The Stewart-Cassiar Highway is one of two routes travelers take to get up to Alaska, the Yukon, or the Northern Territory. This road trip is in northwest British Columbia, Canada, and offers some incredible small towns, incredible views, and sprawling parks along the way. In this article, we’ll guide you through everything we learned while road-tripping the Stewart-Cassiar ourselves, from how to get there and what to pack to a detailed road trip itinerary, the best places to camp, and so much more.
Note: We use affiliate links which provide us a little kickback each time you use one of our links and make a purchase, without any additional cost to you. We do not recommend products that we don’t already love or have heard great things about, so you can trust we’re only suggesting great products to you.
ℹ️ About the Stewart-Cassiar Highway
The Stewart-Cassiar Highway (Highway 37) in British Columbia, Canada, is a 725-km (450-mile) long highway that stretches from the small town of Kitwanga to the Alaska Highway at Watson Lake. The original route connected the towns of Stewart and Cassiar, but since the Cassiar asbestos mine closed back in 1992, Cassiar has since become a ghost town. Completed in the mid-1970s, this scenic route has become a favorite among road trippers heading to and from Alaska as it provides alternative scenery for the drive north or south.
We drove this road in June 2025, also taking a detour onto Highway 37A to reach Stewart itself (which we highly recommend if you have time), and were blown away by the wildlife and natural beauty we encountered the entire drive. Add to that the fact that this road is fully paved, takes just about four days to drive and make daily stops, and saved us from wildfire chaos on the Alaska Highway, and it’s a winner in our book!
Alaska Highway VS Cassiar Highway
A lot of people travelling to Alaska through British Columbia take one highway on the way up and the other on the way down. This is what we did, and we loved being able to experience a slightly different route each way.
As far as comparing the two, the Alaska Highway is the longer route, stretching over 2,237 kilometers (1,390 miles), so you definitely get to experience more of British Columbia on it. That being said, the Cassiar stands out with its shorter journey through a quieter corner of this Canadian territory. However, at the end of the Cassiar Highway, you still end up taking the Alaska Highway up to Alaska. It really depends on what sights you want to see along the way.
In terms of timing, there are pros and cons to each route going north/south. One pro of taking the Stewart-Cassiar on your way southbound later in the season would be to see salmon swimming upstream at the Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site. We missed this because we were in June, which is too early for their season. Secondly, if you choose to take the Alaska Highway going southbound in the fall, you get to visit the Laird Hot Springs when it’s cooler, which might elevate your personal experience.
Our experience was shaped by the wildfires, which led us to choose the Stewart-Cassiar northbound since the Alaska Highway was closed. At the end of the day, each highway has its own charm, so we highly recommend driving both of them if you can swing it.
🗺️ Stewart-Cassiar Highway Map
This Stewart-Cassiar Highway map highlights every campground and key location mentioned in the above itinerary, along with additional options for hotels and campgrounds if you’re looking for alternatives. We’ve also pinned essential stops like grocery stores, gas stations, and hotels, plus the full driving route with suggested overnight stops mapped out for each night.
How to use this map: We have saved the locations from this guide on this map. You can save this map to your Google Maps by pressing the star icon. In your Google Maps, click the menu icon and then Saved Maps, where this map will appear.
⛽ Stewart-Cassiar Highway Gas Stations
We’ve pinned a few key gas stations on the Stewart-Cassiar Highway in our Stewart-Cassiar Highway Map above! As a general rule of thumb, we recommend always keeping your tank half-full to avoid getting stuck without gas. Depending on your vehicle’s mileage, you will probably have to fill up once or, max, twice on this highway.
🚗 How to Get to the Stewart-Cassiar Highway
The Stewart-Cassiar Highway starts in Kitwanga, British Columbia, if you’re coming from the south and heading towards Alaska. If you’re traveling back down from Alaska, you can pick up the highway at Watson Lake, right off the ALCAN (Alaska Highway). This makes it super convenient to hit both routes in your road trip plans if you’re planning on heading in and then out of Alaska again.
Love finding cheap flights?
Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) is one of our favorite tools for discovering insane airfare deals.
We’ve been members since 2015 and it has saved us thousands! The membership practically pays for itself if you use it once a year.
