Yukon Territory

Dempster Highway, Dawson City YT to Inuvik NWT

The Dempster Highway—Canada’s first all-weather road to cross the Arctic Circle. It is a 735 km (455 mile) two-lane, gravel-surfaced, all-weather highway that runs from the Klondike Highway near Dawson City to Inuvik, Northwest Territories.

In September 1993 we drove to the Arctic Circle and back to Dawson City.

In June 1996 we visited Inuvik for the longest day of the year.

In August 2011, drove to Tombstone park to camp overnight.

Now we plan to make a trip with the truck & camper in March 2014.

There is an excellent 52-page mile-by-mile guide published by the Yukon Government, "The Dempster Highway Travelogue".  The guide can be downloaded from http://www.env.gov.yk.ca/publications-maps/documents/dempster_travelogue.pdf

Dempster Highway sign, Yukon
Sign at start of the Dempster Highway - September 1993

Dempster Highway sign, Yukon (YT)
Road sign indicating 261 km to Eagle "Lodge" and 633 km to Inuvik - June 1996

Tombstone Mountain sign, Dempster Hwy, Yukon (YT)
Information sign at Tombstone Mountain - September 1993

Tombstone Mountain, Dempster Hwy, Yukon
Spring at Tombstone Mountain - June 1996

Tombstone Mountain on the Dempster Highway
Summer at Tombstone - July 2011

Tombstone Mountain, Dempster Highway, Yukon
Fall colours at Tombstone Mountain - September 1993

Tombstone Mountain on the Dempster Highway
Close up of Tombstone Mountain - July 2011

North of Tombstone but still within the park, the landscape is stunning!

Dempster Highway in Yukon
Dempster Highway and river - July 2011 -- N64 36.415 W138 21.108

Some of following pictures might be out of order.  My notes from the trip refer to before Eagle Plains and after Eagle Plains, but not the specific locations.

Dempster Highway, Yukon
June 20, 1996

Dempster Highway, Yukon
June 20,1996

Dempster Highway, Yukon
June 20, 1996.  The black dot in the middle of the picture is a bear running from us.
The smoky column in the distance is a fire.

Dempster Highway, Yukon
September 3, 1993

Dempster Highway, Yukon
September 3, 1993

In 1993, the most we paid for fuel was $0.779/litre at Eagle Plains Hotel, which is about the half-way point between the Klondike Hwy and Inuvik on the Dempster Highway.  In 2008, the most expensive fuel was $1.859/litre at the junction of the Dempster and the Klondike Highway.


Sept 3/1993 receipt for regular gas at Eagle Plains

Thirty-five kilometres (22 miles) north of Eagle Plains is the Arctic Circle.  The signage has changed significantly since 1993.  On June 22 at the Arctic Circle, the sun does not set below the horizon.

Arctic Circle, Dempster Hwy, Yukon
Arctic Circle - September 3, 1993

Arctic Circle, Dempster Highway, Yukon
Arctic Circle - September 3, 1993

Dempster Highway, Yukon
June 22, 1996 and another fire in the distance.

The Yukon-Northwest Territories border is at kilometre 465 (mile 290).  Inuvik is another 270 km (170 miles) northward. 

Also set your clocks one hour ahead for Mountain Standard Time.

Dempster Highway, Yukon, NWT
Looking north from the Dempster Highway at the Yukon-Northwest Territories border - June 20, 1996

Dempster Highway, Yukon NWT border
Looking south on the Dempster from the NWT-Yukon border, with smoke - June 22, 1996


Looking south at the NWT-Yukon border heading (with smoke from forest fires) - June 22, 1996

Dempster Hwy, sign at border NWT
Mileage sign leaving the Yukon/NWT border heading towards Inuvik, 270 km away- June 20, 1996

Dempster Highway, NWT
June 20, 1996

At the Peel River ferry, the sign and loading area are not overwhelming.  We chuckled when we saw the bulldozer, ready to make any alterations to the "loading ramp".  The ferry came back across the river to pick us up and we eagerly awaited the "signal from the ferry personnel".   The "signal" was almost undetectable -- it has a very small flick of the fellow's hand as he stood by the ferry.

The Peel River crossing is a cable crossing and operates from 9 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. daily from early June to mid-October.  In winter, there is an ice-bridge at this location.

Dempster Highway, Peel River crossing, NWT
Peel River ferry crossing northbound - June 20, 1996

Dempster Highway, NWT
Southbound on the Dempster about 10 p.m. on June 22, 1996, in a tremendous rainstorm

At Inuvik we stayed at the Happy Valley territorial campground.  It was tidy enough and within walking distance of "downtown".  There isn't much of a downtown -- it is more of a "main drag" through town with some stores, a hotel, a community center.

We set the alarm clock to wake us up in the middle of the "night".

Inuvik at 1 a.m., June 21, 1996
1 a.m. in the morning in Inuvik - June 21, 1996

Inuvik at 1 a.m., June 21, 1996
1 a.m. in the morning in Inuvik - June 21, 1996