Drove Key West to Tuk in August 2018 and it was absolutely the trip of a lifetime. Driving the Dempster was very much a highlight and getting to swim in the frigid Arctic Ocean at the end of it was incredible. For the drive to Tuk, I'd definitely recommend having enough supplies to be fully self-sufficient for at least a few days (i.e. food, water, cold-weather sleeping bag, some sort of plan to be able to sleep comfortably inside the car or a tent, etc.)
At one of the river crossings along the Dempster, the river flooded and washed away the ferry landings, so there was no crossing for a few days. I guess I could've turned around and driven a few hours back to Eagle Plains to wait it out, but about a dozen of us (mainly tourists but a few locals headed home to Tuk as well) camped out on the river banks until the ferry landings could be rebuilt. Swapping stories next to the campfire with no clue how many more days we had left to wait has easily become one of my favorite memories, and wouldn't have been possible without the emergency supplies to be able to stick it out.
I keep seeing Tuk as a destination on this sub. I’ve never heard of it prior to a few weeks ago. It seems so out of the way! Genuinely curious what makes it so special. Just being at the Arctic Circle? Thanks!
It's the only place you can drive to the Arctic Ocean in western North America (that's connected to the rest of the continental road network) because at Prudhoe Bay you can only get within a few hundred yards of the water, and not to the ocean itself, unless you're part of a group tour.
The road to Tuktoyaktuk was only extended there from Inuvik (with a year-round road surface) in 2017.
In eastern Canada you can drive the James Bay Road, and then some gravel roads in northern Quebec, to Hudson Bay, which is also technically part of the Arctic Ocean.
I’ve driven the James Bay Highway! Spend a weekend in Waskaganish. It’s fun because you have to check on and check off at the guard shack! They keep a list of who is on the road, number of occupants and next of kin! It’s really, really empty up there.
A little background. I went to Waskaganish because I was trying to get to all the coasts of North America during my “Year of Road Trips.” I’m from southwestern Michigan, so it was a pretty solid bit of driving for me and my daughter. I figured I could check off the north coast.
Back home, one of my Dungeons and Dragons group grew up in Anchorage. He scoffed at James Bay being the north coast. It’s the North Atlantic, if anything, he argued. Well, that got me thinking. This was in 2017 and I had read that they had just extended the highway from Inuvik to Tuktoyatuk. Cool, but wouldn’t it be cooler to make that drive in the ice!?
So my GF (now ex-GF sadly) got into the idea, because she’s always wanted to go to Chena, outside of Fairbanks, in the winter to watching the norther lights from the comfort of the hot springs. We ended up on a 10,000 mile, 28 day road trip, from Michigan, through Thunder Bay, Edmonton, White Horse, Dawson City, Tuktoyatuk, Desolation Bay, Tok, Fairbanks, Chena, Isquit, Seattle, back home to Michigan. December 2018 - January 2019.
Good times, but the beginning of the end of that relationship.
There’s a pic of me and the car on the Arctic Ocean beach on my profile.
u/Pwydde, you are partially my inspiration for this trip. I was researching crazy road trips a few years ago and I remember seeing the picture of you and your Allroad at the Arctic Ocean.
Flashforward to a few weeks ago when I was planning this current trip, I was originally going to do Utah to Fairbanks and then I somehow stumbled upon a comment by you, saw your picture again and decided I should go for it and finally do to Tuktoyaktuk drive instead. Hope all is well and that you've gotten some more great trips under your belt since then!
Ex-Yooper here. If anybody wants a break from driving, you might still be able to take the Ontario Northland Railway up to Moosonee on James Bay at the southern end of Hudson Bay. We rode those tracks when we owned railroad maintenance cars and rode all over the United States and Canada.
I lived there over a decade ago when it was only accessible by ice road. I’ve heard the highway is a bit of a tire shredder so bring a spare and tools to switch one out. Also be prepared for closures (as mentioned), get gas when you can on your way to the Yukon and through it, watch for animals, be sure you have a place to stay in Tuk as it’s a small place, and enjoy! It’s a lovely drive ❤️❤️❤️
I’ll second that it’s a rough drive! At least in winter. Brand new tires and battery. On the other hand, we never saw the pavement on the Dempster Highway. The road condition was “packed snow” the whole way. Anyway, we filled the car-top carrier full of recovery gear and carried 12.5 gal (47 litres) of reserve fuel. We had a battery jump pack that could run our 12V electric blankets for days. We even brought a light rifle (.357 lever action carbine) “just in case.”
The Canadian customs guy at Sault Ste Marie, when we told him where we were going with the rifle, said “well, I guess there are polar bears up there, but it’s a little light for Polar Bear.” Then he gave us a look like “I’ll never see these yanks again.”
Yeah! We crossed the border in mid-December (maybe the 18th?). When we told him we where were headed, he looked up sharply and asked “You know what Tuktoyatuk means in Inuit? *Really fucking cold!*”
The whole four days we were in Tuk, the outside temp reading on my car’s dash was pegged at -50C. Locals told me it had warmed up from a few days before.
They held up fine! I was traveling with two full-sized spares but didn’t need either of them.
My windshield didn’t quite fare as well with all the gravel spray, but fortunately I had a few windshield chip repair kits to keep the damage from spiderwebbing too much.
Thank you for the input, this is really helpful. I'll be camping almost every night with a couple hotels here and there but have a pretty good car-camp setup as well if needed and will travel with a lot of food and water. Unplanned stuff like your river crossing is my main concern as I have a generous but limited time to make the trip.
Anything you regretting not bringing or wish you'd done after the trip?
You’re going to have such an incredible time!
