Somewhere past the last bend, the trees just give up. The Top of the World Highway, on the Yukon side, climbs out of the Klondike valley and follows a bare ridgeline for miles, with the sky enormous and the hills rolling away in every direction in tundra shades of rust, gold and grey. The listed height here is around 1,376 metres, which is not Alpine, but at this latitude it is well above the tree line and feels like the roof of the continent.
The road itself is the main event. It is paved in places and rough chip-seal or gravel in others, with soft shoulders, frost heaves and few guard rails. The highway starts from the ferry at Dawson City, which crosses the Yukon river in summer, and heads west toward the Alaska border at Poker Creek. In good weather the ridgetop riding is among the most memorable in the north, since you look down on both sides and can see weather coming from far away. In bad weather, fog and wet gravel make it slow and serious.
It is a summer road. The highway is generally closed in winter, and the border crossing keeps limited seasonal hours, so check these before setting off, because turning back at the line is a very long day. The history is gold: this country was the backdrop to the Klondike rush of 1898, and the old miners' trails run across the same hills. You may spot caribou, ground squirrels, and in the berry season, bears feeding on the slopes.
There is nothing at the summit, no pump, no cafe, no shelter, and no town within easy reach. Fill the tank in Dawson City before you cross on the ferry, and carry water and some food. Chicken, on the Alaska side, has seasonal services, but do not assume anything is open. Dress for cold wind even on a warm afternoon, and bring a layer you can add when you stop to take pictures, because the wind up here does not care what the valley thermometer said.