The Only Dempster Highway Guide You’ll Need (Seriously)

Have you ever wanted to drive somewhere that still feels genuinely remote?

Not “remote” in the way travel blogs sometimes describe a scenic overlook with a packed parking lot. I mean remote in the truest sense: wide-open tundra, empty gravel roads, mountain passes, ferries, Arctic light, and long stretches where the landscape feels bigger than anything on your itinerary.

That is what makes a Dempster Highway road trip so special.

The Dempster Highway begins outside Dawson City, Yukon, and runs north through some of the wildest, least-developed road-accessible landscapes in Canada. It crosses the Arctic Circle, passes through Tombstone Territorial Park, climbs through rugged mountain ranges, rolls across open tundra, and eventually reaches Inuvik in the Northwest Territories.

From there, the Inuvik–Tuktoyaktuk Highway continues all the way to Tuktoyaktuk, where you can stand on the edge of the Arctic Ocean.

This trip had been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember, and it ended up being one of the most surreal, humbling, and logistically interesting road trips I have ever taken.

We drove it by camper van, starting in Whitehorse, detouring through Kluane National Park, spending time in Dawson City, camping in Tombstone Territorial Park, crossing into the Arctic Circle, sleeping surrounded by tundra, meeting sled dogs in Inuvik, and finally making it all the way to Tuktoyaktuk to touch the Arctic Ocean.

This guide is meant to help you plan the same kind of adventure with realistic expectations. The Dempster is not a casual scenic drive you squeeze into a packed itinerary. It is rough, weather-dependent, logistically demanding, and absolutely worth the effort if you plan well.

Dempster Highway Road Trip at a Glance

Best for: Adventurous road trippers, camper van travelers, photographers, and anyone drawn to remote camping, deep solitude, huge landscapes, and the rare chance to reach the Arctic Ocean by road 

Route: Whitehorse → Kluane National Park → Dawson City → Dempster Highway → Tombstone Territorial Park → Eagle Plains → Arctic Circle → Inuvik → Tuktoyaktuk

Official Dempster Highway: Starts about 25 miles / 40 km east of Dawson City and runs to Inuvik

Arctic Ocean extension: Continue from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk on the Inuvik–Tuktoyaktuk Highway

Road type: Mostly gravel, remote, and weather-dependent

Best season: Late summer to early fall for long daylight, fewer bugs, and a chance of fall color

Our trip timing: Mid-to-late August 2023

Ideal trip length: At least 9 days from Whitehorse for a one-way trip, plus 3–4 extra days if driving back

Vehicle: Camper van, truck camper, SUV, or another road-trip vehicle with good tires and enough range between services

Camping style: Private campgrounds, government/territorial campgrounds, pullouts, and dispersed-style road-accessible sites where permitted 

Cell service: Very limited or nonexistent for long stretches

Biggest planning rule: Build in flex days. Road closures, ferry delays, weather, and vehicle issues are all realistic possibilities.

Trip highlight: The quiet in-between moments: coffee beside glacial rivers, fireside dinners with wild horses nearby, rainbows sweeping across the Arctic tundra, and the surreal feeling of following one lonely road deeper into true wilderness.

Table of Contents

• Why Drive the Dempster Highway?
• Dempster Highway Overview
• When to Go
• How Many Days You Need
• How to Get Around: Why a Camper Van Works So Well
• Where You Can Camp on the Dempster
• What to Know About Bear Safety
• Food, Gas, and Resupply Strategy
• Cell Service, Navigation, and Connectivity
• What to Pack
• Dempster Highway TL;DR Itinerary
• Full Dempster Highway Road Trip Itinerary
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Next Steps for Planning Your Dempster Highway Road Trip

Why Drive the Dempster Highway?

The Dempster Highway is one of the most unique road trips in North America because it still feels like a true adventure.

So many bucket-list destinations now come with crowds, overbuilt viewpoints, timed-entry systems, souvenir shops, and a feeling that the wildness has been softened around the edges. The Dempster is different.

The Yukon is one of the rare places in North America where that sense of scale still feels real. About 80% of the territory remains wilderness habitat, and you feel that almost immediately once you leave the more developed stretch around Whitehorse and start moving north.

This is not a road trip built around constant services and roadside attractions. It is a route through enormous, mostly undeveloped landscapes where the distance between places is part of the experience.

This is a road trip for people who want to feel the distance. You are driving from boreal forest into alpine terrain, across tundra, over mountain passes, past braided rivers, through Indigenous communities, and into landscapes that feel completely unlike anywhere else you can easily reach by road.

A Dempster Highway road trip gives you the rare chance to:

• Cross the Arctic Circle by road, without needing a cruise, tour group, or expensive fly-in itinerary
• Drive through Tombstone Territorial Park, where jagged mountains, tundra, and fall color make the landscape feel almost unreal
• Experience true wilderness for long stretches at a time, with limited services, little traffic, and huge distances between developed stops
• Camp in remote, road-accessible landscapes, from glacial rivers and mountain pullouts to open Arctic tundra
• Continue past Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk, where the road ends at the edge of the Arctic Ocean
• Travel through a part of Canada that still feels quiet, raw, and deeply humbling, in a way that is increasingly rare on major road trip routes

For us, the Dempster was not just about reaching the Arctic Ocean. It was about the entire progression of the trip: starting in Whitehorse, adding Kluane National Park, slowing down in Dawson City, moving into the rugged mountains and tundra of Tombstone, crossing into the Arctic Circle, and watching the landscape become more open and surreal the farther north we drove.

By the time we reached Tuktoyaktuk, touching the Arctic Ocean felt less like a single destination and more like the final punctuation mark on a wild, beautiful, and very memorable journey.

Dempster Highway Overview

The Dempster Highway is a remote gravel highway that begins about 40 km / 25 miles east of Dawson City, Yukon, and travels north to Inuvik in the Northwest Territories. It is Canada’s only public road to cross the Arctic Circle and one of the rare North American road trips where you can travel this deep into Arctic wilderness by vehicle. 

The official Dempster Highway is about 740 km / 458 miles from near Dawson City to Inuvik. From Inuvik, travelers can continue another 147 km / 91 miles on the Inuvik–Tuktoyaktuk Highway to reach Tuktoyaktuk and the Arctic Ocean.

A few key things to understand before planning the trip:

• The Dempster is mostly unpaved. Road conditions can change quickly with weather, construction, washboard, mud, and loose gravel.
• Services are very limited. Gas, food, lodging, repairs, and cell service are spread far apart, so you need to plan your stops carefully.
• The route crosses major rivers. In summer, ferries operate at the Peel River and Mackenzie River crossings; in winter, ice crossings replace them. Freeze-up and break-up periods can interrupt travel.
• The landscape changes constantly. The route moves through boreal forest, mountain ranges, tundra, river valleys, Indigenous communities, and the Mackenzie Delta.
• Tuktoyaktuk is not technically on the Dempster Highway. To reach the Arctic Ocean by road, you drive the Dempster to Inuvik, then continue north on the Inuvik–Tuktoyaktuk Highway.

Our version of the trip started in Whitehorse, which added several worthwhile stops before we even reached the official start of the Dempster. We picked up a camper van, stocked up on supplies, explored Kluane National Park, spent time in Dawson City, then continued north toward Tombstone Territorial Park, Eagle Plains, the Arctic Circle, Inuvik, and finally Tuktoyaktuk.

At a high level, our route looked like this:

• Whitehorse: Camper van pickup, errands, groceries, and gear
• Kluane National Park: Mountains, hiking, and the first taste of remote Yukon scenery
• Dawson City: Last major town reset before the Dempster
• Tombstone Territorial Park: Jagged peaks, tundra, hiking, and remote camping
• Eagle Plains and the Arctic Circle: Fuel stop, wide-open tundra, and the official Arctic crossing
• Inuvik: Hotel reset, northern town base, and final staging point for Tuktoyaktuk
• Tuktoyaktuk and the Arctic Ocean: The end of the road and the bucket-list Arctic Ocean moment

This is the kind of trip where the route itself is the destination. Tuktoyaktuk is the endpoint, but the real experience is the slow progression north: from Whitehorse errands and Kluane’s mountains to Dawson City’s gold-rush character, Tombstone’s jagged peaks, the lonely tundra beyond Eagle Plains, and the surreal final stretch toward the Arctic Ocean.

