This is the story of Don and Karen’s journey to the “Top of the World” from conception to the Arctic Circle and home again!

The idea is something that is often shared amongst adventure travelers. Drive to the top of the world, the Alaska highway, the Dempster highway, the Arctic Ocean, Tuktoyaktuk. We and our dearest friends have had this adventure in the back of our minds for over 20 years. But university, mortgages, jobs and small children put the dream on hold until February of this year when we finally concluded, if not now? When?

We are Don & Karen in a Land Rover Defender. Formerly called “the buggy”. Now, newly modified and outfitted with an AluCab Icarus roof tent and rebranded Buggy 2.0 (the buggy rebuild is an entire other blog post). Our friends Neil in an all wheel drive Ford Flex with upgraded AT Tires and a sleeping platform in place of the rear seats; and Pam & Sonj and their doodle-dog Denver in a Toyota Tacoma outfitted with a Lone Peak Camper.

Ferries to Prince Rupert

August 23rd - 24th, 2025

After a marathon run to get the truck complete, we made it to the Horseshoe Bay ferry on time for our 8:30am sailing. Don was running on about 3 hours of sleep and having tossed everything into the back of the truck in a rushed panic. We sailed across the Strait of Georgia to Nanaimo began our drive heading North. We had a brief stop in Campbell River for a few provisions and some lunch and then made our way to our first campsite in Port Hardy.

After our first night in the new bed, we had an early 5:30am start to get on the BC Ferries Northern Expedition. Luckily the “open water” crossing was smooth as ice, it was also foggy as pea soup. Once the ship entered the inside passage the fog lifted and we were treated to 15 hours of fabulous scenery, salmon jumping along the pier in Bella Bella and interesting landmarks and lighthouses along the way.

Northern BC - Prince Rupert to Atlin, BC

August 25th - 28th, 2025

We disembarked the ferry in the middle of the night, but it was only a 3 minute drive to the Prince Rupert RV Park / parking lot for a short sleep. We awoke to more fog and spent the morning on the hunt for bald eagles.

We continued North on the Steward-Cassiar highway. What a scenic drive and great campsites at Kinaskan Lake and Boya Lake Provincial Parks. We had some interesting stops at the Nisga’a Memorial Lava Bed Provincial Park and Jade City further North. We wish we had more time to enjoy the surroundings on this leg and will definitely go back.

We bumped into another Land Rover group at the gas station at the Highway 37 junction. Turns out they were customers and had been to Rovalution two weeks prior for their pre-trip maintenance. They had seen the Buggy in pieces and had wished us the best of luck to get it done in time. We think they were shocked to see the truck complete and on the road so quickly!

We ran into the same Land Rover Group again on August 30th and got a group photo!

Atlin was mentioned in a few travel logs Don had found before the trip, but it was the story and tips provided by @lord.theoverlandie that made it a must stop. Atlin is the most northwestern community in BC, but to get there by road you have to drive into the Yukon and back into BC. On the highway into town we saw our first (and sadly only) Grizzly bear run across the road in front of us

We were headed to Warm Bay Rec Site for the night, just South of Atlin, but the campground was full. We ended up a little further down the road at “The Grotto” Rec Site. It was a lovely site, next to a creek, just downstream from its spring. In the morning, we went for a cold dip in Atlin Lake and then back up the hill to Yat’aayi Heen / Warm Bay Hot Spring… As the name promised it was warm, but not hot! We’d love to go back to Atlin and spend a few days meeting the locals and learning more about the history.

Yukon, NWT and the Top of the World

August 28th - 31st, 2025

Next stop Carcross Desert. Don had heard about this unique and unlikely sand dune area from other travel blogs and was excited to see it first hand. It wasn’t clear if we were allowed to drive our vehicles in the area, but there were lots of pre-existing tracks and no signs indicating otherwise. Driving in the sand is very different to the rocks and mud we are used to. The big mud tires quickly dig holes and bog down and there is a bit of a finesse to using momentum to keep moving without getting stuck.

