Adventures on the Ice Roads

From January to March you can drive on the Mackenzie Delta from Inuvik to Aklavik and out onto the Beaufort Sea ice to Tuktoyaktuk. Driving on the ice takes some getting used to. Stopping distances can stretch up to a quarter mile, depending on your speed.

When you head north to the Beaufort Sea, the treed banks of the Mackenzie slowly fade away beside you as you pass the treeline. The low sun in the south is somehow disorienting and the bright snow and the blue ice under your wheels create a dream world where you almost lose track of time.

In contrast, the route to Aklavik heads mostly west through a maze of Delta channels. You wind north, then south and mostly west on an ice road between tall treed banks that open out and then close in suddenly, keeping the driver and passengers alert.

Tours are available in Tuktoyaktuk and there’s accommodation in Aklavik. Visit the end of the Trans-Canada Trail in Tuk, and the grave of the Mad Trapper of Rat River in Aklavik.

Before you travel our winter roads, be sure you're well prepared with cold-weather gear and emergency supplies. For up-to-date information about highway conditions, ice roads and ice-bridge crossings be sure to check with the NWT Department of Transportation.