When to Go

The best time to drive the Dempster Highway is usually late summer to early fall, especially if this is your first time planning the route.

The highway is generally open in two main travel seasons: approximately June 10 to October 14 in summer and December 15 to April 30 in winter. Those dates can shift with weather and river conditions, so always confirm current conditions before you commit to the drive. The route typically closes for several weeks in spring and fall when the Peel and Mackenzie river crossings are transitioning between ferry service and winter ice crossings.

We visited in mid-to-late August 2023, and I thought the timing was close to perfect. The days were still very long, the temperatures were manageable, and the first hints of fall color were starting to show across the tundra. By September, the fall color is typically more intense, especially around Tombstone Territorial Park, but weather can also become colder and less predictable.

In mid-August, the sun was still rising around 5:00 AM and setting around 11:00 PM. That gave us long days for driving, hiking, setting up camp, and cooking dinner without feeling rushed.

That extra daylight matters on the Dempster. You do not want to drive this road at night if you can avoid it. Between gravel conditions, wildlife, potholes, washboard, limited services, and long remote stretches, it is much better to drive during daylight and give yourself time to find a good place to stop.

Here is how I would think about the main travel windows:

• Early summer: Beautiful and very bright, but expect more bugs, possible lingering snow, soft road conditions, early-season ferry timing issues, and nearly 24-hour daylight farther north. 
• Mid-to-late August: A great balance of long days, manageable temperatures, fewer bugs than early summer, and the first signs of fall color.
• Early September: Often the best shot at stronger tundra color, especially near Tombstone, but colder temperatures and weather swings become more likely.
• Mid-fall and spring shoulder seasons: Risky for planning because river crossings may be closed during freeze-up or break-up.
• Winter: Possible, but it is a completely different kind of Dempster trip and requires much more serious cold-weather, vehicle, and emergency preparation.

For a first-time Dempster Highway road trip, I would choose mid-August through early September if your schedule allows. Before and during the trip, check 511 Yukon and DriveNWT for road conditions, closures, ferry status, and weather-related travel alerts. 511 Yukon provides current Yukon road information, and DriveNWT provides current Northwest Territories highway and crossing conditions.

How Many Days You Need

If you are starting in Whitehorse like we did, I would plan for at least 9 days for a one-way Dempster Highway road trip.

That gives you enough time to pick up your vehicle, stock up on supplies, include worthwhile stops before the official Dempster, and avoid turning the trip into a nonstop driving grind. 

If you are driving the route as a round trip, I would add at least 3–4 more days for the return drive. More would be better if you want a slower pace or plan to hike, photograph, camp, or spend extra time in Tombstone, Dawson City, Inuvik, or Tuktoyaktuk.

Our trip ended up being a day shorter than planned because of a flight issue, and that only reinforced how important it is to build in extra time. The Dempster is not the place for a brittle itinerary where one delay ruins the whole trip.

You should plan for possible delays from:

• Road closures
• Construction
• Mud, washboard, or poor gravel conditions
• Ferry delays
• Weather
• Flat tires or vehicle issues
• Slow driving speeds
• Longer-than-expected stops for viewpoints, photos, wildlife, and slow stretches of road 

For a one-way trip from Whitehorse to Tuktoyaktuk, I would think of the pacing like this:

• Bare minimum: 7–8 days, but it will feel rushed
• Better: 9–10 days
• Ideal: 10–12 days if you want time for hikes, slow mornings, and weather flexibility
• Round trip from Whitehorse: 12–14+ days

You can technically drive the Dempster faster than that, but I would not recommend building your dream Arctic road trip around the fastest possible timeline.

This is a route where flexibility is part of the safety plan. You should always have enough food, water, fuel strategy, and patience to handle an unexpected extra night along the way.

How to Get Around: Why a Camper Van Works So Well

While tent camping is usually our go-to, a camper van was absolutely the right choice for this trip.

The Dempster Highway is remote, chilly, and built around movement. You are not settling into one campsite for a long weekend. You are driving long distances, stopping constantly for views, adjusting to road conditions, and making camp in a new place almost every night.

A camper van made that rhythm so much easier.

It gave us the flexibility to explore during the day, pull into a campground or remote roadside site in the evening, cook dinner outside, sleep warmly, and then pack up quickly the next morning. Some of our favorite moments of the entire trip came from that setup: waking up to private views, making coffee beside a river, or cooking dinner by the fire with no one else around.

A camper van worked especially well on the Dempster because it gave us:

• Warmth and weather protection: Even in August, nights can feel cold, damp, and windy. Being able to sleep inside an insulated van made the trip much more comfortable.
• A faster camp setup: We could pull in, level out, cook, sleep, and move on without unpacking a full tent setup every night.
• Freedom to be picky about where you stop: We were not locked into one campground or one fixed campsite plan. If a spot felt too exposed, crowded, buggy, windy, or just not quite right, we could keep going until we found a place that fit the night better. 
• The right size for rough roads and real living space: The van was small enough to feel comfortable on gravel roads, tighter pullouts, and remote road-accessible sites, but still big enough to stand up, change clothes, prep meals, sleep comfortably, and move around without feeling like we were crawling into a tent every night. 
• A built-in kitchen setup: Having cooking gear, food storage, water, and a camp stove ready to go made meals much easier.
• Good fuel efficiency: Gas stops are spread far apart, but our camper van did much better on fuel than I expected, which made the route feel less stressful.

I also loved the balance of camper van nights and occasional hotel nights. The van gave us the remote camping experience we wanted, while hotel stops in towns like Dawson City and Inuvik gave us showers, laundry resets, restaurant meals, and a short break from van life.

You could do this trip with a truck camper, SUV setup, or another well-prepared vehicle, but I would be hesitant to take a large RV unless you are very comfortable with gravel roads, limited services, and fewer options for remote campsites.

For this specific route, a camper van felt like the sweet spot: comfortable enough for a long northern road trip, but small and flexible enough to still feel adventurous.

Where to Rent a Camper Van in the Yukon

We rented our camper van from Overland Yukon, and they were a huge part of why this trip worked so well.

They are based in Whitehorse and offer camper vans and overland vehicles already set up for remote travel, which meant we did not have to fly with a full camping setup. 

That mattered a lot for this trip. When you are flying into Whitehorse and immediately preparing for a remote Arctic road trip, every piece of gear you do not have to pack makes the logistics easier.

What we liked about renting from Overland Yukon:

• The vehicle felt appropriate for the route. It was comfortable enough for long driving days and sleeping in cold weather, but still compact enough for gravel roads, pullouts, and remote camp setups. 
• Essential camping gear was included. The core sleeping, cooking, and camp supplies were already handled, so we could focus on groceries, route planning, and last-minute safety gear. 
• They offered trip support. Having a local company familiar with the route gave us more confidence.
• They could help with one-way logistics. At the time of our trip, they were willing to coordinate with travelers ending in Inuvik, which can save you from having to drive all the way back to Whitehorse.

The main downside for us was that the vans were not dog-friendly. We had considered whether we could bring Sora, but the logistics of getting her all the way to the Yukon were already complicated, so she stayed at a dog resort back home while we did the trip as a two-person camper van adventure.

If you rent from any camper van company for the Dempster, I would confirm:

• Whether the rental is approved for the Dempster Highway, the Inuvik–Tuktoyaktuk Highway, gravel roads, and remote roadside camping 
• What tires, spare tire, jack, and repair gear are included 
• Whether a satellite phone or emergency device is available
• What cooking, sleeping, and water gear comes with the rental
• Whether one-way drop-off in Inuvik is possible
• What the company recommends for fuel range, road conditions, and emergency planning 

This is not the route where I would choose the cheapest possible rental without asking questions. The vehicle is a major part of your safety plan.

Where You Can Camp on the Dempster

Camping is one of the best parts of driving the Dempster Highway, especially if you like quiet, remote, road-accessible sites.