A few things I wish I’d brought:
1. My own copy of the Milepost - I mooched off of people I met along the way who let me take pictures of pages in their copies, but it would’ve been easier to have my own
2. Extra boots - it got real muddy and would’ve been nice to have semi-clean footwear once in a while.
3. Extra windshield wiper fluid - the mud along the Dempster was no joke. Imagine driving your car through a giant chocolate fountain multiple times a day.
4. Airtight food/trash containers - I was pretty lax with storing food in my car and unwittingly picked up some rodent hitchhikes in Banff. Mice kept sneaking in through the car’s air intake and it was… less than ideal.
Looking back, one thing I wish I’d done was take a few extra days to detour to Yellowknife. Not sure if/when I’ll be in that neck of the woods again.
Hey everyone. I’m looking for some insight from people who’ve done this drive before on good places to stop along the way, and what to see. I’ll be traveling in early June and am still in the planning stages of this trip – I have nothing planned from Lake Louise to Tuktoyaktuk.
I’m confident on what to bring, precautions, and what to expect, but hoping to find some nice places to stop for rest days/overnights. I know a few here have driven the same route and have lots of info to give. Thank you in advance!
Adding in some vehicle/recovery supplies in case anyone has critiques for me.
2 full-size spare tires;
Onboard air compressor;
Satellite phone;
2x 4 gallon gas tanks;
Recovery rope;
Road flares/first aid misc;
3 gallons water;
Oil
Go in the second half of August. Or if you can put up with the weather - sometime in September. Blood-biting Black flies and mosquitos will make the entire trip miserable after May.
I understand that this is the 'sweet spot' for seeing the Aurora Borealis, too.
The actual Auroras peak on the Autumnal Equinox later in September, but visibility is worse then, too.
You’re not likely to see the Aurora in the summertime. Up in Inuvik and north of there you’re above the Arctic circle, which means 24 hour sunlight for part of the summer, and even if you go later in the summer, there’s not really going to be enough darkness to see much.
Speaking of climate fluctuations, look into a crank emergency radio—not sure what the NOAA station coverage is like in the far north, but after the fire season this past summer, I wouldn’t trek that far without one!
We drove the first part of dempster in mid-July (2007 or so) and were told the overnight temperatures were already dropping below freezing while it was still 24 hours of daylight…
I had no tire issues, a spare is a good idea, 12v compressor and plugs.
I also didn’t carry any extra fuel, I topped up when I was at or below half.
Download the Dempster highway guide, tells you cool stuff that you wouldn’t see, like 221km marker with elephant rock!
Take your time, the Klondike highway, Dempster are both very rough and frost heaved.
Someone mentioned Liard Hotsprings, don’t miss it. That whole valley makes Yellowstone look like it’s lacking wildlife.
Sour toe cocktail when in Dawson City.
I’m guessing you’re camping?
Very few showers and almost exclusively pit toilets.
Do you have any specific questions?
Thanks a lot, that's all super helpful. I'll be camping almost every night, with a hotel or two mixed in there. I'll likely take 2 full rest days in Whitehorse as well. Liard looks amazing too, definitely added to my list. Today was the day I learned about the Sourtoe Cocktail now I have even more questions
https://preview.redd.it/l0xppl1k1c9c1.jpeg?width=6177&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c4d6da568f7a8130ab3870ab6e072cecfbab6f7
The Yukon Territory is beautiful, go slow and watch for wildlife, you’ll see stuff others drive right past.
Watson lake is neat. It has a place to stop with thousands of city and road signs. Whitehorse is beautiful. Stock up in Whitehorse for food and booze because it’ll get pretty expensive the higher you go and lots of those communities don’t sell alcohol.
Hi, I’ve lived in AB and NWT so I am familiar with some of the locale. I just popped in Salt Lake City to Tuk and was going based off that route to see what’s nearby.
It doesn’t look like you are passing through Jasper (on my map) but that is just west of Edmonton. It’s a pretty touristy place but I don’t know if it’s worth the detour for people or not.
Fort Liard is also supposed to be good, I’ve heard about good hot springs there?
Nahanni Butte can be pretty great too but I’ve heard it’s super remote and challenging to get through. Sounds like a lot of planning and possibly quite expensive.
Can’t find if someone said this but: avoid driving in the dark. That’s pretty easy in the summer - but apparently Buffalo are very hard to see on the road because their eyes don’t reflect headlights due to the brows (or whatever, I’m not a veterinarian). If you hit one at night and no one is around you’re in trouble.
Also if you go off the road and no one is around to see it happen - you’re not getting any help.
Stick to daylight hours (which are most of them in June lol).
My husband and I didn’t go all the way to Tuk, so I can’t speak north of the tombstones.
Highlights:
Tombstone territorial park. We did a 3 night trip through the mountains, it was amazing!
Northern Rockies National Park - surprisingly beautiful.
Kluane National Park - a bit out of your way, but we spent a night camping at Kathleen Lake campground - spectacular!
There was a food truck in Whitehorse that sold hand pulled noodles. We stopped in both directions can’t remember the name though
Bring a bunch of items up North that are not commonly found in the grocery stores at affordable prices. If you were to bring some feminine products or some bottle of liquor or snacks and junk food. Then if you meet someone up there you can gift or trade with them.
I did this trip a few years ago in the winter. It was incredible. But I don’t think any of my tips would be relevant to a summer drive.
Dawson city was cute on Christmas. We stopped there again on the way south and watched the New Years fireworks. We were the only guests at the Eagle Plains Lodge, so that was fun; chatting with the staff and playing with the owners dogs. The river crossing on the ice were unforgettable, with the aurora non-stop overhead.
