Frequently Asked Questions - Dempster Highway

How much does it cost to drive the Dempster Highway?

Our costs to drive the Dempster Highway in 2025 were the following:

Gas: $859.31

We drive a ram truck and tow a 22 foot travel trailer. This is the total amount we spent from the Dempster corner, to Tuktoyaktuk & back to the start of the Dempster corner.

Campgrounds: $194

We stayed at Tombstone campground for 4 nights & Jak Territorial Park for one week.

We camped for free at roadside pulls off's as well.

How many tires did you have to change?

We got a hole in our trailer tire, twice. Same tire. We think we did not patch it right the first time and that's why the same one had to be patched again. Thankfully, both of the holes were able to just be patched so no tire changes were needed. We did bring 2 spare tires for our truck & trailer.

Should I do this with a towable trailer or a van?

I would suggest a van. Its easier than having to worry about towing. The roads can be slippery when wet, which makes towing even more stressful.

Is 4wheel drive essential?

Yes. The road has lots of pot holes and is very different from any other road we have been on texture-wise.

Best time of year to do this?

Late June - early September. We saw ice in August when we did this! Weather changes quickly so every year is going to be different but I would not attempt until the very end of June and would wrap up before mid September.

How many days do I need?

It really depends on how quickly you want to do this drive. We took our time and spent 2 weeks just driving the Dempster (not including Whitehorse or Dawson City) so we could explore the area, but a minimum of one week would be ideal & two weeks would be plenty.

Keeping in mind, you will need to start in Whitehorse & drive to the start of the Dempster which is just over 6 hours of driving, just to get to the starting point so allow extra days to fly in, drive to and from the starting point.

Can I do this on a motorcycle?

Yes. We saw lots of people on motorcycles! The ones we spoke to opted to stay at hotels during their drive as camping would require much more gear than they could cary.