On this trip, your camping options are usually a mix of: 

• Government and territorial campgrounds
• Private campgrounds near towns
• Pullouts where overnight parking is permitted
• Remote road-accessible dispersed-style sites, usually reached by short side roads, gravel spurs, or already-disturbed pull-off areas

We also mixed in hotel nights in towns like Dawson City, Eagle Plains, and Inuvik when we needed a shower, laundry, restaurant meal, or weather reset. 

Our approach was usually to check out the campground options first, then keep driving if the sites felt too close together or did not match the experience we wanted. The campgrounds we saw were generally more spread out than many U.S. campgrounds, but we still tend to prefer more privacy when we can get it.

The beauty of this trip is that once you start getting a feel for the landscape, you can often find incredible places to stop. Our favorite nights were not in official campgrounds. They were road-accessible dispersed-style sites with mountain views, glacial rivers, tundra, wild horses, or absolutely no one else around.

A few important notes:

• Kluane National Park is different. Dispersed roadside camping is not allowed the same way it may be in other areas, so use designated campgrounds or follow Parks Canada rules. In the itinerary below, I’ll share the coordinates for the road-accessible spot we used nearby, outside the restricted park camping areas. 
• Yukon government campgrounds require a permit. Many sites are first-come, first-served, while some campgrounds now have reservable sites. For first-come sites, you can usually pay at the self-registration kiosk or use a prepaid nightly camping voucher. A reservation is different from a voucher: reservations hold a specific site at participating campgrounds, while vouchers are prepaid permits you can use when self-registering. 
• Firewood is available at many government campgrounds. That makes campground nights convenient when you want a campfire without using precious van space to carry wood from town.
• Pullouts are not automatically campsites. Free roadside camping is allowed in many areas, but not everywhere. Avoid designated recreation areas, private land, First Nation settlement land, signed no-camping zones, and places where you would block access or damage fragile vegetation.
• Use a conservative road buffer. As a practical rule, we looked for sites at least 150 feet from the road, already disturbed, and clearly set back from the highway.
• Leave no trace matters even more here. Pack out trash, avoid damaging fragile tundra or vegetation, use existing disturbed areas when possible, and be careful with fires.

What to Know About Bear Safety

Bear safety is a major part of planning a Dempster Highway road trip.

You will be traveling through bear country for much of this route, often in areas with very few people around. That is part of what makes the trip incredible, but it also means you need to be prepared before you hike, cook, camp, or wander away from the vehicle.

The goal is not to “fight off” a bear. The goal is to avoid surprising or attracting one in the first place.

The basics matter:

• Keep food, trash, and scented items secured.
• Do not leave food out after meals.
• Cook and clean up carefully, especially at remote campsites.
• Carry bear spray where you can reach it quickly.
• Know how to use bear spray before you need it.
• Make noise when hiking, especially in brush, wind, low visibility, or berry-heavy areas.
• Do not approach bears for photos.
• Never run from a bear.

Yukon’s bear safety guidance emphasizes prevention: reduce attractants, make noise before you surprise an animal, and carry bear spray where you can actually reach it. Their wilderness guidance also recommends deterrents like air horns or bear bangers, which supported our decision to carry air horns in addition to bear spray.

After doing a lot of research, we decided to carry bear spray and air horns. Bear spray was our last-resort deterrent, while the air horns were part of our prevention strategy, especially on remote hikes and around campsites. 

We chose air horns over bear bells because bear bells are not considered especially effective in windy, brushy, or loud environments where the sound may not travel far enough to reliably alert a bear. The goal was to make clear, intentional noise before we surprised anything.

Our hiking routine was simple:

• Use a walk-tracking app to monitor distance.
• Sound the air horn about every half mile in remote or low-visibility areas.
• Make additional noise around brush, berries, water, wind, and blind turns.
• Keep bear spray on our hips, not buried in a backpack.
• Stay alert and avoid moving quietly through areas where bears could be feeding or resting.

We used Map My Walk for distance reminders and AllTrails Pro for offline hiking maps. Even on remote hikes through areas full of grizzly-favorite berries, we did not encounter any bears, which is exactly the goal.

You cannot bring bear spray or air horns on an airplane, so plan to buy them after you arrive. We purchased ours in Whitehorse, and I’ll share more about that in the itinerary section.

Before your trip, I highly recommend reading Yukon’s bear safety guidance, including the difference between defensive, non-defensive, and predatory bear behavior. It helped me feel much more confident, not because any method is guaranteed, but because I better understood what we were trying to prevent and how to respond if something happened.

Yukon Bear Safety Guide

Food, Gas, and Resupply Strategy

Food, fuel, and resupply planning are a huge part of making the Dempster feel fun instead of stressful, because this is not a route where you can count on services or backup plans whenever you want them.

Our strategy was to treat Whitehorse and Dawson City as the major stock-up points, then plan carefully around the limited fuel and service stops along the Dempster. On the Dempster itself, fuel options are spread far apart, with key stops at places like Eagle Plains and Fort McPherson before reaching Inuvik. Tuktoyaktuk also has fuel, but I would not treat it as your main resupply plan. 

For gas, the rule is simple: top off when you can, even if the tank is not low yet. The Dempster is not the place to gamble on fuel range.

In Whitehorse, use your stock-up run for: 

• Groceries for the first stretch of the trip
• Snacks and easy driving food
• Coffee and breakfast supplies
• Camp dinner ingredients
• Drinking water
• Paper towels, wet wipes, trash bags, toilet paper, and dish soap
• Fire starter
• Bear spray, bear spray holsters, and air horns
• Any last-minute gear you could not fly with

Dawson City is your last major resupply point before the Dempster, so I would use it as a reset. Top off fuel, refill food, restock snacks, check road conditions, and make sure you are fully ready before heading north.

Once you are on the Dempster, I would not plan meals around restaurants. There are places to eat along the way, and they can be a fun part of the trip, but they are too spread out to be your main food strategy.

What worked best for us was a mix of:

• Simple camper van breakfasts
• Packed lunches and snacks for driving days
• Camp stove meals
• Fire-cooked dinners when conditions allowed
• Restaurant meals during hotel stops
• Extra emergency food in case the route took longer than planned

You all know we love to eat, especially outside, and the Dempster gave us some incredible places to cook. Some nights were perfect for a fire and a fun camp dinner. Other nights were windy, rainy, or too exposed, and the camp stove was the better call.

That is the key: plan meals that are flexible.

Bring food that can work if:

• You get to camp later than expected
• You need to cook with the camp stove instead of a fire 
• You are tired from driving and need something low-effort
• A ferry delay or road issue adds time
• You unexpectedly need one more night of food

Cell Service, Navigation, and Connectivity

Outside of Whitehorse, Dawson City, Inuvik, and occasional pockets of Wi-Fi, you should assume you will not have reliable cell service.

I love going off-grid, but this was one of the most complete dead zones I have ever experienced on a road trip. For long stretches, there was no service at all, no quick search, no easy reroute, and no texting someone to say plans changed.

That can be freeing, but only if you prepare for it.

Before leaving Whitehorse, I would recommend:

• Downloading offline Google Maps for every region you will drive through
• Downloading offline trail maps in AllTrails, Gaia, or your preferred hiking app
• Saving campground, hotel, ferry, and fuel stop information offline
• Printing confirmations for hotels, rentals, and major reservations
• Printing or saving a basic day-by-day route plan
• Bringing a physical map or GPS backup
• Carrying a satellite phone, Garmin inReach, or other emergency communication device if available

If you rent from Overland Yukon, ask about emergency communication options. At the time of our trip, they could provide a satellite phone, which made us feel much better about the long stretches without service.

I also printed our confirmations, driving directions, and interesting stops into a small booklet. That may sound old-school, but it was genuinely useful. When your phone has no service and you are trying to remember the name of a stop, campground, or route note, having a paper backup is surprisingly comforting.

The only signal-like entertainment we had in the van was the occasional local radio station coming into range, which actually became one of the charming parts of the drive.

Starlink is now a more realistic option for some travelers than it was during our trip, but I would still not build your safety plan around internet access. Treat satellite internet as a convenience, not a substitute for offline maps, printed details, road-condition checks, and an emergency communication plan.

