Day 3 – Tombstone Territorial Park to the Arctic Circle – 336 km (209 miles) – 8 hours
Read our “Summary of the Dempster” post for an overview of The Dempster!
We departed Tombstone Campground (km 72) and headed up the mountain to the Tombstone Mountain Viewpoint (km 74). It is just before the North Fork Pass (km 80) which is the highest point (1,298 meters – 4,229 feet) on the Dempster Highway. It was early morning but the views were still fantastic.
After we crossed the North Fork Pass and proceeded on to the Blackstone Uplands (km 90.5) we noticed some animals running at quite a speed veering towards the road. At first glance we thought it was a wolf chasing a moose but as they got closer we realized it was a mamma moose and her calf, running from something. We stopped and let them cross the road in front of us.
The Blackstone Uplands are the richest area for bird life on the Dempster and also have several outfitters for Dall’s Sheep and Grizzly Bear hunting. There are also wild horses in the area that you need to keep an eye out for.
As we stopped in a rest area (km 115) we noticed some birds in the bushes and realized they were Rock Ptarmigans which are part of the grouse family and nest as far north as there is land. They turn white in the winter months.
We continued our drive progressing very slowly and not seeing any traffic at all. We had the road to ourselves. It was a rough road but we took it slow and enjoyed the scenery and the lovely weather.
As we continued our drive north we paralleled Engineer Creek which is quite red/yellow due to the iron content. It finally merges with the Ogilvie River just north of Engineer Creek Government Campground and you can see the confluence at the bridge.
Engineer Creek Government Campground (km 193.8) is a small campground (11 sites) with first come first serve sites. We drove through it just to check it out. It looked like a nice campground, no one was there but it was early morning. It has lots of trees so it may have lots of mosquitos in the evening!
The Oglivie River valley is a beautiful area with several areas where you can stop and throw a line in the water to fish. We saw a few fishermen at the rest areas when we stopped for a bit to eat.
We continued on up to a plateau and made our way to Eagle Plains (km 369), which is the halfway point to Inuvik. The road was very rough and full of wash boards but we just took it slow. We finally made it to Eagle Plains and stopped, filled our fuel tank, and explored a bit.
Eagle Plains has fuel, vehicle repairs, a small motel, restaurant, bar, and camping area.
We went inside and so we could check out the place. It was quaint and charming and everyone says the food is great!
Since Eagle Plains is up on a plateau the views are terrific.
We continued on to the Arctic Circle (km 405.5) which was about an hours drive (for us) north of Eagle Plains. It was a beautiful day and the rest area is large and has fantastic views. We stopped for the requisite photos!
We played around for awhile and enjoyed the solitude and the beauty. Not a soul around.
The border of Yukon and Northwest Territories was only 57 km away but we thought we would boondock along the road for the evening and enjoy ourselves.
Campground: NA
Location: Arctic Circle – about 1.8 km (1 mile) north of the Arctic Circle on east side
Site: NA
Cost: $0 (CAD)
Services: dry camping
Comments: One of our top boondocking sites. It was gorgeous. It was a bit bumpy getting down the road and it is something we would not drive if it was wet, rainy, and muddy but on a beautiful, sunny day we drove it. The road is a few hundred meters and makes a loop at the end. Fabulous! The site is on iOverlander and we saw some You Tubers camping there while watching their videos.
We sat outside, bug free, with our drinks and bear spray and then BBQ’d dinner. It was a fantastic evening, extremely quiet, and we could sleep with the windows open. We never heard or saw another vehicle.
It was a long day and we drove about 8 hours but were rewarded with a spectacular site and a wonderful evening! AND we got to cross the Arctic Circle!
You certainly had a jackpot journey with weather, traffic, and people. The blue sky makes everything perfect. Beautiful photos.
We sure did! And no awful rain with mud that makes the roads so slick. We kept our fingers crossed and kept checking the weather…and wildfires. Thanks!!