Leaving the Klondike Highway at Mile 26, east of Dawson, the road follows the Klondike River valley. There it turns north through the Ogilvie Mountains to the Blackstone River, crosses the Ogilvie River and on to the Eagle River which it follows until it turns east through the Mackenzie Mountains to Fort McPherson and on to Inuvik.
The Yukon Order of Pioneers, founded in Forty Mile in 1894 and active in honouring early Yukoners, proposed that the highway be named after Inspector W.J.D. DEMPSTER, RNWMP.
The route of the highway follows roughly the track of the NWMP patrols from Dawson to Fort McPherson, started in 1905. These patrols were always done in the winter with dog teams.
Inspector F.J. Fitzgerald, Constables G.F. Kinney, Taylor and Special Constable Sam Carter left Fort McPherson on 21 December 1910, on the return journey of this annual patrol. They went astray while trying to find the trail between Little Wind River and the Hart River. Running short of food, they decided to return to Fort McPherson but owing to exhaustion and starvation they were unable to reach it. Kinney and Taylor died about 35 miles from Fort McPherson while Fitzgerald and Carter died about 25 miles out.
On 20 February 1911, when the patrol had not arrived in Dawson, Inspector Snyder, the officer in charge, being concerned, ordered Cpl. DEMPSTER with Const. J.F. Fyfe, ex-Const. F. Turner and Charles Stewart, an Indian guide, to search for the missing party. Leaving Dawson on the 28 February they covered the route in record time, despite storms and bad weather which cost them valuable time. On 12 March they found a snow covered trail on the Little Wind River, followed it with great difficulty and found the bodies of Fitzgerald and his companions. In a country of hardy men DEMPSTER and his party earned respect for this journey.
William John Duncan “Jack” DEMPSTER, RNWMP Rgt. No. 3193 was born in Wales in 1876. He joined the Force in 1897 and went to the Yukon the same year. By 1911 he was famous as a bushman and a musher. He went on to render outstanding service to the Yukon for a total of 37 years. He retired in 1934 with the rank of Inspector, to Vancouver, B.C. where he died on 25 October 1964.
The Dempster Highway—Canada’s first all-weather road to cross the Arctic Circle—was officially opened on Aug. 18th, 1979, at Flat Creek, Yukon. It was touted as a two-lane, gravel-surfaced, all-weather highway that today runs about 740 km (460 miles) from the Klondike Highway near Dawson City to Inuvik. It also linked with the Mackenzie Highway at a point 67 km south of Inuvik. The Canadian Armed Forces 1 Combat Engineer Regiment from Chilliwack, B.C., built the two major bridges over the Ogilvie and Eagle Rivers. Ferries handled the traffic at Fort McPherson and Arctic Red River.
The highway didn’t look like your average road then, and it doesn’t now. That’s because it’s unique in highway design and construction. It sits on top of a gravel berm to insulate the permafrost in the soil underneath. The thickness of the gravel pad ranges from 1.2 metres up to 2.4 metres in some places (four feet to eight feet). Without the pad, the permafrost would melt and the road would sink into the ground.
The Dempster Highway can be a challenge for some people, but for most visitors it’s the thrill of a lifetime. It’s home to Dall’s sheep, mountain goats, moose, woodland and barren ground caribou, wolves, wolverines, lynx, fox, along with grizzly and black bears, as well as several hundred species of birds-both resident and migratory. North of the Arctic Circle, the sun doesn’t set around the summer solstice. The land around Eagle Plain is a rolling, hilly region that’s covered with stunted black spruce forest. Because of permafrost under the soil, the trees lean in all directions, giving them a comical, drunken appearance. The explosion of colourful Arctic flowers in July can take your breath away. Dramatic views are everywhere, and from just about anywhere you can see forever.
| Length | About 740 km (460 mi), Dempster Corner to Inuvik, N.W.T. The first 465 km are in Yukon. |
|---|---|
| Start | Dempster Corner, at km 674 of the North Klondike Highway, about 40 km (25 mi) east of Dawson City |
| End | Inuvik, Northwest Territories. The Inuvik–Tuktoyaktuk Highway continues about 140 km to the Arctic Ocean. |
| Highway numbers | Yukon Highway 5 · N.W.T. Highway 8 |
| Surface & season | Gravel almost the whole way. Open year-round; N.W.T. river crossings use summer ferries and winter ice bridges. |
| Fuel & services | Dempster Corner (cardlock) · Eagle Plains (about km 369: hotel, restaurant, fuel, tire repair) · Fort McPherson · Inuvik |
| Be prepared | Two full-size spare tires, extra fuel and water, headlights on at all times |
| Road conditions | 511 Yukon (Yukon section) · DriveNWT (N.W.T. section and ferries) |
| Stop | Approx. km | Distance from previous |
|---|---|---|
| Dempster Corner (North Klondike Hwy junction) | 0 | 40 km from Dawson City |
| Tombstone Interpretive Centre | 71 | ≈ 71 km |
| North Fork Pass summit, highest point on the highway | 79 | ≈ 8 km |
| Engineer Creek campground | 194 | ≈ 115 km |
| Eagle Plains (fuel, lodging) | 369 | ≈ 175 km |
| Arctic Circle viewpoint | 405 | ≈ 36 km |
| Yukon–N.W.T. border | 465 | ≈ 60 km |
| Peel River ferry | 539 | ≈ 74 km |
| Mackenzie River ferry | 607 | ≈ 68 km |
| Inuvik | 734–740 | ≈ 127 km |
Kilometres are approximate. Yukon figures follow Government of Yukon kilometre posts; N.W.T. figures are converted from The MILEPOST. Always check 511 Yukon before you travel. Last updated: October 2026.
The Dempster Highway is about 740 km (460 miles) long, from Dempster Corner on the North Klondike Highway, about 40 km east of Dawson City, to Inuvik in the Northwest Territories. The first 465 km are in Yukon.
No. Apart from short sealed and paved stretches at each end, the Dempster is a gravel road. Sharp shale, potholes, dust in dry weather and slippery mud after rain are all common, so carry two full-size spare tires and drive with your headlights on.
Fill up in Dawson City or at the cardlock station at Dempster Corner. Eagle Plains, about 369 km up the highway, is the only stop with fuel, food and lodging before the Northwest Territories. After that, the next fuel is in Fort McPherson and then Inuvik.
At about kilometre 405, roughly 36 km north of Eagle Plains. A signed viewpoint with interpretive panels marks latitude 66°33′ N.
Driving straight through takes about 10 to 14 hours one way, but most people take two or three days each way. Travel Yukon allows about 2 hours from Dawson City to the Tombstone campground and about 6 hours from the Arctic Circle to Inuvik.
Yes, in the Northwest Territories. Free government ferries cross the Peel River near Fort McPherson and the Mackenzie River near Tsiigehtchic, usually from late May or early June until mid-October or early November. In winter, ice bridges replace them. Ferries can close with little notice because of ice or low water.
Yes, the highway is open all year. Locals say it can be smoother in winter, but expect extreme cold, high winds and poor visibility, and check road and ferry or ice-bridge conditions before you set out.
Use 511 Yukon (511yukon.ca) for the Yukon section and DriveNWT (drivenwt.ca) for the Northwest Territories section and ferry status. In summer, the Tombstone Interpretive Centre also has current trail and wildlife information.
Inspector William John Duncan Dempster of the Mounted Police. In 1911, as a corporal, he led the search for the Lost Patrol, whose members died on the winter patrol between Fort McPherson and Dawson City. Construction of the highway began in 1959, and it officially opened on August 18, 1979.
Inuvik
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Eagle Plains
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