Sisimiut to Kangerlussuaq Ice Road
Greenland's frozen highway across the polar desert.
When the sea ice locks up solid in February, this becomes Greenland’s most reliable overland connection between settlements. The route follows frozen fjords and crosses the polar desert between Sisimiut and Kangerlussuaq Airport, passing the abandoned DEW Line station at DYE-2. Most drivers use this road to haul supplies and fuel drums, but overlanders tackle it for the sheer Arctic experience of crossing Greenland’s empty interior on ice thick enough to support heavy trucks.
Moderate difficulty when conditions are right, but weather can turn this into an expert-level nightmare in hours. You need a heated diesel 4×4, survival gear for -40°F, and GPS backup since whiteouts erase the trail markers. Best traveled February through April when ice is thickest. No fuel stops between towns, and cell service dies after 20km. The payoff is driving where few humans have ever set foot, with views of the inland ice sheet that’ll stick with you forever.
Trail Specs
| Difficulty | Moderate |
|---|---|
| Trail Type | Overland Route |
| Surface | Ice |
| Features | Arctic, Extreme Weather, Historic, Remote |
| Length (miles) | 103 mi / 165 km |
| Duration | 1-2 days |
| Max elevation (ft) | 1969 ft |
| Best season | February-April |
| Minimum vehicle | 4WD with winter equipment |
| Nearest town | Sisimiut, Greenland |
| Land manager | Government of Greenland |
| Permit required | No |
| Cell service | None |
| Water crossings | No |
| Dispersed camping | Yes |
| Start coordinates | |
| End coordinates | |
| Copy both for Google Maps directionsClick to copy the directions URL · or open it directly in a new tab | |
| Find on Google | Search on Google → |
Location
Trail Conditions
No recent condition reports. Be the first to post one.
Log in to post a condition report.