaska has designated both the Steese Highway and the Dalton Highway (reached via the Elliott Highway) as Scenic Byways. You can find out more about these and other Scenic Byways at the Alaska Department of Transportation's Web site.

Download our New Brochure

We've just updated our Steese & Elliott Highways brochure. Download it in PDF format (3.2 MB) by clicking on the image below or stop by the Fairbanks District Office or the Alaska Public Lands Information Center in Fairbanks to pick up a copy.