Dempster Highway

The Dempster Highway is a gravel road linking Dawson City to Inuvik, stretching roughly 740 kilometers through northern wilderness. The route crosses mountain ranges, rivers, and remote regions where few people live year-round.

The road is named after William Dempster, a North-West Mounted Police officer who found a missing patrol team during a winter journey in 1911. The modern highway was built decades later to open up these isolated regions.

The route passes through First Nations territories and links Gwich'in communities to lands where hunting and fishing remain part of daily life. People here still use these areas for subsistence practices that connect them to their heritage.

The road is mostly unpaved and requires careful planning before traveling, particularly during winter when conditions become severe. Accommodations and fuel stations are scattered along the route, so plan stops ahead and carry supplies for emergencies.

This is Canada's only public road that crosses the Arctic Circle and reaches the Arctic Ocean coastline near Tuktoyaktuk. This makes it exceptionally rare as a ground route to an area otherwise accessible mainly by air.

Location: Northwest Territories

GPS coordinates: 67.21400,-135.59900

Latest update: December 17, 2025 08:03