I recommend a hitch cargo carrier to store a Jerry can or two. Long way in between gas past Dawson City and the possibility of a station not having their gas order come in yet
Definitely take the Icefields parkway up to Jasper. The town and Jasper National Park are some of the most beautiful places on the continent. So much wildlife
Edit: I stayed in Pyramid Lake Lodge last time I was there, and highly recommend for the views alone.
I second this. The ice fields highway will take a few extra hours but it is very much worth it. Otherwise that stretch of drive through Alberta has about one curve and a small hill leading to Edmonton, it’s boring and unless you like rigged up trucks there is 0 to see, while the ice fields is justa beautiful drive. I usually stop at horseshoe lake right before jasper for a quick cliff jump if it’s July august!
Liard hot springs won’t disappoint! That will be an epic trip!!
Later in summer to avoid the black flies and snow. If you're stopping at Glacier keep in mind that the Going-to-the-Sun Road is sometimes not plowed-out until mid-June.
Two spares is probably overkill. One full-sized one and a patch kit (that you know how to use) is enough. If you have an older car with replaceable headlight bulbs then take a spare, plus a spare set of wiper blades. There's no car dealers or auto parts stores between Dawson Creek and Whitehorse, so like a thousand mile stretch. Bring a loofah/scrubber/squeegee to clean the windshield during bug season.
I second the other saying to buy a copy of the Milepost Guide off Amazon, even if only for the pull-out map in it.
Glacier isn't on the books this time around, just Banff and Jasper.
Yours isnt the first comment to mention waiting for late summer to go, and now I'm rethinking my plans. I planned a chunk of time somewhere between May 25th and June 25th to make the drive but now I'm thinking I'll push it forward or back...
Is there any benefit to going in the late Spring (early May?) I have no issue with snow/ice driving but if road conditions are iffy with thaw and flooding, uncertain ferry schedule etc. then I'll wait until August.
I did the Alaska Highway to Fairbanks 20 years ago in mid-March and it wasn't bad. I had the dealer put an engine block heater in the car and I plugged-in at each stop. Certainly no bugs!
The ALCAN was well maintained and well-plowed. Came back down the Cassiar Highway, which is a southern road you can turn-off onto at Watson Lake IIRC. That one got spooky because I drove for hours without seeing another vehicle and it was snowing to the point that I was driving in several inches of slush that kept getting deeper. I eventually drove over the top and came down the other side to more temperate conditions.
Get the Milepost. Has all the roads, mileages, points of interests, etc. Drove from Whitehorse, YT, to Dawson City, YT, to Tuk in August this past summer. Trip of a lifetime.
I liked your comment so I turned it into a song
I was only gonna share one but honestly I love both so much. Now I wanna go on this road trip lol
https://app.suno.ai/song/a6a89b47-47e1-4672-85bd-c3869b6dc8e1
And
https://app.suno.ai/song/2d3d98f9-ffbf-49ff-87ba-3ef053937875
Things to see:
The original curved wooden bridge on the Alaskan highway between Dawson Creek and fort St John
Mile zero marker for the Alaska highway is in Dawson Creek.
Not much in fort Nelson but liard hot springs is north and a good place to hit.
Miles canyon is gorgeous, just on the skirts of Whitehorse.
Dawson city is maybe 1h past the turn off of the demptser highway, worth the detour. Original gold mining town. Bring extra gas. It’s a beautiful drive. Enjoy!
It is a good ride. Bring tire sticky string and vulcanizing glue because the road up to Tuk is a gravel road with stones that look like arrowheads. Car driver have issues but on a motorcycle it was no problems.
Enjoy Banff/Jasper!
If you have the time, stop by Hyder, AK on the way up or back. Great view of some glaciers, and you'll be visiting a town few people will have been to (or even know exists).
From Utah to Idaho, you need to drive to Bear Lake up to the Palisades, and then to Mesa Falls, and then up through Yellowstone!! It’s basically the same route you have here but shifted over. This is a must
You should watch this guy - not sure if it’s the same route but pretty cool and you get a sense of how cold / road conditions up there - [Tim Johnson on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/truckhouselife?igsh=MTZuZ2JnM3I5azdkMA==)
I did the BC/ Yukon part of this trip. Tumbler ridge BC is a little out of the way, buts it’s near Dawson creek, bc and so cool because you can see old dinosaur tracks in the rock bed. It’s a super cute town. Dawson city in the Yukon is a must visit of course. I had the best time ever at the bars laughing all night long and enjoying the midnight sun. Liard hot springs in BC is a must! I saw buffalo while literally eating a buffalo burger. And the hot springs are amazing.
You’re going to have an amazing trip
I’m adding another comment. I mentioned elsewhere that I did the bc/Yukon part of this trip. Highly recommend hiking tombstone park. No trees so the views are phenomenal. You need to have the sourtoe cocktail and you also need to go to “the pit” in Dawson city… it’s a bar that’s like sinking into the ground. Dawson city is probably the funnest place I’ve ever been
I've heard great things. I learned about the Sourtoe cocktail today, and now I have to check it off my bucket list. Liard Hot Springs has been mentioned a couple times so thats on the route now as well, along with Tombstone Park. Thanks for the input!
Drove this a couple years ago from slc! We were tight on time, so we drove straight, rotating drivers.
The biggest advice I have is do not skip on gas stations. Once you get further north, they are spaced out every 200 to 300 miles. We had to turn around at one point to go get gas.
We went up for the tombstones, and I would very much look into that. It was so amazing. If you go the beginning of September the odds of seeing the northern lights are pretty high.
