Nahanni Range Road, Yukon Territory
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ALASKA HIGHWAY

YUKON HIGHWAYS
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- South Canol Road
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YUKON LOCATIONS
- Kluane Lake area
- Silver City
- Dawson City
- Rafting the Alsek River
- Lowell Lake & Glacier

BRITISH COLUMBIA
- Cassiar Highway
- Boya Lake Prov Park
- Liard Hot Springs
- Fraser Canyon
- Ferry from Port Hardy
- Lillooet to Pemberton

ALASKA
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Dempster Highway, Dawson City YT to Inuvik NWT

The Dempster Highway—Canada’s first all-weather road to cross the Arctic Circle—was officially opened on August 18th, 1979.   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.

This page includes pictures from two trips:

  • September 1993 - Dawson City to Arctic Circle and back to Dawson City in one day.

  • June 1996 - to Inuvik for the longest day of the year.  There were numerous forest fires, causing some smoky pictures.

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.environmentyukon.gov.yk.ca/pdf/DempsterFinalWeb.pdf

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

Sign at start of the Dempster Highway
Road sign indicating 261 km to Eagle "Lodge" and 633 km to Inuvik - June 1996

Tombstone Mountain sign, Yukon
Information sign at Tombstone Mountain - September 1993

Tombstone Mtn, Dempster Hwy
Spring at Tombstone Mountain - June 20, 1996

Valley at Tombstone Mountain, Yukon
Fall colours at Tombstone Mountain - September 3, 1993

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
June 20, 1996

Dempster Highway, Yukon
June 20,1996

Dempster Highway and bear, with fire
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 scene, Yukon
September 3, 1993

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

Arctic Circle, 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 border, 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.

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