What to Pack

Packing for the Dempster is all about layers, self-sufficiency, and not assuming you can easily replace something once you are on the road.

Even in summer, you can get sun, wind, rain, cold nights, muddy trails, buggy stretches, and long days in the van. Pack for changing conditions, not just the forecast.

Clothing and Layers

• Hiking boots
• Warm, comfortable camp shoes or boots
• Warm, sweat-wicking socks
• Hiking pants
• Leggings or long underwear
• Short-sleeve and long-sleeve base layers
• Sweatshirt or warm mid-layer
• Fleece
• Puffer jacket
• Rain shell or parka
• Gloves
• Light beanie
• Warmer hat

Hiking and Day Gear

• CamelBak-style daypack or hiking backpack
• Offline trail maps
• Bug spray with at least 40% DEET
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Water bottles or hydration bladder
• Snacks for hikes and long driving stretches
• Camera gear and extra batteries
• Charging cords and adapters

Vehicle and Navigation Gear

• Offline Google Maps
• GPS backup or paper map
• Printed confirmations and route notes
• USB charging adapter
• Power bank
• Satellite phone, Garmin inReach, or other emergency communication device if available

Camp and Van Supplies

Some of this may come with your rental, so cross-check before buying everything.

• Wet wipes
• Trash bags
• Toilet paper
• Paper towels
• Soap
• Dish soap
• Fire starter
• Extra water
• Extra food
• Cash
• Small toiletry bag
• Quick-access overnight bag

Bear Safety Supplies to Buy After Arrival

You cannot fly with bear spray or air horns, so plan to buy these in Whitehorse.

• Bear spray
• Bear spray holster
• Air horns or another approved noise deterrent

Packing Tips for Camper Van Travel

Pack as compactly as possible. Camper vans are comfortable, but they do not have unlimited storage space. If you bring large suitcases, they may end up on the floor of the van, which makes it harder to move around.

Overland Yukon offered to store our suitcases if we wanted to unpack fully into the van. We did not use that option because of how our trip was structured, but it is worth considering if you want to keep the van less cluttered.

What worked better for us was keeping a smaller backpack ready with toiletries, overnight basics, and the clothes we needed for the next few camping nights. Then, when we had hotel stops, we did a reset and swapped out what we needed.

That system kept us from digging through a suitcase every night and made the van feel much more livable.

Also check exactly what your rental includes before you pack. We were surprisingly well stocked with supplies, and it saved us from bringing or buying things we did not need.

Dempster Highway TL;DR Itinerary

This is the quick version of our route from Whitehorse to the Arctic Ocean. The full day-by-day itinerary below includes more detail on campsites, meals, stops, hikes, and what I would do differently.

Whitehorse: Start Here

Start your trip in Yukon’s capital. Pick up your camper van, stock up on groceries, gear, and safety supplies, and spend a little time exploring downtown before heading into more remote areas.

Good for: Camper van pickup, groceries, gear, safety supplies, restaurants, and last-minute errands

Stay: The Raven Inn

Kluane National Park and Reserve: 2 Nights

Kluane was one of the most breathtaking parts of the entire trip, with massive mountains, glacier-fed lakes, huge valleys, and some of the best hiking we did in the Yukon. It is not technically part of the Dempster, but it is absolutely worth adding if you are starting in Whitehorse and want a more complete Yukon road trip before heading north.

Good for: A Whitehorse-area add-on if you want a slower start, major hikes, and some of the most dramatic mountain scenery before the Dempster

Hikes to consider:

• King’s Throne Trail: A challenging hike with incredible views over Kathleen Lake
• Sheep Creek Trail: A challenging but more approachable option with sweeping valley views and chances to spot Dall sheep

Stay: Kathleen Lake Campground, Congdon Creek Campground, or permitted roadside/dispersed-style camping nearby outside restricted areas

Dawson City: 1 Night

Dawson City is your last major town before the Dempster and a great place to reset before heading north. It has historic Gold Rush character, restaurants, bars, hotels, fuel, groceries, and a completely different energy from the remote stretches ahead.

Good for: Your final full-service reset before the Dempster, with fuel, groceries, restaurants, hotels, and nightlife

Stay: The Midnight Sun Hotel

Tombstone Territorial Park: 2 Nights

Tombstone is where the Dempster starts to feel truly otherworldly, with jagged peaks, tundra, open valleys, and some of the most memorable hiking and camping of the route. If you time it for late summer or early fall, this is also one of the best areas for tundra color.

Good for: Spending extra time on the Dempster itself, with hiking, photography, remote camping, tundra color, and some of the route’s most iconic scenery

Hikes to consider:

• Rake Mountain: Challenging climb with sweeping views of the surrounding peaks and valleys
• Goldensides Trail: Shorter, moderate hike with excellent mountain views

Stay: Tombstone Mountain Campground or permitted roadside/dispersed-style camping outside restricted areas

Eagle Plains and the Arctic Circle Area: 1 Night

This stretch is less about one single destination and more about the feeling of the road changing as you push farther north. Stop at Eagle Plains for fuel, food, or a break, then continue toward the Arctic Circle sign for the iconic crossing.

Good for: Fuel, a road break, the Arctic Circle crossing, and a remote overnight before continuing toward Inuvik

Stop: Eagle Plains Hotel & Cafe

Stay: Rock River Government Campground or permitted roadside/dispersed-style camping farther north

Inuvik: 2 Nights

The drive to Inuvik includes wide-open tundra, seasonal river crossings, and the shift into the Mackenzie Delta region. Inuvik makes a great base for a proper bed, showers, restaurants, and the final push to Tuktoyaktuk.

Good for: A proper reset, restaurants, showers, laundry, northern town exploring, and staging your Tuktoyaktuk day trip

Route notes:

• Peel River crossing
• Mackenzie River crossing
• Check current ferry or ice-crossing conditions before you drive

Stops to consider:

• Igloo Church
• Alestine’s 

Stay: Arctic Chalet

Tuktoyaktuk and the Arctic Ocean: Day Trip from Inuvik

From Inuvik, drive the Inuvik–Tuktoyaktuk Highway to Tuktoyaktuk and the Arctic Ocean. This final stretch feels completely different from the rest of the route: flatter, more open, watery, and surreal.

Good for: Reaching the Arctic Ocean, seeing the end of the road, visiting Pingo National Landmark, and experiencing the final stretch of the Arctic road trip

Stops to consider:

• Grandma’s Kitchen 
• Pingo National Landmark
• Arctic Ocean sign

[CLICK FOR THE ROUTE OVERVIEW MAP]

Below is the full route map with the best camping options, hotel stops, and trailheads:

The Full Dempster Highway Road Trip Itinerary

This is the exact trip we did, including the research, route choices, campsite finds, and pivots we made along the way.

No trip goes completely according to plan, but that is especially true on a route like this. Weather, road conditions, ferry timing, cold mornings, and long drives can all change your original plan. If you are a detailed planner like me, that can be hard at first, but building in flexibility is part of what makes this trip work.

Day 1:  Travel to Canada & Arrive in Whitehorse 

Day 1 was mostly a travel day, but Whitehorse is the best place to start a Dempster Highway road trip if you are renting a camper van and stocking up before heading into more remote areas.

Our travel day:

• Flew to Whitehorse with a layover in Vancouver.
• Had dinner at Vino Volo Wine Bar in the Vancouver airport, which was actually lovely.
• Arrived in Whitehorse late, after 11:00 PM.
• There were a few cabs available outside the airport, but if I were arriving late again, I would pre-arrange a ride.
• I did not have service for Uber, so I would not rely on rideshare as your only plan.

Stay: The Raven Inn

The Raven Inn was a cute hotel in a desirable downtown location. It also worked especially well because Overland Yukon was able to drop off our camper van there the next morning, which made the start of the trip much easier.

Day 2: Whitehorse Errands and Drive to Kluane National Park

Day 2 was the real start of the adventure, but it was also a major logistics day. Whitehorse is your easiest place to get organized before the route becomes more remote, so do not rush this part.

