14 Dempster Highway Tips
Updated Apr 2022
Are you planning a trip to the Arctic? Here are my 14 Dempster Highway tips for your trip to the Canadian Arctic coast.
Take the Canadian Route
1. There are two roads in North America that go to the Arctic. One in Alaska and one in Canada. The Alaska route is blocked by the Prudhoe Bay Oilfields. After driving hundreds of miles on a gravel road, you can only go the last few miles to the coast on a tour bus. The roads at Prudhoe Bay are private roads owned by the oil company. Also, there is the added disadvantage of dealing with the truck traffic going to and from the oilfield. I suggest taking the Canadian route. In Canada, you can drive right up to the Arctic coast. An added advantage if you are Canadian, is that you won’t have to leave the country or buy travel insurance.
Good Tires
2. The Dempster Highway is notorious for getting flat tires. The road is made of shale, not gravel. The edges of the stones can be very sharp. I made it to Inuvik and back with only one flat and that was on my trailer which did not have as good tires as the truck. The truck had new ten-ply tires. I saw two vehicles with three flats at a time. I suggest you have reasonably new tires with a minimum of six-ply; ten-ply would be even better. Have at least one full-size, good condition spare tire. The temporary mini tires that some cars have are useless on the Dempster. You would not get very far with them. If you have a truck with a spare tire underneath that you have not looked at in years, make sure you know how to get it off. Check the tire pressure on it. There are tire repair facilities at Eagle Plains, Fort McPherson and Inuvik. At Fort McPherson, the tire garage is at a large white building before the town, across the road from the airport. There are no signs for it.
Fuel
3. The first stretch of the Dempster is 370 km without a gas station. Fill up at the junction as you enter the Dempster and not in Dawson. Filling up in Dawson will add 40 km to your next fuel station. At the time of writing this, the fuel station at the start of the Dawson Highway is unmanned and operates with credit cards only. The operation is complicated and the instructions are not very good. When you put in your credit card, it will ask you if you have a PIN. Of course you have a PIN that you got from your bank when you acquired your credit card. This is not the PIN they want. Answer no, you do not have a PIN. It will ask if you want a receipt, even though you have not yet purchased anything. Say yes, you want a receipt. The paper that prints out will have a number on it. This is the PIN you need to pay for your gas. Start over again with this PIN. Save the PIN as the same number works at the cardlock station in Inuvik and at the Dempster junction again when you get back.
Drive Slow
4. Drive slow! Apparently hitting a sharp rock at a high speed is more likely to cause a puncture than hitting the same rock at a slow speed, according to the people who fixed my flat. Try jabbing a nail into a watermelon. If you stab it very fast, the nail will penetrate the melon. If you push it slowly, you will have more difficulty getting it to penetrate. Besides tire problems, you should go slow to enjoy the scenery and look for wildlife. There are vehicle hazards, such as large, fast-moving trucks. The speed limit is 90 kph but I suggest going slower. You can make the trip in a couple of days but if you have the time, take four days each way, or more, to allow time for lots of stops for hiking or just watching for wildlife.
Ferries
5. You will have to cross two rivers on ferries on the Dempster. The ferries are free. During the winter, you can just drive across the ice. The ferries start to operate during the first week of June. There is no exact date as this depends on when the ice melts. You cannot get across during spring and fall when the ice is melting or forming. There is a period of about two weeks in spring and fall when the ferries are not operating and the ice is not safe to drive on.
Boarding Ferries with Trailers
6. If you are pulling a trailer, use extreme caution when boarding a ferry. You will be going downhill to the ferry and then uphill again onto the boat. This dip can cause low points on your trailer, such as the sewer pipes, to scrape on the ground. The ferry operators are aware of this situation and are very helpful. Proceed extremely slow and only when the ferry operator tells you to. They might put wood under your wheels which you can drive over to raise the level of your trailer. Put your vehicle in four-wheel drive if you have it. The entrance to the ferry might be muddy or soft if it has rained recently. Vehicles without trailers should have no problem if you drive slow.
Camping
7. There are many campgrounds along the Dempster. You can also camp anywhere that you can get off the road, except in Tombstone Park. Camping or overnight parking in Tombstone Park is prohibited except in the designated campground. For more information on campgrounds and other facilities along the Dempster Highway click here.
Mosquitoes
8. Before you go, purchase a hat with mosquito netting that covers your head. I purchased a whole jacket made of mosquito netting and some light garden gloves. The further north you go, the more mosquitoes there are. At times they can be overwhelming. If you do not have them, they can be purchased in Dawson or in Inuvik at the sports store next to Home Hardware but at a higher price than in the south.
Best Time to Go
9. Most people go during the summer months but I think the best time is in the spring and fall. Hiking in Tombstone park is great in mid-May. Although it may be a little chilly, the scenery is spectacular with snow still on the mountains and there are no mosquitoes. In Autumn, the bushes change to red and orange and this makes for very picturesque scenery. Before travelling in early or late summer, check to see if the ferries are operating.
Bring Water
10. Bring lots of water. The only water available in Tombstone Park is river water, which has to be boiled before drinking. Most campgrounds and towns have potable water but the flavour leaves something to be desired. You can purchase water in the stores but it is extremely expensive. A gallon jug (four litres) that sells for less than $2 in the south, will cost you about $7 in the north.
Stock Up
11. Stock up on as much food as you can in Whitehorse. The further north you go, the more it will cost. Some things, such as gasoline or milk, you cannot store in advance, but canned goods and things like pasta and cookies will last the whole trip. In Tuktoyaktuk, four cobs of corn will set you back $7.50. Nothing you can do about the price of gasoline, but buy as many items in advance as you can. Besides groceries, buy anything you think you might need such as tape or insect repellant. I also took a spare fan belt.
Trailers
12. If you are pulling a trailer that has a window at the front end, cover it up with a couple of layers of cardboard. Flying rocks might break it.
The Weather
13. Check the weather forecast (although they are often wrong). If it rains, you will be driving hundreds of kilometres in mud. This is not fun and can be slippery. Allow a couple of extra days in case of bad weather on your trip. Bring a good book or DVD player in case you have to wait out a storm. Besides the mud, it can be dark or foggy with low cloud cover. You want to travel on nice days to see the scenery and wildlife.
Bring Cash
14. Bring cash in small bills and $2 coins. The campgrounds in the Yukon cost $12 and you cannot pay with credit or debit cards. Those in the Northwest Territories are more expensive but have showers and some have electricity. You can pay with debit or credit cards at a few campgrounds in the Northwest Territories but many are cash only. You can book the NWT campgrounds online and pay with a credit card if you wish but this limits your spontaneity. I would not worry about booking in advance, the campgrounds, except for the one in Tombstone Park, are seldom full.
Get off the beaten path and explore this wonderful world of ours. If you plan carefully and take your time, you will have one of the great adventures of a lifetime.
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