Driving the Dempster Highway to the Tombstones
The Dempster Highway is a 740 km all weather dirt road that connects the Klondike Highway (the highway that connects Skagway, Alaska to Dawson City, Yukon Territory) to Inuvik, located in the Northwest Territories on the Mackenzie River delta. Driving the Dempster Highway is one of the great adventures to do in Canada’s North.
The Dempster Highway takes you across the Arctic Circle. As of November 15, 2017 you could add another 147 km and drive the Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway.
Tombstone Territorial Park a top stop on the Dempster Highway
I had the pleasure of driving the Dempster Highway when John and I visited the Tombstone Mountains for a three day backpacking trip. The highway takes you right to Tombstone Territorial Park – though I was told that the highway itself isn’t actually in the park.
Driving the Dempster Highway is a popular experience for adventurous travelers. There are loads of RV’s making the full trek to Inuvik and now Tuktoyaktuk, but there are lots of people who are content to just go as far as Tombstone Territorial Park.
That’s all we had time for – and we were told by a number of people that we had seen the most scenic section of the road. However, the drive on the Dempster Highway is about the journey and exploring a part of the world few people will ever see.
Best time to go
I’d seen plenty of photos of the Tombstone Mountains beforehand, so I planned specifically to be in the Yukon for the height of the fall colours – which for this part of the world is around late August. My photos don’t do the area justice. The drive on the Dempster Highway is one of the prettiest I’ve ever done and would rank in my opinion, in the top three road trips in Canada.
The photos below will give you some idea of what to expect on the Dempster Highway until you reach the mid-way point of Tombstone Territorial Park.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Tips for driving the Dempster Highway
Rental cars: If you’re planning to rent a car, make sure that you are allowed to drive the Dempster Highway. Many rental companies forbid it. Note that you cannot rent a car in Dawson City. Whitehorse, a 6 – 7 hour drive away, is the closest center. We rented from Budget and were allowed to drive as far as Tombstone Park, though I’m not so sure about Inuvik.
How far you can travel: You can now drive the Dempster Highway all the way to Tuktoyaktuk as of 2018. Services are few and far between. You’ll likely have to camp, at least until you reach Eagle Lodge or Inuvik. The good news is that you can camp just about anywhere along the side of the highway for free.
Gas: Fill up at the gas station at the corner of the Dempster Highway and the Klondike Highway. You will need a credit card to do that, as it’s not a manned station.
Food: Purchase groceries and supplies well in advance of getting to the highway. If you’re planning to drive all the way to Inuvik, then take extra gas and a spare tire. If it’s your own car, make sure it’s been well tuned before you start your journey.
Phones: Cellphones do not work – at least as far as the park. Be self-reliant.
Visitor Centre: Tombstone Territorial Park does have a Visitor Centre that is open until mid-September. You can get water there and it’s possible to rent cans of bear spray if you want to go on a hike.
Don’t forget: Bring extra batteries for your camera.
Weather: If it rains, your car will be covered in mud. You will be muddy. Bring cloths and a bucket so you can at least wipe down the back windshield on occasion.
More information: If you want more detailed information on the Dempster Highway visit their website.
Be prepared to be wowed driving the Dempster Highway!
Further reading on things to do in the Yukon
- A Yukon Day Trip on the White Pass Scenic Railway
- A Trip to See the Yukon Northern Lights
- The Goldensides Hike in Tombstone Mountain Territorial Park
- The Hike to Divide Lake in the Tombstone Mountains
- Hiking the Auriol Trail in Kluane National Park
Click on the photo to bookmark to your Pinterest boards.
This looks like such an adventure! I think I would love this drive. Your photos are fantastic and the fox picture is wonderful!
@Michelle Thank you. This is one drive that is truly an adventure.
Fall sure comes early, but it looks like it’s worth it. Great photos!
@The Gypsynesters That’s what happens when you live a few hundred kms south of the Arctic Circle – or in my case in Calgary as well.
Wow, that is absolutely beautiful. We have a motorhome and would love to do this drive. Our problem is that we have to work during the summer, so we may have to wait to do this drive until we have a summer that is free. Our RV is all set up for boondocking as we have it equipped with solar and know how to be very careful with our water and waste. One day we will make it. Thank you for these wonderful photos!
Ruth
@Kevin & Ruth Most of the vehicles on the Dempster are tourists traveling with motorhomes – usually smaller ones from what little I saw. The road is a grand adventure and I can’t recommend it enough.