Morning plan:

• Take a good shower before leaving town. Depending on your route and camping plans, it may be a while before the next one.
• Meet your camper van company and get the full vehicle walkthrough.
• We used Overland Yukon, and they dropped the van at The Raven Inn before walking us through how everything worked.
• Have breakfast or brunch before starting errands.
• We ate at Railwork Lounge inside The Raven Inn. I had a few other Whitehorse restaurants on my list, but we chose this for convenience and it ended up being an excellent choice.

Whitehorse errand stops:

• Triple J’s Canna Space: If you are looking for a different kind of high besides the mountains, this is where we started.
• Yukon Liquor Corporation: A good stop if you want a better alcohol selection before heading into more remote areas.
• Real Canadian Superstore: Best for groceries, water, coffee grounds, ice, snacks, and general supplies. They had the biggest selection and were more cost-effective. We went to Save-On-Foods, which was also a good choice, just a bit more expensive.
• Canadian Tire: This is where I would go for air horns, bear spray, and last-minute practical gear. We tried several outdoor retailers on the main strip in Whitehorse, and they were sold out of air horns.

Stacey’s Butcher Block: If you want high-quality meat to cook at camp, this is a great final food stop on the way out toward Kluane.

[CLICK FOR MY WHITEHOURSE ERRAND MAP]

Drive: Whitehorse to Kluane National Park, about 2 hours
GPS: Kathleen Lake Campground

Kathleen Lake First Stop

Kathleen Lake Campground is a good first target if you are heading into Kluane from Whitehorse.

A few things to know:

• Sites are first-come, first-served.
• There is a self-serve payment kiosk.
• The campground is beautiful, but the campsites are not directly on the lake.
  • I assumed the sites would be on the water, but once we walked down to Kathleen Lake, I understood why they are set back. The wind at the lake was wild.
• Kathleen Lake itself is absolutely worth seeing, even if you do not camp there.

Where We Camped Near Kluane

Because it was already early evening, we did not try to fit in a major hike or long exploration. We wanted to find a spot, set up camp, make dinner, and actually enjoy the night.

This ended up being one of the most incredible campsites of the whole trip: a mountain backdrop, towering forest for miles on either side, and a rushing glacial river right near camp. Seriously, paradise.

Coordinates: 60°40’39.1″N 137°21’38.0″W

Important camping note: You can be much more liberal with dispersed-style roadside camping in many parts of this itinerary, but Kluane is the exception. To use a spot like this legally, you need to be outside the restricted national park camping areas. For this area, that meant being on the Haines Junction side, not dispersed camping inside Kluane National Park itself.

Dinner at Camp

Dinner: Pasta and garlic bread

This was not our most typical camping dinner, but after a busy logistics day, it was exactly right. We grabbed what was easy at the store, made it work at camp, and ended up with a warm, cozy meal by the fire. A simple but perfect first night.

Day 3: Kluane National Park and Sheep Creek Trail

We woke up surrounded by breathtaking wilderness, made coffee and breakfast, and enjoyed a fire before packing up for the day.

Breakfast: Usually some combination of fruit, eggs, bagels, and/or bacon. Simple, flexible, and easy to make from the van.

Our Original Plan Changed Quickly Originally, I planned to leave camp around 9:00 AM, hike, and then make camp again around 5:00 PM. That did not happen.

What changed:

• It was way too cold to get moving early.
• It was lightly raining.
• The mountains were covered in snow.
• I could see the area where King’s Throne was located, and I was very glad it was not on the agenda that day. It looked brutal up there.

This was early in the trip, but we were already making peace with the fact that our plans were not going to unfold perfectly. Instead of forcing the original timeline, we waited for it to warm up a bit, started later, and headed toward the hike we had planned. Our mindset was to see more of the park and hike as much of the trail as made sense based on the weather and timing.

That ended up being the right decision.

Drive Toward Sheep Creek Trail

Drive: About 1 hour from our campsite
GPS: Sheep Mountain
Trailhead: Near the parking area at the base of Sheep Mountain, about 1 mile past Thechàl Dhâl Visitor Centre

Stops and route notes:

• Stop at Top Spot in Haines Junction to fuel up.
• When you stop at gas stations, it is also a good time to dump gray water and refill white water in the camper van if the station has a place to do so.
• The scenery along this drive is absolutely stunning.
• Destruction Bay is a must-stop. You will not miss it, and it is worth pulling over.

Hiking Sheep Creek Trail

Trail: Sheep Creek Trail
Distance: About 8 miles out and back
Difficulty: Hard
Time needed: Allow about 6 to 7 hours if you plan to complete the full hike
Our start time: Around 2:30 PM
Our finish time: Around 7:30 PM

Aside from some steepness and the long distance, I did not find it technically difficult. Another nice thing about this trail is that there are several natural turnaround points with incredible views, so you can do a shorter version without feeling like you missed the entire experience.

The rain let up for us, and even with the late start, we were able to do a lot of the trail. I am so glad we did.

What made it worth it:

• Astonishing mountain scenery
• Views toward the Kaskawulsh Glacier area
• Only a couple others on the trail
• Flexible turnaround points
• A packed picnic lunch with one of the best views of the trip

I think we only passed two people the entire hike. One of my favorite moments was eating the picnic sandwiches we packed while looking out at the mountains surrounding the Kaskawulsh Glacier. No big deal.

Get more specifics on the hike and ideas for others in the area here: Sheep Creek Trail – Yukon Hiking

Where We Camped: Congdon Creek Campground

After the hike, we drove about 15 minutes to the nearest campground.

GPS: Congdon Creek Campground

You will pass Kluane Lake on the way, as if the day had not already given you enough scenery.

A few things to know:

• Sites were first-come, first-served when we visited.
• It was cash only when we visited, priced at $20.
• There was a self-serve station where you put cash in an envelope and take a ticket to reserve your site.
• After 5:00 PM, any sites not yet occupied were fair game, including the disability-accessible sites.
• Those sites were much larger and more spread out. Because we arrived late and the campground was not crowded, I felt comfortable taking one of them.
• Do not forget to grab your firewood.

Dinner: Classic burgers with homemade fries

The late sunsets completely saved us and changed the way we approached the rest of the trip. After this day, we leaned into later-start hikes and 9:00 PM dinners, and honestly, it worked out wonderfully.

Day 4: Drive to Dawson City

Let me preface this day by saying this long drive was not our original plan.

We are big road trippers and do not mind long drives, but this was the day we really felt the flight issue that cut a day off our trip. For maximum enjoyment, I would break this up and add one more camping night along the way. But if you do not mind a long driving day, it is still doable, and the journey itself is a huge part of a trip like this.

Morning plan:

• Eat a quick breakfast.
• Make coffee for the road.
• Leave early, ideally around 7:00 AM.
• Plan for stops, photos, fuel, short detours, and a picnic along the way.

Drive: Kluane area / Congdon Creek to Dawson City, about 7.5 hours without longer stops
GPS: Midnight Sun Hotel
Goal arrival: Before 5:00 PM if possible
Our arrival: Around 4:30 PM

Fuel stops along the way:

• Braeburn
• Carmacks
• Pelly Crossing
• Stewart Crossing
• Dempster Junction

If you are using The Milepost, those are roughly J55, J102, J168, J211, and J298.

Planning note: I would give yourself 9 to 10 hours before your preferred arrival time to allow for delays, stops, pictures, short detours, and a picnic along the way.

The drive is gorgeous, so do not treat it like dead time. Do not be afraid to explore little side roads or pullouts that catch your eye. The beautiful surprises you can discover are truly endless.

Where We Stayed in Dawson City

Stay: Midnight Sun Hotel

Why it worked:

• Nice hotel for a one-night reset
• Walkable to everything in town
• Comfortable room
• Easy base for dinner, drinks, and exploring Dawson City

One downside: This may have been a Friday night thing, but we could hear loud music from the bar until after midnight. If you only have one night here and really need sleep before the Dempster, that is something to consider.

Side note: when you take your periodic hotel showers this far north, you may experience some of the softest water of your life. My hair has never looked so great. Naturally, this would be the case right before heading into the middle of nowhere.

