Richardson Highway - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 31

One of the state's few agricultural regions, this broad and level land is bordered by
mountain ranges. The snowy peaks—white summits pointing skyward along the southern
horizon—may appear small but in fact are among the highest in North America.
Sharing the sweeping farmland are military bases, recreation areas, campsites, and
small towns, one of which calls itself North Pole. Managing to outlast the six-month-long
winters, many wild animals—moose, bears, and caribou, to name just a few—can be spot-
ted throughout the area.
2. Big Delta
As it spans the Tanana River at the farming community of Big Delta, Rte. 2 parallels the
Trans-Alaska oil pipeline, a companion since the outskirts of Fairbanks. Carrying about
one-tenth of America's domestically produced supply of crude oil, the steel tube runs from
the petroleum-rich fields above the Arctic Circle to the port of Valdez—an 800-mile trip.
The pipeline, four feet in diameter, was completed in 1977 and is in many places visible
from the highway. Visit the viewing area at the south end of the bridge, where interpretive
signs relate key information.
About a half-mile later, turn to the northeast on Rika's Road for a visit to Big Delta
State Historical Park, which recalls the early days when gold fever was luring prospectors
into unexplored territory. Costumed guides are on hand to lead tours through a re-created
1910 roadhouse.
3. Delta Junction
Creeks, lakes, spruce groves, homesteads, campgrounds, and fields of barley form a pleas-
ing mosaic in the Delta Junction area. A couple of roads wend through the town, and a
visitor center lies just south of the intersection of Rtes. 2 and 4. From this point onward,
Rte. 2 is known as the Alaska Highway, a rugged, often unpaved road that leads southeast
for more than 1,400 spectacular miles to Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada.
As for the Richardson Highway, it heads south along Rte. 4, climbing beside the Delta
River into the Alaska Range. The road is well supplied with scenic turnoffs, and binocu-
lars often prove helpful, especially when observing bison—transplanted to the area in the
1920s—and herds of caribou.