Yellowknife to Whatì All-Season Road — Tłı̨chǫ Highway

Opened in stages through the 2000s and fully extended to Whatì by 2022, the Tłı̨chǫ All-Season Road — locally called the Tłı̨chǫ Highway — runs northwest from Behchokǫ̀ (Rae-Edzo) through 97 kilometres of muskeg, boreal forest, and exposed Canadian Shield granite to the community of Whatì. The road crosses several unnamed creeks via culverts and low bridges, and the stretch past Lac La Martre offers sweeping views across open water that’ll make you pull over. Wildlife here is not shy — bison, wolves, and lynx cross regularly, and in late summer, caribou movement can stall your progress entirely. The road surface alternates between patched asphalt, coarse gravel, and stretches of frost-heaved dirt that demand attention.

Most of the route is manageable in a capable 2WD truck in summer, but a high-clearance 4WD is smarter given the frost heaves and wet shoulders. There are no fuel stops between Behchokǫ̀ and Whatì — carry extra. Cell service drops out almost immediately after leaving Behchokǫ̀ and doesn’t return until you hit the community. The Whatì band office and local contacts are worth reaching before you go. Best driven June through September before freeze-up turns conditions unpredictable. The reward is arriving in one of the most intact Tłı̨chǫ communities in the NWT, with zero tourist infrastructure and all the quiet that comes with it.