Evening in Dawson City

Before fully settling in and getting ready for dinner, we went next door to the Sourdough Saloon for drinks and appetizers after the long drive.

A few things to know about Dawson City:

• It is quirky, historic, and interesting.
• It is beautifully situated in the mountains along the Yukon River.
• It has more tourists and more kitsch than the remote stretches of the trip.
• Expect some Gold Rush-style attractions, costumed reenactments, tours, and old-timey entertainment.

Diamond Tooth Gerties note: This is frequently recommended online, and I had considered going. When we were there, it opened at 5:00 PM, and there was already a long line outside before opening. The line continued through the evening, with a limited number of people allowed in at a time. That was not really my cup of tea, but it is worth knowing if it is on your list.

Dinner in Dawson City

The culinary scene in Dawson City was surprisingly impressive. There were a lot of good restaurant options, and under normal circumstances I probably would have made reservations.

That said, the timeline on this trip was too unpredictable, so we were going with the flow.

Dinner notes:

• Dawson City was much less compatible with our new 9:00 PM dinner routine.
• Even on a Friday evening, many restaurants were closing down or winding down by the time we were ready to eat around 8:00 PM.
  
  We ended up at Dino’s Family Restaurant. It was a cute, family-run spot and made for a delicious, enjoyable meal. They insisted on serving us even though they were about to close, which was incredibly kind.

Planning note: If there is a specific Dawson City restaurant you really want to try, go earlier than you think or make a reservation where possible.

Day 5: Dawson City, the Official Dempster Highway, and Tombstone Territorial Park

Day 5 is when the trip starts to feel like the Dempster Highway adventure you pictured.

You still have one more town reset in Dawson City, but once you leave, the route changes quickly: fewer services, bigger landscapes, rougher roads, and the first real sense that you are heading toward the Arctic.

Morning in Dawson City

Morning plan:

• Sleep in.
• Take a shower.
• Pack up the van.
• Do a final supply run.
• Get fuel before leaving town.
• Eat a solid brunch or lunch before heading north.

Dawson City Supply Run

Dawson City is your last major stock-up point before the Dempster, so use it well.

Supply stops:

• Dawson City General Store: Start here for food, ice, and general supplies.
• Bonanza Market: Another useful option, though we still needed the General Store afterward. You may need a combination of both depending on what you are looking for.
• Dawson City Liquor Store: Replenish any drinks before heading into the more remote part of the trip.
• Gas stations in/near Dawson City: There are several fuel options between Dawson City and the official start of the Dempster Highway, but I would not leave town without a full tank. After this, there are no more major fuel options until Eagle Plains.

Brunch Before the Dempster

Stop: BonTon & Company

I had my eye on this place the night before, but they were full for dinner and reservation-only. Lunch was more casual and did not require a reservation, so it worked perfectly before getting back on the road.

Why it was worth it:

• More elevated than you might expect in such a remote-feeling town
• Sustainably sourced and local ingredients
• Global influences
• More casual lunch option if dinner reservations do not work out

Planning note: Try to leave Dawson City by 1:00 PM at the latest if you want enough time to reach Tombstone, stop for photos, check out the campground, and still find a campsite before evening.

Drive to Tombstone Territorial Park

Drive: Dawson City to Tombstone Territorial Park, about 1.5 hours without stops, or 2+ hours with stops
GPS: Tombstone Campground

Route notes:

• You will briefly backtrack from Dawson City.
• Turn left at the sign pointing toward the Arctic Ocean.
• Once you cross the official Dempster Highway bridge, the adventure continues.
• The landscape shifts quickly as rugged peaks come into view.
• This is where the road starts to feel wilder and more otherworldly.

First stop: Tombstone Territorial Park Campground

A few things to know:

• If you want to stay at the campground, arrive at the visitor center before 4:00 PM to reserve your spot.
• A few minutes past the campground, stop at Tombstone Range Viewpoint for photos.
• The viewpoint is incredible and, when we stopped, there was no one else there.
  • It felt nothing like the crowded viewpoint stops we usually avoid in busier U.S. parks.

Optional Evening Hike: Goldensides Trail

Trail: Goldensides Trail
Distance: About 2.5 miles
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Time needed: About 1.5 hours
Best for: A sunset or evening walk near the campground

Goldensides is a relatively easy stroll through classic Tombstone scenery, with rewarding views for very little effort. You may see a few more people here than you are used to elsewhere in the Yukon, but it is still nothing like crowded hiking in more developed parks.

Where We Camped Near Tombstone

After checking out the campground and viewpoint, we started looking for a place to make camp.

Our campsite search:

• We looked for pullouts, small side roads, and already-disturbed sites.
• We saw a few incredible spots with mountain views right along glacial streams near the Dempster Highway.
  • Those spots had already been taken.
  • That is part of the process: if a spot is not meant to be, keep looking.
• Eventually, we found a small road leading to a site tucked far from the main road.
  • This spot had trees on all sides and mountains in every direction. Incredibly cool.

Coordinates: 64°40’20.7″N 138°24’01.0″W

Dinner at Camp

Dinner: Steak frites

This was a special dinner to enjoy in nature. There was light rain on and off, which is common in this area, but it did not stop our fire. We saw four rainbows that evening. I have said it before, but what a magical place.

Day 6: Tombstone Territorial Park and Rake Mountain

Day 6 was our full Tombstone day, and it ended up being one of the most memorable days of the trip.

We woke up and had a cozy breakfast by the fire, surrounded by nature, then packed up, prepped picnic sandwiches, and got ready to hike.

Getting to Rake Mountain

Drive: 10 to 20 minutes depending on where you camped
GPS: Rake Mountain
Trailhead note: There is a very small pull-off by the road.

Route note:

• We backtracked a little down the Dempster Highway from our campsite.
• The hike is about 20 minutes up the Dempster from Tombstone Campground.
• You are unlikely to encounter many other hikers here.
• We started around 2:00 PM again, which worked well.
  • The later start gave temperatures time to warm up.
• Because we were staying in the park area again, we did not need much driving time afterward.

Hiking Rake Mountain

Trail: Rake Mountain
Distance: About 4 miles out and back
Difficulty: Hard
Time needed: About 4 to 5 hours

The hike was not too technically difficult, but it did include steep portions, bushwhacking through tall plants, and some uneven terrain before reaching the mountain. Honestly, that just added to how wild and otherworldly the area felt.

Important trail note:

• I had this hike pulled up on AllTrails, but the route shown there was nearly 8 miles and different from what we expected.
  • As a result, we went deep into the valley and spent ages burrowing through tall plants.
• If you want the intended route and full view, check a dedicated trail guide before you go.
• You need to turn up the mountain early enough instead of continuing too far into the valley.

What made it worth it:

• Otherworldly Tombstone scenery
• Rugged mountain views with no people around
• A real sense of being deep in untouched wilderness
• A wild, adventurous route that felt completely different from more developed hiking areas
• A picnic by the stream in the center of the valley, even if it came from going the wrong way

Get more details here: Rake Mountain – Yukon Hiking

Even with the wrong turn, I cannot emphasize enough how magnificent this untouched wilderness is.

Where We Camped: Wild Horses and a Glacial River

We wrapped up hiking after 6:00 PM and headed out to find a new campsite.

Our campsite search:

• The plan was to continue along the Dempster Highway until we found a spot we liked.
  • We were open to staying in the park area or making some progress farther up the road.
• About 25 minutes from Rake Mountain, near the outskirts of the park, we saw a gorgeous mountain with a flowing glacial river in front of it.
  • There was a small road down to the river, so we followed it.
  • As if that was not amazing enough, a whole herd of wild horses was drinking from the river.

Coordinates: 64°50’50.7″N 138°18’57.9″W

Dinner at Camp

Dinner: Classic hot dogs by the fire

The horses came and went all evening. Hanging out, sipping wine, and watching them move through camp became one of the most special memories of the whole trip.

Day 7: Eagle Plains and Arctic Circle Crossing

We woke up by the glacial river, made breakfast and coffee by the fire, and watched the wild horses slowly get more comfortable with us.

