We DROVE to the ARCTIC OCEAN!

The Dempster Highway is an almost 900 km (one way) UNPAVED drive through two of Canada’s territories and is one heck of an adventure. Between the insane mountain views and nonstop scenery, seeing some wildlife, interacting with locals, crossing into the Arctic Circle, trying local cuisine, doing a polar bear plunge into the Arctic Ocean, and checking off a bucket list item by seeing the Northern Lights, it is hands down one of the best things we have EVER done! It wasn’t fully without unexpected surprises, but the experience is one we will cherish forever and we are so excited to share our journey on this road!

Read our detailed guide to driving the Dempster Highway: https://adventuresofaplusk.com/drivin...

Watch our previous videos in the Yukon ⬇️
Driving the Alaska Highway through the Yukon:    • Our EPIC drive through the YUKON on t...  
Exploring Dawson City in the Yukon (The heart of the Klondike Gold Rush)!:    • Exploring Dawson City in the Yukon (T...  
EPIC day hike to Grizzly Lake at Tombstone Territorial Park (Canada's Patagonia 😍) in the Yukon!:    • EPIC day hike to Grizzly Lake at Tomb...  

🔗Links
Watch our Adventures in Alaska:    • Adventures in Alaska (2022)  
Missed our drive to Alaska? See the journey here:    • Journey to Alaska (2022)  
Our camera + hiking gear: https://adventuresofaplusk.com/gear/

⌚Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
00:20 About the Dempster Highway
01:48 Starting off with a van issue
03:00 History of the Dempster Highway
06:28 Thoughts on the drive so far
08:18 A hike we hoped to do
09:30 Fueling up in Eagle Plains!
10:56 We made it to the ARCTIC CIRCLE!
12:27 Crossing into the Northwest Territories
13:47 Seeing the NORTHERN LIGHTS!!!
17:38 Ferry crossings in the Northwest Territories
20:22 Our first (and only) bear!
21:02 Paved roads, baby!!!
21:42 The largest town on the Dempster: Inuvik
25:00 Camping at the Jax Campground in Inuvik
25:30 Driving to Tuktoyaktuk
27:21 We made it to the ARCTIC OCEAN!!!
28:30 Polar Bear plunge in the Arctic Ocean!
30:00 Exploring Tuk + a local encounter!
33:23 Kayaking at the Pingo Canadian Landmark
36:40 Trying muktuk at Grandma’s Kitchen
39:06 Camping on the Arctic Ocean
39:54 Starting the drive back
40:08 We had van engine troubles…
42:23 Unexpected twist: a bridge is closed
49:37 We survived the Dempster Highway!
50:05 Final thoughts on the Dempster Highway

📍Locations in this vlog
Boondocking spot by the Northwest Territories border: https://www.ioverlander.com/places/17...
Boot Lake in Inuvik: https://goo.gl/maps/334nrPU8xQmeUPa99
Jak Campground in Inuvik: https://goo.gl/maps/tszcthFKAPZw5ZhTA
Pingos Canadian Landmark: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/nt/pingo
Grandma’s Kitchen: https://goo.gl/maps/m5EjCogrvi3NKkQ77
Tuk Campground: https://www.ioverlander.com/places/62...
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📷 See ALL of our gear: https://adventuresofaplusk.com/gear/
🚐 Our Van Life products: https://adventuresofaplusk.com/blog/v...

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🌎 See everywhere we have been + view our blogs and travel guides:
https://adventuresofaplusk.com/
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👋🏼 About us
Hi y’all! We’re Adam, Kathryn, and Kona, an adventurous married couple (+ pup!) living on the road in our self-converted sprinter van! You can often find us driving all around the US and Canada, scoping out the best coffee shops, eating tacos and ice cream (we're a 5+ taco and 2+ scoop household), and enjoying nature.

We help travelers spend less time (and stress!) planning their trip and more time enjoying it! Our detailed travel guides, YouTube videos, and travel resources share the must-visit local eats, popular and off the beaten path sights, and tons of tips to make planning your next adventure a whole lot easier.

Note: We’ve linked a handful of items so you can see exactly which products we take with us. Full disclosure--if you click on these links and make a purchase, we get a small commission at no extra cost to you. We will only ever recommend products we truly love, actually use during our adventures, and think you can benefit from too!