We stopped at Miles Canyon just before Whitehorse for pictures of the suspension bridge over the Yukon River and a short hike on the trails surrounding the bridge.

We buzzed through Whitehorse grabbing last minute, “reasonably priced’ provisions. Our destination for the evening was the Hot Springs RV park. The campground was clean and well established. The brand new (or just rebuilt) “Eclipse” Spa, just next door, was our reason for stopping here. We all enjoyed several hours in the outdoor pools, sauna, steam room, onsen baths and meditation rooms.

In the morning Don spent an hour and did a few ‘campground’ truck checks. Engine oil, tire pressures and greased the u-joints.

The drive North of Whitehorse had us zigzagging to dodge pot holes and kilometer after kilometer of road construction.

In Dawson City we had our first bit of rain and “enjoyed’ the last of the paved roads before the “Dempster Highway.” We did laundry, hit the saloon where Neil and Sonj braved the sour-toe shot. On our after dinner walk we noted some cool old classic muscle cars parked outside the hotel. The cars belonged to the “Rust Bros” who were doing the Dempster in the cars (including one convertible).

After last minute, “maybe not so reasonably priced,” stock-up on groceries in Dawson City we hit the road again. Stopping at the Dempster Highway Sign for our “before” pictures.

“Rainbow Camp” was our first wild campsite of the trip and was recommended by @fluriadventures in their “top 10 campsites in BC & Yukon” Youtube video. We were treated to epic Northern Lights, and a stunning panoramic view of the mountains. It turned out to be our coldest night of the trip at just below zero.

The Wright Pass near the Yukon / NWT border was Karen’s favourite view of the trip. Bare grey rock mountains but the vegetation that was there were the most beautiful fall colours.

In summer the Dempster highway includes two ferry crossings. One smaller cable ferry over the Peel River near Fort MacPerson and a second larger ferry over the MacKenzie River at Tsiigehtchic. It was a good opportunity to chat with the local operators.

Inuvik

August 31st - September 1st, 2025

Inuvik is a small town with a few amenities. We arrived late on the Sunday of the Labour Day longweek-end and everything was closed. Someone suggested that the hospital cafeteria was a good place to grab a bite to eat. We stopped by the famous igloo shaped “Our Lady of Victory” church for some pictures. A diesel top-up was $2.50/litre, yikes. We back-tracked a few kilometers to the Jak Territorial Campground. The day use area and playground was very popular with the locals and was almost overwhelmingly busy. The sites we’d preselected were less than ideal so after some shifting around and negotiation with the campground operator we settled in for the night. The campground is also home to an observation tower/lookout. The sunset from the top of the tower was spectacular.

Tuktoyaktuk

September 1st - 2nd, 2025

We had heard the news of a major storm surge just days prior to our arrival and we were unsure of what to expect. We went to the information center, which was closed for Labour Day, but as we had read prior, the bathroom was open 24/7 and decent. Driving through town there were signs of the storm and the locals cleaning up.

At the end of the peninsula, we found the big “Arctic Ocean” sign. This was the destination we’d been dreaming about for all of these years. We took pictures and settled into a campsite.

The only place to get food service in Tuk is a food truck called “Grandma’s”. It had been hit by the storm and the whole site had been flooded and covered in driftwood. After some food, Don and I politely declined the Maktak, we helped with a little cleanup by clearing the driftwood from the beach house deck.

Neil and Don went for a jog around town and met two friendly kids who ran with them for a block. Neil and Don went for a dip in the Arctic Ocean; Pam & Sonj went in up to their knees; Karen got her hands wet. The water was cold!!

We met Tina and her Mum Barb out for a walk up the peninsula. Tina is a local artisan who makes beautiful miniature Mukluks. We each purchased a pair as a souvenir to hang from our rear view mirrors.