Those pictures are so gorgeous. I’d love to see it in person, so I’m glad you gave us those tips.
@Michele Such a great trip to combine with one to Alaska.
I’m so falling in love with Canada Leigh after all your posts and pics of the great natural and very pristine outdoors. Can’t wait for your book!
@Johanna Sometimes I feel like I should be working for the Canadian Tourism Board. It’s beautiful here – when the weather cooperates which it usually does in the summer.
I thought you were going to say you drove the entire highway. That would be a LONG ride. As always, wonderful photos.
@Billie One day we will drive the entire highway but you need to allow about a week as parts of it are pretty slow going.
The colours in this photos are gorgeous – the mountains, the flowers. Stunning.
Thank you so much Donna. The Tombstones were a highlight of my summer.
@Donna Thank you.
Wow! Spectacular scenery and gorgeous photos! I can honestly say that each picture was better than the last and all of them were stunning!
@Anita Well the scenery just got better the further we got into the mountains. Thanks for your lovely comment.
The Dempster Highway looks like a bucket list item. I do enjoy remote dirt roads. A remote road that comes to mind that I have been on is the Road to Hana on Maui in Hawaii. It, however, is well traveled and crowded but it leads to a remote spot. It is a personal favorite.
@Carole Thanks for that great idea as I haven’t yet been to Maui but it’s in my plans. I would highly recommend the Dempster Highway & it’s a great one to include with a trip to Alaska.
Your photos are beautiful. The scenery isn’t how I imagined it up in the Yukon. Great photo of the fox!
@Shelley Thank you. The Yukon has a tremendous variety of scenery. And we felt very privileged to even see the fox.
From the pictures, it seems like you chose the perfect season for this drive!
@Irene I’d seen photos before and knew I wanted to visit when the fall colours were at their peak. I think I just got them – as the reds were already starting to disappear.
SPECTACULAR! I will probably never ever get there and I appreciate that you took me on a virtual tour.
@Suzanne It’s definitely not an easy place to get to so glad you enjoyed your virtual visit.
I guess the closest remote road I have traveled is the road into Big Bend National Park. There are no gas stations for 150 miles. This pales in comparison to this amazing road. Gorgeous shots and great tips for those that want to follow in your tire tracks.
@Ted It’s a road that I think I will return to at some point – as John and I would like to drive and explore its length.
Wow, you really go to some of the most scenic areas, love all the colors and landscape, it is stunning. Hope you can share it with us for Travel Photo Mondays!
@Noel I shared and thank you. The Tombstones are absolutely glorious.
I hope you went a little further than just the National Park, because the beauty of the landscape continues well beyond. We were able to watch a Grizzly family graze right next to the highway and hundreds of caribou on their migration south. Early Autumn seems to be the most beautiful time to visit! Plus the mozzies are gone = an added bonus.
ps: the gas station on the highway corner has a diy-pressure cleaner to wash your vehicle after you come off the Dempster.
@Juergen We drove part way through the park but we were really up there to do a three day backpacking trip in the Tombstones – which we did. My husband and I plan to go back and drive the entire highway one day. I was happy not to have bugs – but we traded them for a blizzard. Good to know about the gas station and their pressure cleaner.
How lucky to have the time to take that glorious road trip. One of my favorites, a little further north, was driving the Alcan Highway in Alaska from Whitehorse to Fairbanks and back. The widlife and midnight sun, seeing the face of Mt. Denali, were stupendous. Aren’t we blessed?!
@Elaine We drove down to Kluane National Park and I saw the signs pointing for Fairbanks. I’d love to do that drive and figure we need at least a few more months to do all the exploring we’d like to do in the area. We are blessed!!
Oh, wow, does this look beautiful! I wonder if I couldn convince Lane to do this drive some day.
@Cindy This is an exceptional part of Canada that could easily be tied into a longer trip with Alaska.
You’re so right that this road would be a Top 3 anywhere. It looks absolutely stunning. I can’t get over how early the fall colors are appearing up there. I think I’d have a hard time driving and not stopping every so often just to take it all in. Those colors look unreal and some of your beautiful photos look like paintings.
@Mary We really weren’t that far south of the Arctic Circle so winter comes early and the end of August is full on fall. But so glorious.
What a stunning ‘road less traveled’!! Would love to travel this one.
@Jackie I think you would truly love the scenery on this road.