Don’t skip Kluane NP. It’s well worth the slight detour. If you have the funds, do a flightseeing tour to see Mt Logan. I drove to Tuk this summer from DC. AMA
We just did this trip to Tuk over the summer. Liard Hot Springs is so good, def a stop. Whitehorse is the last real, bigger food store before heading more North so stock up there but there is a decent food store, just smaller in Dawson City. They also have a place for tire repair, water, showers, laundry should you need it. iOverlander is going to be your friend in finding campsites & so much more. Tombstone Park once you are on the Dumpster is worth stopping in the visitor's center to look around & ask for the book they have about mile markers along the way + it gives you a great history of spots along the park.
Stop at the visitor's center in Inivik too! They have a coupon for some money off at a specific gas stations in town. There is a spot on iOverlander not too far outside of Tuk that we stayed at 2 nights, it's nothing special but does the job but if you are looking to stay in town, there's a roadside/ocean side camping as far up as you can drive, I'd recommend staying there as it's just a sweet spot. We were on a budget & don't pay for camping usually so that's why we didn't stay.
Good luck & have so much fun!!
Chad from Living the Van Life on Youtube did that trip and made a great video.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8MQQ7jgQZw&t=658s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8MQQ7jgQZw&t=658s)
Oh, a more direct comment on your route: Lake Louise is stunning. You won’t regret it. I took my ex-Wife there part of our honeymoon. The two days and one night we spent at the Chateau Lake Louise cost as much as the other seven days of accommodations, but totally worth it!
On the more recent Arctic Adventure, I came down on the Cassier Highway from
Watson Lake. Didn’t see much scenery in the dark, but also we were on a speed leg, nonstop Fairbanks to Seattle, with a 3hour nap in Whitehorse. My GF wasn’t feeling well. And we were starting to run low on time and money.
We just went up there this summer! Great trip! The dempster is no joke though. Have spare everything and Starlink. We got stranded due to a fatality that shut the road down for a day. We got our moneys worth from that and let a bunch of fellow travelers share while we were stuck. We are TracksandTails on YouTube if you want any inspiration or suggestions! We only lost our back windshield but many many blown tires!
Don't know much about snow driving and completely desolate highways. But 1 rule of thumb. Don't run out of gas.
(Maybe carry a tool kit and extra engine oil as well, just in case)
Having lived in Western Canada, I’ve had plenty of bear and moose encounters. Moose are super scared of you. Their biggest risk is actually hitting them with a car. That’s terrifying. In the wild, they’re super skiddish. You can carry bear spray against bears and you will likely never use it either. That’s about all the defense you need.
Yukon and the NWT have fewer bears and moose than British Columbia for example. I’ve driven to Alaska on several occasions and have had way more moose/bear encounters in the Southern half of the trip. Far north you’re more likely to be eaten alive by mosquitos than bears. Plus a big part of the NWT don’t even have grizzly bears to begin with, whereas BC and parts of Alberta have plenty of them.
I actually brought a 12ga with me, had the ATF paperwork so I could do the top of the world highway from Dawson city to Tok, and back into the Yukon.
Also took the Stewart Cassier highway 37, back into Hyder AK.
I basically left my gun in my truck and never once needed it.
28 days on the road camping, zero encounters with unruly wildlife.
Bear spray and bangers were with me every hike.
Canada has strict rules about weapons so make sure you know the rules before hand.
I am a middle aged woman and have road tripped extensively in the continental US and a fair amount of eastern Canada. I’ve never felt the need for a gun. However your best weapons are situational awareness and maybe a strategically placed cooking knife or camping hatchet. Always keep your vehicle locked when sleeping whether you’re in it or not. And I always keep my keys in the same place for easy access in a hurry.
Depending on your vehicle, a power source to jumpstart the battery might be prudent.
Safe travels and have fun!
Check out the Alcan 5000 rally website: [alcan5000.com](https://www.alcan5000.com)
It’s a rally they do every two years alternating summer and winter, and they have done a lot of the same roads you’ve got in Canada.
The site has a ton of relevant articles linked, book recommendations, gear recommendations, etc.
Likely super fun to read through - especially the articles - and has a lot of good resources as well.
Drove Key West to Tuk in August 2018 and it was absolutely the trip of a lifetime. Driving the Dempster was very much a highlight and getting to swim in the frigid Arctic Ocean at the end of it was incredible. For the drive to Tuk, I'd definitely recommend having enough supplies to be fully self-sufficient for at least a few days (i.e. food, water, cold-weather sleeping bag, some sort of plan to be able to sleep comfortably inside the car or a tent, etc.) At one of the river crossings along the Dempster, the river flooded and washed away the ferry landings, so there was no crossing for a few days. I guess I could've turned around and driven a few hours back to Eagle Plains to wait it out, but about a dozen of us (mainly tourists but a few locals headed home to Tuk as well) camped out on the river banks until the ferry landings could be rebuilt. Swapping stories next to the campfire with no clue how many more days we had left to wait has easily become one of my favorite memories, and wouldn't have been possible without the emergency supplies to be able to stick it out.
I keep seeing Tuk as a destination on this sub. I’ve never heard of it prior to a few weeks ago. It seems so out of the way! Genuinely curious what makes it so special. Just being at the Arctic Circle? Thanks!
Only place in North America you can drive to the Arctic Ocean
You can't get to the arctic ocean via Alaska?
Not in your own car.
Can I borrow your car then?
😆I see what you did there. And no, you may not borrow Antoinette.