After a cold night in Tuk we toured around a little more and stopped at the official Parks Canada “Pingo Canadian Landmark” day use area. Neil took his paddle board out for a paddle on the Arctic Ocean.

Sadly, one of the predominant landmarks in town was the dump, one of the struggles of a small isolated town in the North. We also visited the local grocery/everything store where the prices of common goods were exceptionally high. $31 for a case of Bubly.

Heading South Again.

September 2nd - 4th, 2025

It was weird that the GPS map was moving backwards, but we were heading South now. When you stop and zoom out the map of BC, Yukon and the NWT, you realize just how far away you are. The BC Yukon border was still only halfway home!!

We had two more nights camping along the Dempster highway. We’d intentionally planned our trip at the tail end of Summer to avoid the bugs and see the fall colours. We spent a night at an established NWT Parks site near Port MacPherson which was closing for the season a few days later.

The next was a wild site on the bank of the Ogilvie River in Yukon. The river looked calm enough that we got the paddle board out and Neil and Don each attempted to paddle upstream until they gave up. Turning around in mild rapids while standing was a bit tricky!

We Survived the Dempster

September 4th, 2025

We stopped at Tombstone Territorial Park and although we had planned to do a bigger hike here, we only did a little tour (the wild cranberries were out in full force) and explored the excellent displays in the visitors centre. We finished the last leg of the Dempster Hwy and took “after” pictures at the Dempster Highway Sign.

Overall the condition of the Dempster Highway was better than expected. There were some dusty stretches, pot holes and washboard, but we’ve definitely driven worse (read about the Hurley below)! We were very thankful that we had no rain or inclement weather while travelling on the Dempster Highway. It sure could have been more challenging if the road was wet and muddy.

Back on Paved Roads

September 4th - 6th, 2025

We were back on paved roads again and headed to Dawson City for a night in the city. Don and Pam decided to try the famous Sour Toe shot (Don’s still horrified he let the gross human toe touch his lips but now he’s certified!!) We also took in the Gertie Girls Burlesque show to complete the Dawson City experience.

We found the Land Rover was happiest at a cruising speed of about 95kph, but on the paved highways we had to push 105 to 115kph to keep up to the Ford and Toyota. At Carmacks we had planned to take Highway 4 heading to Watson Lake and bypass Whitehorse. After a concern about 400km of more “secondary” dirt road (no more pot holes please!) we made a group decision to return via Whitehorse and visit the Hot Springs Campground and the Spa once again. This also allowed us to visit Whitehorse the next day to walk around the old town and see the historical sites we’d missed on our northern pass through the city. Neil in the Ford got a quick oil change.

Next Stop Watson Lake Sign Post Forest

September 6th, 2025

Wow, what a crazy spot. Over 100,000 signs in the Yukon Historic Site. We added a few more signs and traveled back into BC on our way to the next wild campsite on the banks of the Liard River. This was another beautiful spot! The sunset on one side of the river and the full moon on the other, lit-up the night around the campfire.

A touch of truck maintenance.

September 7th, 2025

We told the group to sleep in and expect a delayed start so Don could do a little maintenance on the truck. After pushing the truck on the highway the day before he wanted to check an apparent leak on the rear differential . Thank goodness the fluid level was fine. He also cleaned the air filter and greased the u-joints once again.

Bison, Waterfall and more Hot Springs

September 6th - 7th, 2025

Back on the road we met several Bison hanging out on the side of the highway.

Our next destination was the Smith River Falls where we did a 10 minute hike down to the river to see the falls and Don took a quick cold plunge in the river! After some lunch we continued South on the Alaska Highway, taking in the views of Muncho Lake, on our way to Liard Hot Springs. This was another great stop to relax and bath in the Liard Hot Springs. It’s a steal at $5 per person. (We noted this would be a great place to camp next time) After soaking in the hot mineral water for a few hours it was back on the road to our campsite at Toad River Rec Site. We saw a bit more wildlife along the highway; Mountain goats and deer. Once we set up camp a few butterflies came and rested on our tent and the moon came over the mountains with an orange glow.