🎒 What to Bring for the Stewart-Cassiar Highway
Besides your typical clothing, food, and personal items, we’ve listed what to pack for a Stewart-Cassiar Highway Roadtrip that you might not initially think of.
- Tire Repair Kit: A tire repair kit is essential, just in case you hit any bumps on a gravel offshoot of the Stewart-Cassiar. This kit allows you to repair your tire as an interim step before fully replacing it.
- Spare tire: Along with your repair kit, bring along a spare tire (and know how to change it).
- eSIM: If you’re traveling from outside Canada, an eSIM will give you reliable cell coverage. We use this eSIM every time we travel outside of the US.
- Starlink: Starlink comes in super handy if you need a reliable internet connection from your RV or van. For more information about how to pick the best Starlink model, check out our related article, The Best Starlink for Van Life!
- Garmin inReach: Since investing in a Garmin inReach, we’ve carried it with us on all of our hikes to make sure we can always send messages, navigate with its GPS, and have an SOS button just in case.
- Food: Make sure to provision in a larger city before starting the Stewart-Cassiar Highway. You will find convenience stores, but prices are higher and there are limited items.
- Canadian Dollars: Make sure to take out Canadian Dollars at some point before or at the beginning of your trip. There were a few places during the trip where we preferred to pay in cash.
- Bug repellent: The bugs are known to be intense in Canada and Alaska during the summer, so we recommend bringing along some heavy-duty bug spray as well as a Thermacell bug shield.
- Binoculars & Cameras: Bring binoculars if you have them, as well as your best camera, to capture any wildlife you pass while driving! The drive is stunning, so you’ll want to pull off the road to take in wildlife or the scenery.
🚫 What NOT to bring! If crossing the US-Canada border, make sure to avoid bringing any prohibited items such as pepper spray, guns, cannabis, meat and dairy products, or fresh produce to comply with regulations. For more information on what you can or cannot bring into Canada, we recommend checking Canada’s Official Government Website here.
☀️ Best Time of Year to Drive the Stewart-Cassiar Highway
The best time to drive the Stewart-Cassiar Highway is generally between June and September, when the roads are clear of snow, the weather is milder, and daylight stretches long into the evening. We made the journey in the first half of June, and while the scenery was breathtaking, some higher elevations still held patches of snow (stopping us at Salmon Glacier Overlook).
If your goal is to spot bears at the Fish Creek Wildlife Refuge in Hyder, Alaska, plan your trip for mid-July to mid-September, when these magnificent creatures are most active along the rivers and meadows.
⚠️ Stewart-Cassiar Highway Road Conditions
Road closures, highway conditions, and wildfire updates are important to consider when planning and driving on the Stewart-Cassiar Highway. Although the road is paved and has amenities along it for refueling, food, and other assistance, it’s important to be informed.
And even though the road itself isn’t particularly “dangerous,” there are certain conditions that could make it dangerous, like icy roads or wildfires. Since these change year by year, it’s important to keep up to date with current conditions. Here are some helpful resources to do so:
📝 4-Day Stewart-Cassiar Highway Attractions and Roadtrip Itinerary
This itinerary breaks down how to experience the best of this scenic highway in just 4 days. We’ve included all of our favorite stops, including an offshoot day-trip down Highway 37A on Day 1! While you could technically drive the Stewart-Cassiar in as little as 9 hours, this is one of those roads you don’t want to rush.
🔼 Click for more info! Click on a specific day to hop down to a section with more information, like driving times, things to do, and where to camp!
Day 0: Drive to Kitwanga, British Columbia
Day 1: Side-Trip to Stewart, Fish Creek, and Salmon Glacier
Day 2: Drive to Kinaskan Lake Provincial Park
Day 3: Hang out in Kinaskan Lake Provincial Park
Day 4: Finish the Stewart-Cassiar!
Day 0: Drive to Kitwanga, British Columbia
We arrived in Kitwanga the night before setting off on the Stewart-Cassiar Highway. We decided to stay at the Kitwanga Municipal Campground within Kitwanga Centennial Park, a no-frills, donation-based campsite that supports the local community.