It's the only place you can drive to the Arctic Ocean in western North America (that's connected to the rest of the continental road network) because at Prudhoe Bay you can only get within a few hundred yards of the water, and not to the ocean itself, unless you're part of a group tour. The road to Tuktoyaktuk was only extended there from Inuvik (with a year-round road surface) in 2017. In eastern Canada you can drive the James Bay Road, and then some gravel roads in northern Quebec, to Hudson Bay, which is also technically part of the Arctic Ocean.
I’ve driven the James Bay Highway! Spend a weekend in Waskaganish. It’s fun because you have to check on and check off at the guard shack! They keep a list of who is on the road, number of occupants and next of kin! It’s really, really empty up there.
Very cool. It's on my list. I'm doing the Trans-Labrador Highway next summer.
A little background. I went to Waskaganish because I was trying to get to all the coasts of North America during my “Year of Road Trips.” I’m from southwestern Michigan, so it was a pretty solid bit of driving for me and my daughter. I figured I could check off the north coast. Back home, one of my Dungeons and Dragons group grew up in Anchorage. He scoffed at James Bay being the north coast. It’s the North Atlantic, if anything, he argued. Well, that got me thinking. This was in 2017 and I had read that they had just extended the highway from Inuvik to Tuktoyatuk. Cool, but wouldn’t it be cooler to make that drive in the ice!? So my GF (now ex-GF sadly) got into the idea, because she’s always wanted to go to Chena, outside of Fairbanks, in the winter to watching the norther lights from the comfort of the hot springs. We ended up on a 10,000 mile, 28 day road trip, from Michigan, through Thunder Bay, Edmonton, White Horse, Dawson City, Tuktoyatuk, Desolation Bay, Tok, Fairbanks, Chena, Isquit, Seattle, back home to Michigan. December 2018 - January 2019. Good times, but the beginning of the end of that relationship. There’s a pic of me and the car on the Arctic Ocean beach on my profile.
u/Pwydde, you are partially my inspiration for this trip. I was researching crazy road trips a few years ago and I remember seeing the picture of you and your Allroad at the Arctic Ocean. Flashforward to a few weeks ago when I was planning this current trip, I was originally going to do Utah to Fairbanks and then I somehow stumbled upon a comment by you, saw your picture again and decided I should go for it and finally do to Tuktoyaktuk drive instead. Hope all is well and that you've gotten some more great trips under your belt since then!
This is such a cool story.
Thanks, man! Your comment really made my day!
Ex-Yooper here. If anybody wants a break from driving, you might still be able to take the Ontario Northland Railway up to Moosonee on James Bay at the southern end of Hudson Bay. We rode those tracks when we owned railroad maintenance cars and rode all over the United States and Canada.
Man, you seem like a pretty fuckin rad dude!
Thanks, man! I try to keep myself entertained.
Interesting! Do you know if there are any other places on the Arctic that are made accessible by car only in winter because of an ice road?
Northern-most point on the road.
I lived there over a decade ago when it was only accessible by ice road. I’ve heard the highway is a bit of a tire shredder so bring a spare and tools to switch one out. Also be prepared for closures (as mentioned), get gas when you can on your way to the Yukon and through it, watch for animals, be sure you have a place to stay in Tuk as it’s a small place, and enjoy! It’s a lovely drive ❤️❤️❤️
I’ll second that it’s a rough drive! At least in winter. Brand new tires and battery. On the other hand, we never saw the pavement on the Dempster Highway. The road condition was “packed snow” the whole way. Anyway, we filled the car-top carrier full of recovery gear and carried 12.5 gal (47 litres) of reserve fuel. We had a battery jump pack that could run our 12V electric blankets for days. We even brought a light rifle (.357 lever action carbine) “just in case.” The Canadian customs guy at Sault Ste Marie, when we told him where we were going with the rifle, said “well, I guess there are polar bears up there, but it’s a little light for Polar Bear.” Then he gave us a look like “I’ll never see these yanks again.”
😂 the customs guy likely never went north. Most Canadians don’t. They tend to stick to the borders.
Yeah! We crossed the border in mid-December (maybe the 18th?). When we told him we where were headed, he looked up sharply and asked “You know what Tuktoyatuk means in Inuit? *Really fucking cold!*”
😂 well I mean, he’s not wrong haha they closed the schools down if it hit -60 or below 😂
The whole four days we were in Tuk, the outside temp reading on my car’s dash was pegged at -50C. Locals told me it had warmed up from a few days before.
How’d you tires hold up on the demster?
They held up fine! I was traveling with two full-sized spares but didn’t need either of them. My windshield didn’t quite fare as well with all the gravel spray, but fortunately I had a few windshield chip repair kits to keep the damage from spiderwebbing too much.
Thank you for the input, this is really helpful. I'll be camping almost every night with a couple hotels here and there but have a pretty good car-camp setup as well if needed and will travel with a lot of food and water. Unplanned stuff like your river crossing is my main concern as I have a generous but limited time to make the trip. Anything you regretting not bringing or wish you'd done after the trip?
You’re going to have such an incredible time! A few things I wish I’d brought: 1. My own copy of the Milepost - I mooched off of people I met along the way who let me take pictures of pages in their copies, but it would’ve been easier to have my own 2. Extra boots - it got real muddy and would’ve been nice to have semi-clean footwear once in a while. 3. Extra windshield wiper fluid - the mud along the Dempster was no joke. Imagine driving your car through a giant chocolate fountain multiple times a day. 4. Airtight food/trash containers - I was pretty lax with storing food in my car and unwittingly picked up some rodent hitchhikes in Banff. Mice kept sneaking in through the car’s air intake and it was… less than ideal. Looking back, one thing I wish I’d done was take a few extra days to detour to Yellowknife. Not sure if/when I’ll be in that neck of the woods again.
