July 12, 2025 - Driving from Alaska to Maryland
Toad River Resort, BC
The main building at Toad River Lodge.  I checked in here and got the keys to our cabin.  The restaurant and gift store are also inside.  They had a great selection of bumper stickers.
   
The Toad River Lodge has been around for awhile.
   
Standing in front of our cabin:  #18.
   
A better look.
   
The cabins look out over a small lake.
   
A moose enjoys the water on the other side of the lake.
   
You have to remember, it doesn't get dark until 10PM or later, so we had plenty of time to walk around and explore.
   
This beaver lodge was on the northeast corner of the lake.  No beaver sightings though.
   
Close-up of the beaver lodge.
   
Lynnette finds a couple of toads!
 
   
Looking back at the complex.
   
I guess this is the beaver dam.
   
The Recreational Vehicle (RV) park.
   
Across the street from the Lodge was the grass runway.  We are standing at the east end.  The runway is plenty long and plenty smooth for my RV-7.
   
I guess you can tie down to these concrete cylinders.
   
Looking south across the Alaska Highway at the Toad River Lodge.
 
I'm guessing those 55-gallon drums are filled with fuel for the helicopter.
   
When we checked in, I asked the young lady what a pilot had to do to land here, since it's a private field.  She said you had to call someone.  If I ever fly to Alaska again, I wouldn't mind spending the night here; beats having to set up the tent, eat nasty MREs and freeze at Watson Lake.
 
Lynnette and I walked west down the side of the runway.
   
We walked west to get to the Toad River access.
   
Lynnette carries a stick to beat off any attacking bears.
   
We came to a gravel road heading north that led to the river.
   
Standing alongside Toad River.
   
 
   
 
   
Walking east up the Alaska Highway, back to the Toad River Lodge.
   
We had dinner in the Lodge restaurant.  It wasn't great, but it was hot and a lot better than nothing.
 
The next morning we topped off the minivan with gas.  Because we are in Canada, fuel is dispensed in litres, and the price is Canadian dollar per litre.  This entire trip, I never did really know what we were paying for gas in terms of dollars per gallon.  That said, what did it matter?  You were happy to have gas available, and were going to buy it no matter what it cost.
 
But, for the record, 38.60 CAD is $28.10 American.  And 20.3 litres is 5.3 gallons.  That works out to $5.40 dollars per gallon.  That's on the high side for car gas, but would be a great price for aviation gas.
 
I liked the Toad River Lodge and would recommend staying here over a motel in one of the towns like Watson Lake, Fort Nelson.
   
 
   
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