Dempster Highway
The only road in Canada that you can drive across the Arctic Circle all the way to the Arctic Ocean. It runs from near Dawson City through the Tombstone Mountains and tundra to Inuvik, and then extends to Tuktoyaktuk.
The Dempster Highway opened in 1979. It starts at a junction with the Klondike Highway about 40 km east of Dawson City and runs north through the Tombstone Territorial Park mountains, passing jagged peaks, Blackstone Uplands and the Ogilvie Mountains. It crosses the Arctic Circle at 66°33′N. After entering the Northwest Territories, you cross the Peel and Mackenzie Rivers by ferry, pass Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic, and reach Inuvik on the Mackenzie River Delta. The total length is about 736 km. Since 2017, the Inuvik–Tuktoyaktuk Highway has extended it another 138 km to Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic Ocean coast, making it the only all-season road in Canada that reaches the Arctic Ocean. The entire route is gravel. The only fuel and lodging along the way is at Eagle Plains, about 370 km in. Highlights: the Tombstone Mountains (where the tundra turns red in autumn); the Arctic Circle marker; caribou migration; the Gwich'in and Inuvialuit communities; the Igloo Church in Inuvik; the pingos (ice-cored hills) of Tuktoyaktuk; and dipping your feet in the Arctic Ocean. Plan 4 to 7 days for a round trip. Bring two full-size spare tires and extra fuel, since gravel often cracks windshields. The ferries run seasonally, and in winter vehicles cross on an ice bridge. Most rental car companies prohibit driving on this road, so you will need a specialty rental company.
Along the route
- Dawson City
- Dempster Corner
- Dawson City
- Eagle Plains
- Inuvik
- Fort McPherson
- Tsiigehtchic
- Inuvik
- Inuvik
- Inuvik
- Inuvik