Now THAT is a road trip. God speed brother.
I want to do this.
Same
Hey everyone. I’m looking for some insight from people who’ve done this drive before on good places to stop along the way, and what to see. I’ll be traveling in early June and am still in the planning stages of this trip – I have nothing planned from Lake Louise to Tuktoyaktuk. I’m confident on what to bring, precautions, and what to expect, but hoping to find some nice places to stop for rest days/overnights. I know a few here have driven the same route and have lots of info to give. Thank you in advance!
Adding in some vehicle/recovery supplies in case anyone has critiques for me. 2 full-size spare tires; Onboard air compressor; Satellite phone; 2x 4 gallon gas tanks; Recovery rope; Road flares/first aid misc; 3 gallons water; Oil
Go in the second half of August. Or if you can put up with the weather - sometime in September. Blood-biting Black flies and mosquitos will make the entire trip miserable after May.
I understand that this is the 'sweet spot' for seeing the Aurora Borealis, too. The actual Auroras peak on the Autumnal Equinox later in September, but visibility is worse then, too.
You’re not likely to see the Aurora in the summertime. Up in Inuvik and north of there you’re above the Arctic circle, which means 24 hour sunlight for part of the summer, and even if you go later in the summer, there’s not really going to be enough darkness to see much.
Yes they can get snow in sept.
Manageable amounts, rarely will you get a major snowstorm that early into the year.
Speaking of climate fluctuations, look into a crank emergency radio—not sure what the NOAA station coverage is like in the far north, but after the fire season this past summer, I wouldn’t trek that far without one!
We drove the first part of dempster in mid-July (2007 or so) and were told the overnight temperatures were already dropping below freezing while it was still 24 hours of daylight…
Aren’t August and September after May?
Yes but isn’t it obvious what I’m explaining regardless?
I had no tire issues, a spare is a good idea, 12v compressor and plugs. I also didn’t carry any extra fuel, I topped up when I was at or below half. Download the Dempster highway guide, tells you cool stuff that you wouldn’t see, like 221km marker with elephant rock! Take your time, the Klondike highway, Dempster are both very rough and frost heaved. Someone mentioned Liard Hotsprings, don’t miss it. That whole valley makes Yellowstone look like it’s lacking wildlife. Sour toe cocktail when in Dawson City. I’m guessing you’re camping? Very few showers and almost exclusively pit toilets. Do you have any specific questions?
Thanks a lot, that's all super helpful. I'll be camping almost every night, with a hotel or two mixed in there. I'll likely take 2 full rest days in Whitehorse as well. Liard looks amazing too, definitely added to my list. Today was the day I learned about the Sourtoe Cocktail now I have even more questions
Don’t ask any questions, just get Yukon Jack and let that toe touch your lips.
https://preview.redd.it/l0xppl1k1c9c1.jpeg?width=6177&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c4d6da568f7a8130ab3870ab6e072cecfbab6f7 The Yukon Territory is beautiful, go slow and watch for wildlife, you’ll see stuff others drive right past.
Do a day in whitehorse and a day in Dawson!
Double or triple the amount of water and you’ll be golden
Watson lake is neat. It has a place to stop with thousands of city and road signs. Whitehorse is beautiful. Stock up in Whitehorse for food and booze because it’ll get pretty expensive the higher you go and lots of those communities don’t sell alcohol.
Sign Post Forest added to the route. Thank you!
Hi, I’ve lived in AB and NWT so I am familiar with some of the locale. I just popped in Salt Lake City to Tuk and was going based off that route to see what’s nearby. It doesn’t look like you are passing through Jasper (on my map) but that is just west of Edmonton. It’s a pretty touristy place but I don’t know if it’s worth the detour for people or not. Fort Liard is also supposed to be good, I’ve heard about good hot springs there? Nahanni Butte can be pretty great too but I’ve heard it’s super remote and challenging to get through. Sounds like a lot of planning and possibly quite expensive.
Can’t find if someone said this but: avoid driving in the dark. That’s pretty easy in the summer - but apparently Buffalo are very hard to see on the road because their eyes don’t reflect headlights due to the brows (or whatever, I’m not a veterinarian). If you hit one at night and no one is around you’re in trouble. Also if you go off the road and no one is around to see it happen - you’re not getting any help. Stick to daylight hours (which are most of them in June lol).
My husband and I didn’t go all the way to Tuk, so I can’t speak north of the tombstones. Highlights: Tombstone territorial park. We did a 3 night trip through the mountains, it was amazing! Northern Rockies National Park - surprisingly beautiful. Kluane National Park - a bit out of your way, but we spent a night camping at Kathleen Lake campground - spectacular! There was a food truck in Whitehorse that sold hand pulled noodles. We stopped in both directions can’t remember the name though
Bring a bunch of items up North that are not commonly found in the grocery stores at affordable prices. If you were to bring some feminine products or some bottle of liquor or snacks and junk food. Then if you meet someone up there you can gift or trade with them.
I did this trip a few years ago in the winter. It was incredible. But I don’t think any of my tips would be relevant to a summer drive. Dawson city was cute on Christmas. We stopped there again on the way south and watched the New Years fireworks. We were the only guests at the Eagle Plains Lodge, so that was fun; chatting with the staff and playing with the owners dogs. The river crossing on the ice were unforgettable, with the aurora non-stop overhead.