It was the perfect simple campground to unwind at before setting out early the next day. They allow up to 3 days of free (donations accepted) camping, but we were just there one night. There’s also the Kitwanga River RV Campground in town if you need showers, to do laundry, or hook-ups.
The nearby Freshmart general store is handy if you need any last-minute groceries. Still, we’d recommend stocking up at a larger grocery store before arriving if you need to stock up on a lot of things.
Make sure to check out the Gitwangak Totem Poles as well as the North to Alaska Sign by the Petro-Canada gas station to take photos before you head out of town! We recommend filling up your tank in Kitwanga before setting out.
Day 1: Drive to Stewart, Fish Creek, and Salmon Glacier (~4 hours)
Day 1, we’re waking up bright and early to head out of Kitwanga and north onto the Stewart-Cassiar Highway towards Meziadin Junction (a 2-hour drive). You can stop here for the day, or take 37A, an offshoot of Highway 37 (Stewart-Cassiar), to reach the small mining town of Stewart, Hyder (Alaska), Fish Creek Wildlife Refuge, and then Salmon Glacier to finish!
🛂 If you’re up for this side-trip, make sure to have your passport on you as there is a border-crossing from Stewart, Canada, into Hyder, USA.
Stop 1: Stewart, British Columbia
If you’re up for the side-trip, turn west onto Highway 37A from Meziadin Junction and make your way to Stewart, BC—the namesake of this highway! It’s a slight side trip since you’ll retrace your steps to rejoin the Stewart-Cassiar Highway, but, for us, it was worth every kilometer. We filled up our gas in Meziadin Junction because, although we weren’t low, we expected prices in the more remote town of Stewart to be a bit higher.
The drive to Stewart from Meziadin Junction takes about an hour. Along the way, you’ll pass Bear Glacier Viewpoint, right by Bear Glacier Provincial Park, where you’ll be able to view a glacier right from the road! We hopped out to take photos here for a bit.
This little mining town is nestled right on the US-Canadian border and has a population of just around 500 people, giving it a charm all its own. We recommend checking out the Stewart Visitor Centre, the Stewart Museum, and taking a stroll along the Estuary Boardwalk.
We grabbed pastries near the visitor center and enjoyed them at a picnic table before heading to the Stewart Estuary Boardwalk. The views from the boardwalk, in particular, are stunning; we can’t recommend making time for a walk here enough! We absolutely loved the boardwalk because it brings you over the tidal salt marsh and gives you a beautiful view of the town nestled in the valley between the mountains. Stretching all the way out to the bay, we were left speechless by the views the entire duration of this walk.
You can stay the night here if you want to (we’ve pinned a few campgrounds and hotels in our Stewart-Cassiar Highway Map), but we moved on after a few hours to continue into Alaska. If you need a dump and water station, there’s a free one in Stewart!
Stop 2: Fish Creek Wildlife Refuge (Hyder, Alaska)
Just 3 km (2 miles) away from Stewart is Hyder, Alaska. If you head here, make sure to bring your passport as you’ll be crossing the border. This crossing wasn’t as big a deal as there wasn’t an actual US border crossing, probably because the road doesn’t continue further into the US than about 5 minutes. Having your passport is essential though to get back into Canada.
We went directly to Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site within the Tongass National Forest, a short drive outside of the town of Hyder. This nature site is known for its brown and black bear population, where, from mid-July to mid-September, you can see them salmon fishing!
We came through in June, so we missed the bears, but we enjoyed a walk through the refuge and even saw our first beaver building a dam in the waters here! If you’re visiting between July 15th and September 20th, you’ll need to reserve an entrance ticket to Fish Creek Wildlife Refuge on this website.
We didn’t really explore the town of Hyder itself, but if you are coming during bear season, you might want to stay one night to take your time at Fish Creek. You can stay in town at the Eagle Shadow Campground or even in a hotel like The Bear Den.
Stop 3: Salmon Glacier
After Fish Creek Wildlife Refuge, continue down the gravel road to Salmon Glacier, the last stop of the day! This is actually in Canada again, so you’ll be going back over the border. The views on the way to this glacier were stunning, with wide-open fjord views and even waterfalls right on the side of the road.
