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For the final phrase freeway journey journey, there isn’t a lot that compares to the Dempster Freeway. A Dempster Freeway freeway journey is an efficient Canadian Journey that just a few have the prospect to do.
This 736 km freeway stretches from the far Arctic in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, to Dawson Metropolis inside the Yukon.
- Discover: Since we drove the Dempster Freeway, it has been extended one different 120 km North from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk.
Driving the Dempster Freeway
The Dempster Freeway is about as distant as a result of it is going to get – taking you via mountains, over good rivers, and even crossing the Arctic Circle.
There will not be any facilities on the Dempster Freeway. As quickly as you allow Inuvik you may be by your self until you attain the small outpost metropolis of Fort McPherson.
Inuvik is a sleepy metropolis positioned inside the Northwest Territories that was booming by the gasoline and oil days nonetheless has simmered down after the Nineties. It holds the extreme honour of being most likely probably the most northerly metropolis that anyone can drive to.
By means of the summer season months, it is the land of the midnight photo voltaic with 56 days of 24-hour daylight. Inuvik is an efficient place to start in your freeway journey on the Dempster Freeway.
The Dempster Freeway Avenue Journey Begins
We flew into Inuvik on a one-way ticket from Whitehorse, Yukon. The flight was an prolonged one from Whitehorse stopping at three fully totally different communities sooner than landing at our trip spot. The flights actually really feel additional like an space bus that an airplane.
There are just a few lodging, consuming locations, and bars in Inuvik to make your preserve good, and there’s an outstanding division retailer the place you might select up any additional supplies you need for the freeway journey.
Our drive started in Inuvik, NWT
We rented a four-wheel drive truck from Driving Energy in Inuvik. It’s not low value to rent, costing about $2000 for one week collectively together with your one-way return in Whitehorse, Yukon. However it supplies quite a few freedom.
For one, you don’t should drive all the way in which wherein to Inuvik! You could fly into the Northwest Territories after which fly out from Whitehorse, Yukon.
Scorching Recommendations for Driving the Dempster Freeway
Within the occasion you aren’t renting an SUV from Driving Energy, it’s essential assure that your vehicle is in wonderful scenario as there aren’t quite a few areas to stop and get any repairs needed.
Guarantee to have a spare tire, a great deal of water, meals, and a full tank of gasoline. In case you’re frightened that your tank is just too small, carry a further jerrycan filled with gasoline to get you via the journey.
We set off to find the Dempster Freeway early inside the morning (although with eternal daylight, it’d’ve been any time of the day). When travelling inside the far Canadian North, time isn’t a component. You merely go until you’re drained since you’re inside the land of the Midnight Photo voltaic and also you would possibly drive all night.
Contemplating of Driving to the Arctic or heading out on an infinite drive? Guarantee to acquire these Closing Avenue Journey Songs.
Inuvik to Eagle Plains Lodge
The rain started on the first portion of our journey alongside the Dempster Freeway, so we made good time by way of the Northwest Territories. With moist, foggy, and grey circumstances, we didn’t have quite a few causes to stop and profit from the sights.
Lucky for us, all people instructed us that the Yukon portion of the Dempster Freeway might be probably the most scenic anyway. Regardless that we have now been bummed in regards to the local weather, we have now been nonetheless optimistic that points would get larger.
River Crossings on the Dempster Freeway
All through our drive down the Dempster Freeway, we crossed two rivers along with Canada’s longest river, the Mackenzie River.
Each of these river crossings was simple and uneventful, nonetheless we stumbled on later that we have now been certainly one of many remaining to cross that day due to the damaging local weather.
The rivers have been flooding and they also closed the ferries merely a short time after we crossed. We made it inside the nick of time.
So when planning your Dempster Freeway drive be prepared for delays and ever altering local weather circumstances. You’ll be caught prepared for hours for circumstances to fluctuate.
Select up your Lonely Planet Journey Data to Canada.
Fort McPherson
Sooner than doing our second river crossing, we took our time to find the town of Fort McPherson.
Fort McPherson started out as a fur-trading outpost for the Hudson Bay Agency and had the first Mounted Police publish inside the Western Arctic. It’s worth testing sooner than hopping on the ferry to cross the Peel River.
We didn’t need to attend prolonged for the ferry and after a short crossing, we have now been on our strategy down the Dempster Freeway to our subsequent stop.
The rain refused to let up and driving the shale freeway was slippery and a knuckle wrenching job as a result of the fog was dense and the circumstances have been slick.
It’s not unusual to see quite a few wildlife on the Dempster Freeway, along with grizzly bears. Nonetheless all through our journey, lots of the wildlife was hiding resulting from the local weather.
We did deal with to see a caribou working alongside the freeway as we approached. And we observed our honest proportion of individuals pedaling bikes down the Dempster.
Crossing the Arctic Circle
It rained our full first day of the journey down the Dempster, nonetheless that didn’t stop us from getting out to rejoice our crossing of the Arctic Circle.
We’d been above the Arctic sooner than, nonetheless we’d certainly not stood on the Arctic Circle.
This was a type of moments very like the enjoyment one feels when standing on the Equator in Ecuador, the Greenwich Meridian in Britain or the Tropic of Capricorn in Namibia. It’s solely a rattling cool experience.