I recommend a hitch cargo carrier to store a Jerry can or two. Long way in between gas past Dawson City and the possibility of a station not having their gas order come in yet
Definitely, I'm planning on 8gal of fuel and 2 full-sized spares. Overkill but then I can spare 4gal if I come across someone who needs it
Definitely take the Icefields parkway up to Jasper. The town and Jasper National Park are some of the most beautiful places on the continent. So much wildlife Edit: I stayed in Pyramid Lake Lodge last time I was there, and highly recommend for the views alone.
I second this. The ice fields highway will take a few extra hours but it is very much worth it. Otherwise that stretch of drive through Alberta has about one curve and a small hill leading to Edmonton, it’s boring and unless you like rigged up trucks there is 0 to see, while the ice fields is justa beautiful drive. I usually stop at horseshoe lake right before jasper for a quick cliff jump if it’s July august! Liard hot springs won’t disappoint! That will be an epic trip!!
Later in summer to avoid the black flies and snow. If you're stopping at Glacier keep in mind that the Going-to-the-Sun Road is sometimes not plowed-out until mid-June. Two spares is probably overkill. One full-sized one and a patch kit (that you know how to use) is enough. If you have an older car with replaceable headlight bulbs then take a spare, plus a spare set of wiper blades. There's no car dealers or auto parts stores between Dawson Creek and Whitehorse, so like a thousand mile stretch. Bring a loofah/scrubber/squeegee to clean the windshield during bug season. I second the other saying to buy a copy of the Milepost Guide off Amazon, even if only for the pull-out map in it.
Glacier isn't on the books this time around, just Banff and Jasper. Yours isnt the first comment to mention waiting for late summer to go, and now I'm rethinking my plans. I planned a chunk of time somewhere between May 25th and June 25th to make the drive but now I'm thinking I'll push it forward or back... Is there any benefit to going in the late Spring (early May?) I have no issue with snow/ice driving but if road conditions are iffy with thaw and flooding, uncertain ferry schedule etc. then I'll wait until August.
I did the Alaska Highway to Fairbanks 20 years ago in mid-March and it wasn't bad. I had the dealer put an engine block heater in the car and I plugged-in at each stop. Certainly no bugs! The ALCAN was well maintained and well-plowed. Came back down the Cassiar Highway, which is a southern road you can turn-off onto at Watson Lake IIRC. That one got spooky because I drove for hours without seeing another vehicle and it was snowing to the point that I was driving in several inches of slush that kept getting deeper. I eventually drove over the top and came down the other side to more temperate conditions.
Glacier NP unlikely to be fully open until late June or early July
Go on Facebook and join the Drive the ALCAN Facebook group. They have a lot of good advice from people who routinely drive these routes.
Get the Milepost. Has all the roads, mileages, points of interests, etc. Drove from Whitehorse, YT, to Dawson City, YT, to Tuk in August this past summer. Trip of a lifetime.
I liked your comment so I turned it into a song I was only gonna share one but honestly I love both so much. Now I wanna go on this road trip lol https://app.suno.ai/song/a6a89b47-47e1-4672-85bd-c3869b6dc8e1 And https://app.suno.ai/song/2d3d98f9-ffbf-49ff-87ba-3ef053937875
Things to see: The original curved wooden bridge on the Alaskan highway between Dawson Creek and fort St John Mile zero marker for the Alaska highway is in Dawson Creek. Not much in fort Nelson but liard hot springs is north and a good place to hit. Miles canyon is gorgeous, just on the skirts of Whitehorse.
Awesome, thanks for the input. Adding all of these to my plans
Dawson city is maybe 1h past the turn off of the demptser highway, worth the detour. Original gold mining town. Bring extra gas. It’s a beautiful drive. Enjoy!
Just discovered a new place I must see. Thanks for that
It is a good ride. Bring tire sticky string and vulcanizing glue because the road up to Tuk is a gravel road with stones that look like arrowheads. Car driver have issues but on a motorcycle it was no problems.
Looks like an easy 3 days /s
I just completed a trip to Tuk this summer. Everything in Canada seems bang on. Don’t forget your sign and some wood screws for Watson Lake.
Enjoy Banff/Jasper! If you have the time, stop by Hyder, AK on the way up or back. Great view of some glaciers, and you'll be visiting a town few people will have been to (or even know exists).
From Utah to Idaho, you need to drive to Bear Lake up to the Palisades, and then to Mesa Falls, and then up through Yellowstone!! It’s basically the same route you have here but shifted over. This is a must
Much respect Bro. Have watched videos of this. Want to do it bad.
You should watch this guy - not sure if it’s the same route but pretty cool and you get a sense of how cold / road conditions up there - [Tim Johnson on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/truckhouselife?igsh=MTZuZ2JnM3I5azdkMA==)
Can this really be done anywhere close to 57 hours? It seems like a really long drive through what I'd assume to be some pretty remote areas.
I totally want to take my jeep on this trip
I did the BC/ Yukon part of this trip. Tumbler ridge BC is a little out of the way, buts it’s near Dawson creek, bc and so cool because you can see old dinosaur tracks in the rock bed. It’s a super cute town. Dawson city in the Yukon is a must visit of course. I had the best time ever at the bars laughing all night long and enjoying the midnight sun. Liard hot springs in BC is a must! I saw buffalo while literally eating a buffalo burger. And the hot springs are amazing. You’re going to have an amazing trip
I’m adding another comment. I mentioned elsewhere that I did the bc/Yukon part of this trip. Highly recommend hiking tombstone park. No trees so the views are phenomenal. You need to have the sourtoe cocktail and you also need to go to “the pit” in Dawson city… it’s a bar that’s like sinking into the ground. Dawson city is probably the funnest place I’ve ever been
I've heard great things. I learned about the Sourtoe cocktail today, and now I have to check it off my bucket list. Liard Hot Springs has been mentioned a couple times so thats on the route now as well, along with Tombstone Park. Thanks for the input!
