Minto Resettlement Road — Minto Village to Fort Selkirk Highlands

The Northern Tutchone community of Minto was relocated by the Canadian government in 1967 — the old village site on the Yukon River still carries that weight, and the rough track pushing north from the area toward the highlands above Fort Selkirk runs through country that has been continuously inhabited for thousands of years. You cross the Nordenskiold River drainage and climb through mixed boreal forest onto open highland benches with sweeping views across the Yukon River valley. The track becomes progressively rougher above the bench, with loose shale cutbanks and narrow shelf sections before it opens into the high plateau country. This is a true two-track for much of its length.

Difficulty sits firmly at Difficult — the shelf road sections and loose shale demand a confident 4WD driver with a capable rig, preferably with a locker on the front or rear axle. There is no cell coverage and no services outside Carmacks, which is your fuel stop. Carry two spare tires; the shale is sharp. The route is best run July through mid-September. What draws people out here beyond the landscape is the history — the old Minto site, the proximity to Fort Selkirk, and the sense that this corner of the Yukon Plateau has been largely left alone since that 1967 relocation. Respect the land and the story it holds.