The Canol Road (Yukon Highway 6) is a narrow gravel road through central Yukon. It runs from the Alaska Highway near Johnson’s Crossing north to Ross River, then northeast to the Northwest Territories border at Macmillan Pass. The U.S. Army built it in 1942 and 1943 as the supply road for the Canol oil pipeline. Today it is a summer-only wilderness road with no services between Johnson’s Crossing and Ross River, or between Ross River and the border.
The road has two parts. The South Canol runs about 220 km from the Alaska Highway to the Robert Campbell Highway near Ross River. The North Canol runs about 232 km from Ross River to Macmillan Pass and starts with a ferry across the Pelly River.
| Name and number | Canol Road · Yukon Highway 6 · South Canol Road and North Canol Road |
|---|---|
| South Canol | About 220 km (137 mi), from the Alaska Highway at about km 1295, near Johnson’s Crossing, to the Robert Campbell Highway near Ross River. Ross River itself is about 6 km further. |
| North Canol | About 232 km (144 mi), from Ross River to the Northwest Territories border at Macmillan Pass. Vehicles turn around at the border. |
| Surface | Gravel, apart from a short chipseal section through Ross River. Narrow and winding, with one-lane bridges on the South Canol. |
| Season | Summer only. Maintained during the summer months and not maintained in winter. The Government of Yukon says the road is impassable from late fall to late spring. |
| Pelly Barge (Ross River) | Free ferry to the North Canol. Usually runs from early June to the second Tuesday of October, depending on weather and river levels. |
| Services | None on the road. The nearest are at Johnson’s Crossing on the Alaska Highway and in Ross River. |
| Vehicles | Not recommended for RVs. The North Canol may need a 4WD vehicle. |
| Camping | Two Government of Yukon campgrounds on the South Canol: Quiet Lake South (km 76) and Quiet Lake North (km 99). No government campgrounds on the North Canol. |
| Road conditions | 511 Yukon for roads and the Pelly Barge. Ask in Ross River before you drive the North Canol. |
Kilometres are approximate and follow the Government of Yukon kilometre posts, which count from the Alaska Highway. Last updated: November 2026.
The kilometre posts start at km 0 at the Alaska Highway junction and run north through Ross River to the border. The Robert Campbell Highway junction is at about km 220, the Pelly Barge is at about km 227, and Macmillan Pass is at about km 457. A Highway 6 sign at the south end reads “Ross River 226”, next to a sign warning of no services for the next 226 km.
Travel Yukon allows about 8 hours from Faro to Whitehorse by way of the South Canol, a drive of about 432 km. Most people drive the South Canol as part of a loop with the Alaska Highway and the Robert Campbell Highway, using Travel Yukon’s Campbell/Canol route itinerary. The North Canol is a dead end. The round trip from Ross River is about 464 km.
There is no fuel, food or lodging on the road. Fill up before you leave the Alaska Highway or Ross River. Carry extra fuel, a good spare tire, food and water. Travel Yukon calls Ross River the last chance for services for people heading up the North Canol. On the south end, Johnson’s Crossing Lodge is on the Alaska Highway just across the Teslin River bridge from the junction. Check what is open before you rely on it.
The Government of Yukon bridge list shows 31 bridges on Highway 6. Four are on the South Canol, and all four are single-lane: Murphy Creek (km 31), Evelyn Creek (km 43), Rose River (km 105) and Lapie River (km 213). The other 27 are on the North Canol, including six crossings of the Macmillan River near the border. The Government of Yukon lists the North Canol for full or partial replacement of its bridges under the Resource Gateway program, so expect work zones.
The road is narrow and winding, with blind corners, steep grades and washouts after heavy rain. Drive slowly and keep your lights on.
Go in summer. The two Quiet Lake campgrounds are serviced from June 4 to October 1 in 2026, and the Pelly Barge usually starts in early June. July and August are the most reliable months. It is not a winter route: the road is not maintained and the Pelly Barge does not run. In spring and fall, check 511 Yukon and ask locally before you go.
Expect no cell service outside the communities. Carry a satellite communicator or satellite phone, paper maps and a written trip plan, and tell someone when you expect to be back. The Yukon emergency number for satellite phones is 867-668-9911. To report a forest fire, call 1-888-798-3473.
The South Canol crosses the Pelly Mountains between the Teslin River and the Pelly River. The Government of Yukon describes a road that follows ridges, often above the tree line, through a “wet-belt” climate where boreal forest turns into alpine tundra. It passes through the traditional territories of the Kaska and Teslin Tlingit First Nations. This log runs north, in the direction the kilometre posts count.
The Government of Yukon runs two campgrounds and one day-use site on the South Canol. None take reservations. When the service season ends, the gates stay open: register your stay (no payment), bring your own firewood and toilet paper, and pack out your garbage.
| Site | Location | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Nisutlin River Recreation Site | Km 67, 600 m east of the road | Day use only, closed 11 pm to 7 am. Serviced June 4 to October 1, 2026. |
| Quiet Lake South | Km 76 | 12 sites, 1 pull-through. Boat launch. Serviced June 4 to October 1, 2026. The kitchen shelter has been removed. |
| Quiet Lake North | Km 99 | 10 sites, no pull-throughs. Boat launch. Serviced June 4 to October 1, 2026. Start of Big Salmon River canoe trips. |
| Lapie Lakes | Km 164 | Unmaintained camping area and boat launch. No services. |
| Dragon Lake and Sheldon Lake (North Canol) | About km 334 and 359 | Informal, unmaintained camping. Leave no trace. |
Near Ross River, the Lapie Canyon Campground is on the Robert Campbell Highway at about its km 364. Check the Government of Yukon’s campground status page for closures and fire bans.