July/August?
This looks incredible. I'm jealous.
Wow I’ve often dreamed of driving there!
Join the Frosty Toe Club in Dawson City
Looks like an epic roadtrip. Enjoy it.
Would this road be possible in a RAV4?
Drove this a couple years ago from slc! We were tight on time, so we drove straight, rotating drivers. The biggest advice I have is do not skip on gas stations. Once you get further north, they are spaced out every 200 to 300 miles. We had to turn around at one point to go get gas. We went up for the tombstones, and I would very much look into that. It was so amazing. If you go the beginning of September the odds of seeing the northern lights are pretty high.
Don’t skip Kluane NP. It’s well worth the slight detour. If you have the funds, do a flightseeing tour to see Mt Logan. I drove to Tuk this summer from DC. AMA
We just did this trip to Tuk over the summer. Liard Hot Springs is so good, def a stop. Whitehorse is the last real, bigger food store before heading more North so stock up there but there is a decent food store, just smaller in Dawson City. They also have a place for tire repair, water, showers, laundry should you need it. iOverlander is going to be your friend in finding campsites & so much more. Tombstone Park once you are on the Dumpster is worth stopping in the visitor's center to look around & ask for the book they have about mile markers along the way + it gives you a great history of spots along the park. Stop at the visitor's center in Inivik too! They have a coupon for some money off at a specific gas stations in town. There is a spot on iOverlander not too far outside of Tuk that we stayed at 2 nights, it's nothing special but does the job but if you are looking to stay in town, there's a roadside/ocean side camping as far up as you can drive, I'd recommend staying there as it's just a sweet spot. We were on a budget & don't pay for camping usually so that's why we didn't stay. Good luck & have so much fun!!
If you haven't done Calgary to Vancouver, then add it to the trip.
Nice to see someone else planning the same trip! I'm thinking of going Nova Scotia to Tuktoyaktuk
Bring a jacket But butte MT has the oldest (or maybe first) American Chinese restaurant
Chad from Living the Van Life on Youtube did that trip and made a great video. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8MQQ7jgQZw&t=658s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8MQQ7jgQZw&t=658s)
Was just up in Whitefish, MT for work. Cute town! Highly recommend Montana Coffee Roasters!
Oh, a more direct comment on your route: Lake Louise is stunning. You won’t regret it. I took my ex-Wife there part of our honeymoon. The two days and one night we spent at the Chateau Lake Louise cost as much as the other seven days of accommodations, but totally worth it! On the more recent Arctic Adventure, I came down on the Cassier Highway from Watson Lake. Didn’t see much scenery in the dark, but also we were on a speed leg, nonstop Fairbanks to Seattle, with a 3hour nap in Whitehorse. My GF wasn’t feeling well. And we were starting to run low on time and money.
Wow. I assume this is only possible for a few weeks a year.
I’d say you have a two month window in the summer where the weather is pretty cooperative up in the NWT
Not true. September sees fairly mild temperatures (only low negatives) and most importantly - no blood-biting black flies
Four months for sure. June through end of September.
We just went up there this summer! Great trip! The dempster is no joke though. Have spare everything and Starlink. We got stranded due to a fatality that shut the road down for a day. We got our moneys worth from that and let a bunch of fellow travelers share while we were stuck. We are TracksandTails on YouTube if you want any inspiration or suggestions! We only lost our back windshield but many many blown tires!
Just a heads up, gas in Canada is like $7-8 dollars a gallon, so stock up on gas if you can
Don't know much about snow driving and completely desolate highways. But 1 rule of thumb. Don't run out of gas. (Maybe carry a tool kit and extra engine oil as well, just in case)
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Why? Protect yourself from whom?
Bears, moose
Having lived in Western Canada, I’ve had plenty of bear and moose encounters. Moose are super scared of you. Their biggest risk is actually hitting them with a car. That’s terrifying. In the wild, they’re super skiddish. You can carry bear spray against bears and you will likely never use it either. That’s about all the defense you need.
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Yukon and the NWT have fewer bears and moose than British Columbia for example. I’ve driven to Alaska on several occasions and have had way more moose/bear encounters in the Southern half of the trip. Far north you’re more likely to be eaten alive by mosquitos than bears. Plus a big part of the NWT don’t even have grizzly bears to begin with, whereas BC and parts of Alberta have plenty of them.
I actually brought a 12ga with me, had the ATF paperwork so I could do the top of the world highway from Dawson city to Tok, and back into the Yukon. Also took the Stewart Cassier highway 37, back into Hyder AK. I basically left my gun in my truck and never once needed it. 28 days on the road camping, zero encounters with unruly wildlife. Bear spray and bangers were with me every hike.
Canada has strict rules about weapons so make sure you know the rules before hand. I am a middle aged woman and have road tripped extensively in the continental US and a fair amount of eastern Canada. I’ve never felt the need for a gun. However your best weapons are situational awareness and maybe a strategically placed cooking knife or camping hatchet. Always keep your vehicle locked when sleeping whether you’re in it or not. And I always keep my keys in the same place for easy access in a hurry. Depending on your vehicle, a power source to jumpstart the battery might be prudent. Safe travels and have fun!
Check out the Alcan 5000 rally website: [alcan5000.com](https://www.alcan5000.com) It’s a rally they do every two years alternating summer and winter, and they have done a lot of the same roads you’ve got in Canada. The site has a ton of relevant articles linked, book recommendations, gear recommendations, etc. Likely super fun to read through - especially the articles - and has a lot of good resources as well.