By morning, they were moving much closer, which was such a treat. It made leaving that campsite hard, but this was the day we officially crossed into the Arctic Circle.

Morning plan:

• Make breakfast and coffee by the fire.
• Enjoy the wild horse/glacial river campsite one last time.
• Pack up the van.
• Hit the road by around 11:00 AM.

Drive: Tombstone area / wild horse campsite to Eagle Plains, about 3 to 4 hours
GPS: Eagle Plains

As always, allow extra time for stops, photos, slow road conditions, and random pullouts that catch your eye.

Driving Toward Eagle Plains

This stretch of the Dempster has a very unusual landscape because of the elevation and open terrain. It is really something to see, but it is also where the road can feel especially rough.

A few things to know:

• Get ready for a bumpy ride.
• Take it slow.
• Secure loose belongings in the van before this section.
• Expect to stop constantly for photos.
• The landscape starts to feel more exposed, elevated, and strange in the best way.

Stop at Eagle Plains

Stop: Eagle Plains Hotel
Good for: Fuel, food, a drink, bathrooms, and a break before crossing the Arctic Circle

Eagle Plains is basically a lodge, gas station, restaurant, bar, and small shop in the middle of nowhere.

What you can do here:

• Fill up on gas.
• Rent a room for the night if you booked ahead.
• Pick up a few groceries or basic supplies from the small shop.
• Grab food from the cafe.
• Have a drink at the bar.
• Camp in the parking lot if you are running behind.

The camping area is just a gravel lot, so if you are on track, I would personally keep going and look for somewhere more scenic and private.

Food note: When we were there, the only hot food at the cafe was a buffet, but they also had some pre-wrapped cold sandwiches.

The bar was a neat, quirky place to stop and take a break before officially crossing into the Arctic Circle. I was missing my pup by this point, but there were plenty of furry friends at the bar who wanted to say hello.

Planning note: This is a good time to check the ferry information for the next day and make sure everything is running on time.

Ferry Information – Northwest Territories

Arctic Circle Crossing

After Eagle Plains, hit the road toward the Arctic Circle.

Drive: Eagle Plains to the Arctic Circle sign, about 30 minutes
GPS: Arctic Circle Sign

This is the iconic photo stop, so take your time and enjoy it.

I say this about almost every location on this trip because it is true, but wow — the Arctic tundra landscape here will leave you awestruck.

After the Arctic Circle sign, continue toward the nearest campground.

Drive: Arctic Circle sign to Rock River Government Campground, about 30 minutes
GPS: Rock River Government Campground

If you want to stay at the campground, you can pay at the self-serve kiosk, which takes credit cards.

Where We Camped: Arctic Tundra

It was a bucket-list item for us to camp in the Arctic tundra.

It was not the coziest campsite of the trip, and it was way too windy for a fire. We were also pretty much out of wood anyway. But man, what an amazing place.

Our campsite search:

• There were several decent spots after leaving Rock River Government Campground.
• We kept driving north instead of staying at the campground.
• We ended up finding our spot shortly after crossing into the Northwest Territories.
• It was about another 30 minutes from the campground.

The view into the distance, with mountains and the fastest-moving weather I had ever seen, felt like something from a sci-fi movie. Rain would come and go, and rainbow after rainbow passed over the tundra.

Coordinates: 67°05’04.1″N 136°09’21.5″W

Dinner at Camp

Dinner: Picnic fixings and snacks

We did not make a fire or even get the camp stove out this night. It was way too windy. I thought we might have more of an early dinner at the Eagle Plains cafe, but picnic food ended up working just fine.

This night was more of a cozy-up-and-enjoy-the-view-from-the-van kind of night.

The camper van was well insulated, so if it got cold, we could just turn on the heat for a few minutes and be good to go.

Day 8: Drive to Inuvik

Day 8 was the drive from our Arctic tundra campsite to Inuvik, with two ferry crossings, more huge scenery, and the promise of a real shower at the end.

We woke up, made coffee, and munched on breakfast in the Arctic before packing up and continuing north.

Morning plan:

• Make coffee and breakfast in the van.
• Pack up camp.
• Leave by around 9:00 AM.
• Allow time for ferry crossings, side detours, and a scenic picnic stop.

Drive: Arctic tundra campsite to Inuvik, about 4 to 5 hours
GPS: Arctic Chalet

Do not forget to allow extra time for side detours and choosing a cool picnic spot for lunch. There are so many options along the way.

Ferry Crossings

You will have two ferry crossings on this stretch.

Ferry crossings:

• Peel River
• Mackenzie River

When we visited, both ferries ran on demand and were free.

Hours when we visited:

• Peel River: 9:15 AM – 12:45 AM
• Mackenzie River: 8:15 AM – 11:45 PM

Double-check current ferry hours and conditions before you go.

The Mackenzie River crossing is longer, and you can get out of your vehicle to check out the view. Very cool.

Fuel note: Gas is available at Fort McPherson after the Peel River crossing.

Where We Stayed in Inuvik

Stay: Arctic Chalet

Arctic Chalet is a cute place outside of Inuvik with cabins, laundry, and excursions if you are interested. Many of the excursions are more winter-focused, but it still makes a great base.

Why it worked:

• Cabin stay after several remote camping nights
• Showers
• Laundry
• A quieter base outside town
• Easy place to reset before Tuktoyaktuk

This was our big laundry opportunity because we had another leg of the trip after the Dempster.

Evening in Inuvik

After showering and starting laundry, head into Inuvik. If you have time before dinner, this is a good window for a quick stop or two. 

Options to consider:

• Igloo Church: Worth checking out if you have time.
• Roads End Golf Course: I thought it would be neat to hit a few balls at the driving range as far north as possible, but unfortunately we did not have time and were pretty tired anyway.

Dinner Option in Inuvik

• Alestine’s: Popular local spot with a great reputation.
• Mamaqtuq: Phenomenal local cuisine.
• The Roost: Casual comfort food.

We first tried Alestine’s, but they were full for the night. A local who was also waiting to eat encouraged us to try Mamaqtuq, which had just opened in 2023, but unfortunately it was closed that evening.

We ended up at The Roost, which was fine.

Gas 

Before or after dinner, gas up in town.

Gas stations in Inuvik:

• Northwind Petroleum Limited
• Bob’s Gas Inuvik

There are a few gas stations in Inuvik, and when we visited, these were open late.

Night at Arctic Chalet

Chill at your cabin until bedtime, and be sure to head outside and look for the northern lights each night.

We did not see them the whole trip, but it is very common in the area.

Day 9: Day Trip to Tuktoyaktuk and The Arctic Ocean

This was another part of the trip that changed from our original plan.

At first, we considered staying overnight in Tuktoyaktuk. There are campsites along the Arctic Ocean, plus a bed-and-breakfast option in town that you share with other guests. The oceanfront campsites are side by side without much privacy, but they are still pretty incredible given the location.

When we visited, the campsites were $50 per night and could be reserved at the visitor center when you came into town. They were not full at all when we were there, so staying overnight in Tuk could still be a very neat option.

For our needs and timeline, a day trip from Inuvik worked best, and it turned out several other travelers we met had the same idea.

Morning plan:

• Wake up early.
• Make quick coffee.
• Have fruit for an easy breakfast for the road.
• Leave Inuvik by around 8:00 AM.

Drive: Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk, about 2 to 3 hours
GPS: Pingo National Landmark Viewpoint

Drive the Inuvik–Tuktoyaktuk Highway

This portion of the drive is no longer technically the Dempster Highway. From Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk, you are driving the Inuvik–Tuktoyaktuk Highway, also known as the “Road to Tuk.”

A few things to know:

• The drive feels completely different from the earlier parts of the route.
• You will pass through tundra, boreal forest, lakes, ice-cored hills, and wide-open Arctic scenery.
• Keep an eye out for wildlife.
• The road is remote, so leave with enough fuel, food, water, and time.

This unique drive will take your breath away. It is flatter, more open, and more watery than much of the Dempster, but still surreal in its own way.

Check Out the Pingos

Start at Pingo National Landmark Viewpoint, where you can get oriented and see the unusual landscape before continuing into Tuktoyaktuk.

