The Road from Tuktoyaktuk

The Arctic Ocean to Whitehorse

We’ve visited the Yukon many times in the past, and our visits have been timed to showcase this magnificent wilderness region during the long days of the northern midsummer, when wildflowers begin to carpet the alpine slopes, glacier-fed turquoise lakes gleam in deep valleys and snow-covered peaks of imposing mountains loom on the horizon. On this revamped tour, we take our discoveries one step further: to the legendary Tuktoyaktuk and the Arctic Ocean!

Our tour begins at Inuvik in the mighty Mackenzie River Delta, pock-marked by lakes and dotted with clumps of spruce. We’ll explore the Inuvik area and take the recently completed Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway! The fantastic pingos will greet us as we approach the Arctic Ocean and eventually reach it. After a good look at the tundra above the tree line, we’ll continue south and cross into the Yukon, making our way towards the Arctic Circle. From there, we’ll continue towards Dawson City and then onwards to Whitehorse in the Yukon’s deep south. During our southern leg, we’ll explore Canada’s smallest “desert” at Carcross, view fantastic canyon formations, and become acquainted with the region’s Gold Rush history. We’ll visit Kluane National Park in the southwest corner of the Yukon. This land of superlatives has the highest mountain in Canada and the most extensive non-polar ice fields in the world.

This will be the quintessential Canadian North! All along we’ll also be on the lookout for Black and Grizzly Bears as they graze on greens. With some luck, we may even spot Caribou and the elusive Canada Lynx! All throughout, the breeding activities of local birds will be at their peak. As we explore the wilderness fringes of northern highways, with fabled names such as Dempster, Klondike and Alaska, we’ll look for Moose and Elk browsing in the dense willow thickets, snow-white Dall Sheep feeding on alpine grasses high among mountain peaks and Gyrfalcons atop steep faces of the front ranges.