Initially, we were going to stop at Glacier View, but the road was closed with a slow plow blocking the remainder of the road. We opted to turn around and spend the night at Glacier Toe Overlook instead. If the road is also open when you visit, we recommend driving farther up the road, as you’ll get a better view of the glacier!
We woke up to a flowing waterfall in the distance on one side of us and an enormous glacier on the other side—beat that! You can camp here if it’s not taken, or find any of the other amazing spots listed in iOverlander in the area.
Day 2: Drive to Kinaskan Lake Provincial Park (4 hours)
Day 2 and we’re going to be retracing our steps a little bit, passing through Stewart again until we’re back on the Stewart-Cassiar Highway. We’re headed to Kinaskan Lake Provincial Park back in Canada, about a 4-hour drive away from where we camped.
On the way back, we stopped at Fish Creek Wildlife Refuge again to see if we could get a chance to see a bear, but we had no luck. We also stopped in Stewart to grab a sweet treat from Harbour Lights Grocery before continuing on.
Once you arrive at the park, we recommend an afternoon hike on Cascade Falls Trail, the most popular trail in the park. This easy trail takes just 1-2 hours to hike, is 3.1 miles (5 km) in length, and takes you to a gorgeous waterfall—a perfect hike in our books. There is parking just across from the trailhead, on the other side of the road.
After your hike, find somewhere to stay the night. We decided to stay the night at this Eddontenajon Lake Picnic Area as Kinaskan Lake Provincial Park Campground was fully booked when we got there. Lucky for us, we actually preferred where we ended up staying after seeing both of them and this one was free too!
With offline maps, wrong-turn alerts, and extra planning features, make the most of every outside adventure with AllTrails Plus. Get 7 days of AllTrails Plus for free!
Day 3: Hang out at Kinaskan Lake Provincial Park
We recommend taking Day 3 slowly and hanging out in this amazing park. We stayed at Eddontenajon Lake, swimming and relaxing by the van all day. Relax by one of the park’s lakes all day, or go out exploring the park a bit more if you have nice weather. If you’re looking to get some hiking in, you have the Natadesleen Lake Trail and the Kinaskan Lake Trail, two more easy, quick routes.
Day 4: Finish the Stewart-Cassiar Highway! (5 hours)
Time for the last stretch of the Stewart-Cassiar Highway! We recommend filling up on gas either at the Kluachon Grocery Store and Cafe just past the park, or there’s another one by Dease Lake. As today is a longer driving day, we recommend making a few stops to stretch your legs like we did.
- Allan Lake Loop: Here, we stopped for a quick 1.5-hour hike, the Allan Lake Loop. This is a good place to stop and stretch your legs after a few hours of driving.
- Jade City: A very small pitstop town where you can learn about the current and past history of jade mining!
- Tā Ch’il ā Provincial Park: Here we hiked the Beaver Lodge Trail, an easy, 1-hour trail that starts from Boya Lake Provincial Campground. You can see an impressive beaver dam at the end!
After your last pit stop, continue driving north until you reach the end of the Stewart-Cassiar Highway, and you’re in the Yukon territory! We spent the night at this boondocking spot. This wasn’t the most scenic campground, but it was a nice, quiet place to rest our heads for the night.
If you have more daylight than we did, you can continue on to Watson Lake and stay somewhere like their Downtown RV Park, which offers a comfortable overnight stay with hot showers. We stayed here on our way back from Alaska, and although it was nothing fancy, it was located right in downtown, had hookups, and was right next to Watson Lake Foods, a grocery store where you can provision.
⬆️ What Next? Continue onto the ALCAN (Alaska Highway)!
The Stewart-Cassier Highway pops you out at Watson Lake, one of the stops on the Alaska Highway! If you’d like to extend your road trip, west or east, follow our Alaska Highway Road Trip Guide to plan the rest of your journey.
📰 Related Articles
- Alaska Highway Roadtrip: Where to Camp, What to See, & More!
- Anchorage to Denali National Park: The Perfect Alaskan Road Trip
- How to Drive the Dempster Highway: Ultimate Road Trip Itinerary
📺 Watch on YouTube
🔍 Ready to Explore the Stewart-Cassiar Highway?
Pin this guide to the Stewart Cassiar Highway to help plan your trip!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.