Pingos are ice-cored hills that form in permafrost regions, and the Tuktoyaktuk area has one of the highest concentrations of pingos in the world. From the viewpoint, you can see the flat coastal plain, Arctic water, and rounded hills rising out of the tundra.

Pingo views to look for:

• Ibyuk Pingo: One of the largest and most recognizable pingos near Tuktoyaktuk.
• Welcome to Tuktoyaktuk sign: An easy photo stop where you can still see pingos in the background.
• Beaufort Sea coastal plain: Keep an eye out as you drive; the flat landscape makes the pingos stand out.

After the viewpoint, continue into Tuktoyaktuk. This is where it really starts to sink in that you have almost reached the Arctic Ocean.

Welcome to Tuktoyaktuk

You made it.

Before exploring, stop at the Tuktoyaktuk Visitor Information Center first.

Why stop there first:

• Hours and openings can vary a lot.
• You can get a local map.
• You can see what is open that day.
• You can ask how best to make your way around town respectfully.

I love self-exploration, but Tuktoyaktuk is not set up like a tourist destination. It is a small community and an Inuvialuit cultural hub, not a place built around visitors wandering everywhere.

That is part of what makes getting to experience it so amazing, but it is also a place where you want to be thoughtful. There is a balance between checking things out and not making people feel like you are lurking around their homes or treating the community like a roadside attraction.

Go to the End of the Road

If you are looking for the iconic photo by the Arctic Ocean sign and a place to really take it all in, this is it.

At the End of the Road:

• Take your photo by the Arctic Ocean sign.
• Walk down to the water.
• Take in the fact that you drove all the way to the Arctic Ocean.
• Check out the oceanfront campsites if you are considering staying overnight.

We felt the water here, but swimming was not permitted in this area.

I had brought my bathing suit with the idea of checking an Arctic Ocean dip off the list, but touching the water was enough for me that day.

Explore Tuktoyaktuk

After the Arctic Ocean sign, explore the area a bit and get souvenirs if you want.

When we visited, we were told the only place open for souvenirs was the police station. We felt too awkward to go in and ask in case we had misunderstood, which is very on brand for us.

Exploring note: There are not official tours available in Tuktoyaktuk, but sometimes locals offer fishing tours, in-home meals, or other informal experiences. It is not always advertised; it can be a matter of chatting with people respectfully and seeing what is available.

Lunch in Tuktoyaktuk

Lunch: Grandma’s Kitchen
Opening note: When we visited, it did not open until 1:00 PM

Grandma’s Kitchen was the best and only restaurant open on the day we visited, and it turned into one of the most memorable food experiences of the trip.

What made it memorable:

• We arrived early, and “Grandpa” brought us coffee and talked with us while we waited.
• It is illegal to sell muktuk, or whale fat, but it can be gifted, so he let us try some.
• He let us try on the parka he wears out on the ice while polar bear hunting.
• He was going to take us down to the beach in front of the restaurant for a dip, but the weather had turned a few days before we arrived, and it was absolutely freezing, even in a parka.
• A small group of other travelers had gathered while waiting for lunch, which made it fun to hear about everyone’s adventure.

Some of the travelers waiting for lunch were people we had seen in passing along the route. Nobody took a dip that day, so I did not feel bad.

Food note: Grandma’s Kitchen typically offers local foods like whitefish and chips and reindeer soup, along with staples like burgers. They were out of a lot when we were there, so my husband got a burger and I had chicken tenders, which was honestly hilarious.

Chicken fingers by the Arctic Ocean: check.

Head Back to Inuvik

Drive: Tuktoyaktuk to Inuvik, about 2 to 3 hours
Our departure: Around 2:00 PM

After lunch, we headed back to Inuvik.

Walk the Sled Dogs at Arctic Chalet

The plan was to take another crack at Alestine’s for dinner, but they did not open until 5:00 PM, so we had some time.

One of the coolest things about Arctic Chalet is that they have a whole kennel of sled dogs on the property for excursions, and during your stay, you can walk them. I had been dying to do this and was so glad we had time.

We walked one of the sled dogs along the trails from the forest toward the lakes, then got to see a whole litter of puppies in the kennel when we brought her back.

This was such a fun and unexpected part of the Inuvik stay.

Dinner in Inuvik

Dinner: Alestine’s

We finally made it.

Alestine’s is a cute spot where food is cooked out of a converted school bus, but it still operates like a sit-down restaurant with a dining room and patio across from the bus.

A few things to know:

• Alestine’s is cash only.
• You may have to sit at a table with other people, especially if it is too cold for the patio.
• It is worth trying again if they are full the first time.
• The food, drinks, and vibe were all terrific.

We are not normally communal-table people at all, but once in a while, for something unique, it can be a great experience. This was definitely one of those times.

The stories shared around the table had all of us laughing so hard the entire evening.

What we ordered:

• Fry bread
• Fish tacos
• Reindeer chili

Final Night at Arctic Chalet

After dinner, head back to Arctic Chalet and relax for the night.

This was our final night in Inuvik before flying out, and after the long road to the Arctic Ocean, it felt very good to just settle in.

Day 10: Fly Out of Inuvik

Day 10 was departure day and the end of the Dempster portion of the trip.

Van Drop-Off

One of the best features Overland Yukon offered was one-way logistics.

For an additional cost, they could pick up the van at the small airport in Inuvik, which allowed us to travel one way up the Dempster Highway instead of driving all the way back to Whitehorse.

That made a huge difference for our route.

Fly Out of Inuvik

Airport: Inuvik Mike Zubko Airport

We flew out of Inuvik on Air North, Yukon’s regional airline. The flight took us back through Whitehorse, then we continued on to Calgary for the second part of our Canada trip.

The Dempster Highway was epic and absolutely once-in-a-lifetime, but a trip like this also comes with real exhaustion. We did not want to go straight back to work totally worn out, so we added a second leg in Alberta with more comfortable hotels and restaurant-focused downtime before returning to reality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts on Driving the Dempster Highway

The Dempster Highway is not the easiest road trip to plan, but that is exactly why it feels so rewarding.

From Whitehorse to Kluane, Dawson City, Tombstone Territorial Park, the Arctic Circle, Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk, and finally the Arctic Ocean, this route takes you through some of the most remote and unforgettable landscapes I have ever seen.

It is not just one scenic drive. It is a full northern adventure built around gravel roads, wild weather, long daylight, quiet campsites, small communities, river crossings, tundra, mountains, and the constant feeling that you are traveling farther and farther from everything familiar.

A camper van made the trip feel flexible and immersive, giving us room for the in-between moments that made the route so memorable: cooking dinner beside glacial rivers, watching rainbows move across the tundra, waking up with wild horses near camp, taking slow hikes through huge valleys, and finally standing at the edge of the Arctic Ocean.

If you are willing to plan carefully, drive slowly, stay flexible, and embrace the remote nature of the route, a Dempster Highway road trip is absolutely worth the effort. 

Next Steps for Planning Your Dempster Highway Road Trip

Once you are ready to start planning, here are the main pieces to organize first.

1. Map your route. (or just print/download ours and go from there)

2. Plan your dates.

3. Rent your camper van – Overland Yukon
   • The company we used can also help you book flights to ensure everything is coordinated, especially if you’re using Air North and/or traveling one way up the Dempster.

4. Book Flights.

5. Book Hotels – 

• Whitehorse The Raven Inn 
• Dawson City The Midnight Sun Hotel
• Inuvik  Arctic Chalet

6. Purchase any trip specific clothing, gear, or supplies needed after checking what’s available in your camper van.

7. Pack. 

8. Countdown to your adventure.

If this guide helped you plan your Dempster Highway road trip, we’d love to hear how it goes.

Leave a comment below with your route, favorite stop, best campsite, or anything you wish you had known before driving north.

You can also tag us on social media so we can share your trip with other travelers planning their own Arctic road trip!

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@thedisperseddietitian #thedisperseddietitian

Check out the rest of our blog for more remote camping guides, road trip ideas, campfire meals, and outdoor cooking inspiration to help you savor the entire adventure.

The Dispersed Dietitian Blog