If you are looking to get off the beaten track and escape into the wilderness then there are a number of road trips that provide just that opportunity.
The Outback Way in Australia is one of them, offering the intrepid traveller the chance to experience some of the country’s most remote, interesting and picturesque desert areas.
Yet there is perhaps another route that gives the visitor an even greater sense of isolation from civilisation.
This one is on the other side of the world from Australia and takes you through the stunning landscapes of Alaska.
The Dalton Highway is a 414-mile stretch of gravel and dirt that runs from the town of Livengood up to Prudhoe Bay and through some of Alaska’s most remote wilderness.
It was built in 1974 to facilitate the construction of the Trans-Alaska pipeline, which runs parallel to the road.
The highway is so remote that there are only three tiny towns along the route with a collective population of 60 people.
From Coldfoot to the end of the road at Deadhorse, drivers won’t even find any gas stations, restaurants, rest stops or hotels.
Anyone who has watched the TV series Ice Road Truckers will be familiar with the road and the challenges of driving along it.
Steep and slick in places, while muddy in others, drivers also have to contend with trucks spraying rock and gravel into their windscreens.
To drive along the route requires a strong sturdy vehicle, and for this reason most rental cars are banned from the highway.
The best option is to rent a four-wheel drive vehicle from one of the rental car dealers at the start point of the trip.
One of the highlights on route is the former gold rush town of Wiseman, which was established in 1907.
Its heyday was from 1911 to 1915 when it experienced a boom in population and grew quickly.
There was no mining in the actual town, however Wiseman attracted prospectors from outlying creeks wishing to provide or receive services.
In the grand tradition of mining towns, as the claims stopped producing, the residents moved on. Today, there are around 20 people who live year-round in the town.
Another place of interest is Finger Rock, a 40-foot piece of granite that bush pilots were rumoured to have used as a navigation point.
The rock is a geologic formation called a tor, which are created by the extreme weather conditions in Alaska. In this case, the freezing and thawing of the ground pushes the rock up into its dramatic formations.