Ross River is a small Kaska Dena community where the Ross River meets the Pelly River, home of the Ross River Dena Council. It is the only place on the Canol Road with fuel and supplies, and it is the last stop before the North Canol.
The free Pelly Barge, a Government of Yukon ferry, takes the Canol Road across the Pelly River at Ross River. It usually runs from early June to the second Tuesday of October, and the start and end dates depend on weather and water levels. RVs and oversized vehicles can use it within the limits: 25,000 kg, 21.3 m (70 ft) long and 3.96 m (13 ft) wide. If your vehicle weighs more than 2.5 tonnes, passengers cross separately.
Next to the ferry, a 319 m suspension footbridge crosses the Pelly River. It was built to carry the Canol pipeline over the river and reopened to walkers in 2018 after repairs. Across the river, the Dena Cho Trail follows a traditional Kaska route to Faro, with cabins along the way.
The North Canol is rougher and quieter than the South Canol. The Government of Yukon describes it as a seasonal recreation road that can be very steep and narrow and quickly degrades to an ATV track in places. Travel Yukon says it may need a 4WD vehicle. It passes large lakes and mountain country, mostly through the traditional territory of the Kaska Dena. Kilometres below follow the current posts; older Government of Yukon brochures give figures about 4 km higher.
East of the border, the old road and pipeline route becomes the Canol Heritage Trail. NWT Parks describes it as a 371 km (231 mi) backcountry route from the Yukon border to the Mackenzie River across from Norman Wells. It is set to become Doi T’oh Territorial Park, which will cover 37,300 ha. It is for hikers, not vehicles.
NWT Parks calls it one of the most challenging hikes in North America and allows 14 to 21 days. There are four major river crossings, at the Carcajou, Little Keele, Twitya and Ekwi rivers, and nine basic emergency shelters. Most hikers start from Norman Wells, across the Mackenzie River. There is no road access from the NWT side. NWT Parks advises a pack raft for the river crossings, food drops arranged ahead, a satellite phone and bear spray.
The Canol (Canadian Oil) Project was one of several large U.S. military works in northwestern Canada and Alaska after the United States entered the Second World War in December 1941. The plan was to send crude oil from the Norman Wells oil field on the Mackenzie River through a pipeline to a new refinery in Whitehorse, for military use in Alaska and along the Alaska Highway.
Work started in 1942. The U.S. Army and its contractors, mainly Bechtel-Price-Callahan, built the road as a “tote” or supply road beside the pipeline. Parks Canada says the 825 km road between Canol Camp, NWT, and Johnson’s Crossing was completed in 1943. Dene guides helped find the route. The two halves of the pipeline were joined at Macmillan Pass.
The oil did not flow for long. The pipeline, road and refinery were shut down in 1945, and the pipeline was abandoned. The Quiet Lake grader station opened in 1947, when the Yukon section of the road was reopened for summer use. The U.S. Army returned in 1948 to remove equipment.
Parks Canada designated the Canol Road a National Historic Event on June 13, 1983. Plaques stand at the junction with the Alaska Highway at Johnson’s Crossing and at Norman Wells. Johnson’s Crossing is named for Colonel Frank Johnson of the U.S. Army’s 93rd Engineers.
The Canol Road (Yukon Highway 6) starts at the Alaska Highway near Johnson’s Crossing, at about Alaska Highway km 1295. The South Canol runs north to the Robert Campbell Highway near Ross River. The North Canol continues from Ross River to the Northwest Territories border at Macmillan Pass.
The South Canol is about 220 km (137 mi) to the Robert Campbell Highway, with Ross River about 6 km further. The North Canol is about 232 km (144 mi) from Ross River to the border.
No. It is gravel all the way, apart from a short chipseal section through Ross River. It is narrow and winding, and the South Canol has four single-lane bridges.
It is not recommended. Travel Yukon says the South Canol is not recommended for RVs, and the North Canol may need a 4WD vehicle.
Only in summer. The Government of Yukon maintains it during the summer months, and it is impassable from late fall to late spring. To reach the North Canol, you need the free Pelly Barge at Ross River, which usually runs from early June to the second Tuesday of October.
No. There is no fuel, food or lodging on the road. The nearest services are at Johnson’s Crossing on the Alaska Highway and in Ross River. Carry extra fuel, a spare tire, food and water.
The Government of Yukon runs Quiet Lake South Campground at km 76 and Quiet Lake North Campground at km 99. Both were serviced from June 4 to October 1 in 2026. There is unmaintained camping at Lapie Lakes, Dragon Lake and Sheldon Lake.
No. Most travellers turn around at the Yukon–Northwest Territories border at Macmillan Pass. Beyond it, the 371 km Canol Heritage Trail to the Mackenzie River across from Norman Wells is for hikers and is not drivable.
The U.S. Army built it during the Second World War as the supply road for the Canol (Canadian Oil) Project, a pipeline from the Norman Wells oil field to a refinery in Whitehorse. The road was completed in 1943 and the project was shut down in 1945. Parks Canada designated the Canol Road a National Historic Event in 1983.
Use 511 Yukon (511yukon.ca) for road conditions, closures and the Pelly Barge status. For the North Canol, also ask locally in Ross River before you go.