East of the Northern Rockies, Goodbyes and new Friends

September 8th - 10th, 2025

The next day, after a hearty breakfast at the Toad River Lodge, we were off to Fort Nelson. Here we stocked up on some “reasonably priced” groceries and diesel before parting ways with Pam & Sonj in the Toyota. They were heading North back into NWT to Yellowknife and then south through Alberta.

We continued south along the arrow straight Alaska Highway to Fort St. John. As we got closer to town the signs of the oil industry became more and more predominant. Trucks, tanks and compressor stations. We spent the night at Charlie Lake Provincial Park, which closed for the season the next day. This was also our first night without a campfire due to a campfire ban that came into effect earlier that day.

In the morning our first stop was the viewing platform overlooking the reservoir at the new Site C Hydro Electric Project. Dam, what a major Hydro project!! At this point we said goodbye to Neil in the Ford who was heading straight back to Vancouver.

In Fort St John we visited with some new Land Rover friends. Kate and Dan caught Don’s attention on Instagram @theoverlandseries sharing their Land Rover build before their trip to South America. We met them at their shop and Don was ready to jump right in and see what he could do to make progress on their build. We each did a little truck tour and then Don got to work on the front axle. We had a nice lunch and celebrated Don’s Birthday with some cake. We tried to get a few more things done before we wished them well and left to make our way south.

We stopped at the W.A.C. Bennett Dam but the visitor center was closed for the season, so we read the info boards and took some pictures. We set off again to make our way back through the Northern Rockies towards Prince George. Without any well researched plans we headed for the Crooked River Provincial Park campground and picked a site in the dusk. There was a bit of highway noise and a train went by, but otherwise it was a very nice site.

Prince George, Williams Lake and into the Chilcotins in the dark

Sept 10th - 11th, 2025

We did a hike in the “Forest of the World” and a short drive around Prince George, restocked on “very reasonably priced” groceries and headed South. Don wanted to head back through the Chilcotins to show Karen some of his favourite camping spots. There were forest fires to the south and to the west, so we were going into the unknown. We headed west on highway 20 and turned south on the forest roads to Farwell Canyon and into a camping spot in the dark. Karen was a bit nervous about wild animals since she had no idea where we were and arrived in the dark. After surviving the night we were up early and had a big breakfast while enjoying the sunshine and no forest fire smoke!

The Coastal Mountains, Tyax lodge and Home

Sept 11th - 13th, 2025

We headed east through Gang Ranch and down the east side of the Fraser River canyon to the Big Bar Ferry cross back over the west side up the big climb and got to our campsite at Schrader Lake mid afternoon. We had time for a swim, relax and even set up the shower! Other than the chipmunks and a few birds, it was very quiet and peaceful.

The next day we did the most off-roading of the whole trip and headed over China Head Mountain to Mud lakes.

We headed to Tyax Lodge with hopes of another hot tub and a prepared meal for our last night. Alas the hot tub was out of service but the sauna and steam room made up for it!

The next day we were eager to get home, so we headed off first thing and made our way through Goldbridge and Bralorne and on to the Hurley Road. The Hurley Road was the worst section of (gravel) road of the entire trip with terrible washboard. It didn’t matter whether we went 30 kph or 60kph and even with only 20psi in the tires, it was a teeth chattering drive. It was on the Hurley that we suffered our first and only truck “failure.” The tire carrier tie bar holding the carrier to the taildoor sheared. We only noticed after tire swung out and was visible in the right side view mirror. We did a quick fix, tying the tire back in place with a ratchet strap, and were back on our way. We had a nice lunch stop at the BlackBird Bakery in Pemberton and drove home on the Sea to Sky highway!

22 days and 8400km and the only thing we forgot was a tire pressure gauge.

The Road to the Arctic