The Arctic Circle crossing occurred only a bit earlier the Northwest Territories on the Yukon border. It was humorous to notice the Yukon sign falling apart, seeing little or no love.
There wasn’t an infinite celebration coming into one different province, it was solely a quick snapshot sooner than shifting on. That’s okay though, the Arctic Circle waited for us and that’s what we have now been smitten by.
We took inside the view after which decided to maneuver on sooner than the local weather purchased worse.
Watch our Dempster Freeway Video
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Airplane Strip on Dempster Freeway
An fascinating reality in regards to the Dempster Freeway is that airplanes land on the freeway and share the freeway with autos.
With such a low ceiling and thick fog, we didn’t concern about coming face to face with any aircraft instantly, nonetheless the thought did cross our minds.
Would possibly you consider seeing fog lights ahead, nonetheless instead of them being one different vehicle, they’re on a helicopter or airplane?
We saved our eyes peeled for any sights that we might have wanted to backtrack to the next day, nonetheless decided to drive on to our in a single day stop on the Eagle Plains Lodge.
The Eagle Plains Lodge
We couldn’t inform if the woman who greeted us was merely in a foul mood or if that’s the way in which wherein she dealt with the entire guests.
We had merely accomplished the first day of our epic freeway journey that so many people dream of doing, and she or he was fast and gruff with the two of us.
Our room was ready though, so we hauled in our gear and settled in for a meal on the bar.
The resort is a basic roadside motor inn, nonetheless there’s quite a few historic previous on the Eagle Plains Lodge.
Make sure you go into the bar to peruse the earlier photos hanging on the wall.
It depicts the historic previous of the world with the highlight being the Mad-Trapper Man hunt that ended inside the accused, Albert Johnson, being killed, nonetheless not sooner than he took out RCMP officer Edgar Millan.
There are moose and deer heads hanging on the partitions and you’re feeling that you have stepped once more in time 100 years.
The resort was full that night as phrase purchased out that the ferry crossings had stopped. People driving up from Dawson Metropolis have been upset that they couldn’t proceed on.
Motorcyclists obtained right here in lined in mud and even the bush pilots have been grounded for the night.
Dempster Freeway Circumstances
We topped up the gasoline in our truck and stuffed up our water bottles sooner than settling in for the night.
It was a careworn sleep as the enjoyment and anticipation grew for the day ahead. Would we see sunshine on the horizon? It was simple to tell that the local weather was nonetheless harmful exterior with the 24-hour daylight.
We went to sleep inside the delicate, nonetheless the daylight had a very grey and foggy hue about it.
We hoped the circumstances would changes whereas we sleep.
Leg 2 – Eagle Plains to Dawson Metropolis
After we awoke inside the morning, the fog was nonetheless heavy, nonetheless we decided to push forward with the hope that points would change.
To our amazement, as we descended in elevation, the photo voltaic obtained right here out and we have now been welcomed by an beautiful day!
Points have been wanting up and we have now been about to start most likely probably the most beautiful portion of the journey.
Our truck was lined in mud and dirt and we regarded like we had been driving for months comparatively than merely the few hours the day sooner than.
We did deal with to clean off our house home windows so we’d ta inside the sunshine and views of the mountain vistas and deep valleys.
Our day was spent climbing and descending by way of the Eagle Plains, Peel River Plateau, North Ogilvie and Mackenzie Mountains.
Each scene grew additional beautiful as a result of the day went on.
The Tombstone Mountains
We made sure to stop continuously, with a highlight being the Tombstone Mountains. We couldn’t think about the autos that handed this view by.
The great thing about driving the Dempster Freeway was undoubtedly having the freedom to stop the place we appreciated, after we appreciated. We made sure to take in each view and relish the moments.
Our journey took us two days, nonetheless I prefer to suggest using a campervan and taking 4 days.
There are campsites alongside the freeway and do you have to take your time you’ll get to take in the entire sights alongside the way in which wherein.
Dawson Metropolis
It was late inside the day after we lastly made it to the Klondike metropolis of Dawson Metropolis.
Dawson Metropolis is a stark distinction of the solitude and quiet of the Dempster Highways. Proper right here you’ll uncover showgirls, nightclubs, casinos and an all-around rip-roaring good time.
Nonetheless that is one different story that you will have to attend to take heed to all about.
We nonetheless had a short drive into Dawson Metropolis, nonetheless our Dempster Freeway freeway journey was over. It was an unimaginable journey and if we had additional time, we’d take in any case 4 days to find.
There are quite a few mountaineering trails, campsites and scenic views nonetheless to see!
Nonetheless we have now been excited for Dawson Metropolis. We’ve got now dreamed of seeing this metropolis since I auditioned to be a dancer for the saloon current inside the Nineties. It always appeared so distinctive to me. Now we lastly had our likelihood to see it.
Dempster Freeway Map – Our Route
Completely different Helpful scenic stops on the Dempster Freeway
Peel Ogilvie Lookout
Elephant Rock km 221.2
Tortured Rock km 220
Caribou Trails – It wasn’t caribou migration season after we have now been on the Dempster Freeway nonetheless you might even see the paths etched into the side of mountains left by the a whole lot of caribou that stroll by way of these hills yearly.
Our journey to the Yukon was sponsored by Yukon Tourism. For additional data on travelling to the Yukon and driving to the Arctic on the Dempster Freeway, go to TravelYukon. All opinions are our private.
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