Driving the Dempster
 

Looking for a little experience here. We're only planning on driving as far as the Tombstone Territorial park visitors center, I might drive a little further, my son and a friend plan on hiking to Grizzly lake. Budget wanted 1500. extra to permit driving on that highway, we settled on Driving Force and an SUV. I've heard the horror stories but my assumption is that part of the highway would be the best quality and maintained as well ?

I drove that far up a couple years ago and that part of the road was in excellent condition.

Many years ago (1986, 1987). Drove up dempster to Inuvik. First time picked up a cube van in Edmonton, we drove it up for a customer in 48 hours. Sleeping in cube van, and driving straight Whitehorse. Overnighted. Drove next day to Inuvik. Stopped to fill up at Eagle plains and all was good. Dusty, overall quiet in May. Likely busier now, but it’s a nice drive.

I drove it in a Camry a couple years back. And last yearI was up at Tombstone on Aug 1 looking for moose with my F250 with 350 000 km on it. The stretch to Tombstone isn't a big deal.

Enjoy your trip! Reach out if you're in and around the Southern Lakes (Tagish).

It’s been more than 20 years since I was up that way. Always thought the reports of poor conditions was over done. I’m sure it is in better condition now than what I thought was ok at the time. I loved the drive up that way. If I had to go back on the road again that is where I’d want to go. Watch your fuel gauge and carry extra.

Have driven the Dempster a few times. Road is much better now than it was years ago. However, even today, the distance between stops and accommodation, fuel etc is a long ways. AMA roadside assistance is useless in that part of the world. Take cash and and take lots of spare bits like am extra spare, fan belts, at leat 20 gallons of spare gas, etc. and make sure you have water, food and a tent in case you need to camp out till help shows up. A sat phone is a good idea because cell reception is at best sporadic.

Realise that you are traveling in an area bigher than Europe with less than 75,000 people living there.

If it's been raining a lot, the potholes will be everywhere. Other than that you'll be fine. Past Eagle is where the road likes to eat tires.

If you get in trouble, there are lots of people driving the dempster in summer. 2 cardlocks at the cutoff to choose from. I carry my inreach just as a precaution.

That stretch is nicer than the roads around home haha

The Dempster will seem like a paved highway compared to driving the north canol.

My Father worked on the construction of that road many years ago, stretch near the Ogilvie River. When he had any time off he went fishing. The Grayling could be caught cast after cast, 1 to 3 lbs consistently. A plan to camp for the night there would be recommended.

Heading up there in August to Tuk. Have swam in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Pacific, need to finish with the Arctic. Just something I have wanted to do! Really looking forward to the trip.

There is a ton of videos on YouTube on the Dempster and people driving it on anything motorcycles to cars to people dragging their travel trailer/5th wheel up to Tuk. To me it just like driving on any other gravel/dirt/logging road. Take your time and enjoy the drive!

Cheers

SS

Me and dad did it two years ago in a 96 ram
Only brought 1 spare tire, didnt need it
Brought 2 jerry cans of diesel, never ran out, always had stations around
Everyone drives slow as balls, dont be afraid to pass.
The best place in town for chicken is the gas station/clothes store in Inuvik.

Sleep in vehicle over night Eagle plains.
You shouldnnt have any problems imo. Have fun !


Just realized your renting a vehicle. Not sure on the tires, maybe I didnt blow any because 10 ply? Also the road is a joke, it's like any other gravel road out there. Just another day driving in the oilpatch

I drove my Mercedes Pleasureway camper van (Best quality van made right in Saskatoon) all the way up to Tuktoyuktuck in August of 2023. If you are only going to Tomestone, you are on better gravel roads that most of the prairies. For that matter, all the way up to Inuvik is a pretty good road these days.
Now If any one is thinking of driving up past Inuvik, it is a totally different story. The speed limit is 70km/hr, but no one is going that fast. The road surface is made from local silt/gravel and wash boards out big time. The consistency of the material allows the washboarding to keep on growing in size. Seriously, for the 113 kms it took us 4 hours. Mostly going 20-40 km/hr. The van did amazing, but the few other R V's we saw on the side of the road did not fare so well. One guys stove was literally laying on his floor of his trailer when he stopped to check how his trailer was doing back there. Black and grey water tanks falling off or dragging. All kinds of vehicle parts laying along the road. Ive traveled in over 40 countries, and this is by far the worst road I have ever been on for roughness.
Was it worth it? Absolutely. We fished the bay for inconnu right in Tuck, but no luck as it had been windy for three days and the water was dirty. We did catch some nice lake trout along the way back in the husky lakes, as they call them up there. Beautiful scenery along the way, and then we took a small boat out from Tuk and climbed a Pingo.
Sadly, by far most of the travellers up there were not Canadians. Its really too bad that we who live so close compared to many people, don't appreciate what we have. Believe it or not, but in the two trips we have done on the Dempster, you would be shocked to see so many Europeans bicycling that road. Yep, all the way from Whitehoarse to at least Inuvik. They all say the same thing. "where on earth can a guy go and not see people for hours at a time, while feeling like you are watching an amazing wildlife documentary. Enjoy your trip.

It took me less than 45 minutes to go the 113kms in my 96 ram. 73 year old dad was with me too. We were sleeping in the truck though on an air mattress. Dont think I would want to pull a trailer there.
Glad you had fun ! Got me thinking I should do it again

You're a braver man than I doing 150km/hr in a 96 Ram on gravel...:)

45 to an hour. It was a loong time ago. All I remmeber is being the only vehicle on the road because of the rain the night before. It was a mud bog, but sooo much fun. Def made it in less than an hour though.

The church in Inuvik is a mist see, and a tour too. How sweet is that they built it without permits and the gov couldnt do anything about it lololol (Being so far away from civilization)

Are you sure you are talking about the Dempster when you say "it was a long time ago"? The last stretch of the highway from Inuvik did not open until 2018. Maybe you live in dog years. LOL

4 years ago to me is a long time, considering i quit drinking 5 years ago.
Anything else ?

Dempster
 

There is a facebook group called Driving the Dempster Highway. Everything you want to know is there. Highly recommend it.
kidd

Thanks guys, I'm learning a lot. Budget wanted an extra 1500. which seems ridiculous considering we only want access to a very short portion of it. Son did get us an SUV from Driving Force for only a moderate extortion rate. :lol:

I drove all the way to Inuvik more than 10 years ago in a Dodge Caravan. The road was in good condition when I did it. I could do 100Km/h with no problems.

All I can say is be prepared for bad, bad, bad mosquitoes if you go in the summer. Nothing is too much to protect from them. The bug spray doesn't stop them, maybe for a few minutes. The only thing that works is wind, they can't fly in the wind.