Canol Road North — Johnson’s Crossing to Ross River High Country

Built in 1942 to haul oil from Norman Wells to Whitehorse during WWII, the North Canol Road is a 355-kilometre scar through the Selwyn Mountains that the Yukon government doesn’t maintain and openly warns drivers about. You leave pavement at Johnson’s Crossing on the Alaska Highway and push northeast through muskeg flats, river gravel bars, and alpine passes — the Macmillan Pass crossing at roughly 1,500 metres is the high point, and the Itsi Range will test your nerve. Expect multiple unbridged river fords including the Nahanni and Macmillan tributaries, washed-out sections, and stretches where the track simply disappears into bog.

This route demands a serious, heavily modified rig — high-clearance 4WD with a locker front and rear, aggressive mud tires, a winch, and recovery gear for every scenario. Carry fuel for at least 400 km each way; there is nothing between Johnson’s Crossing and Ross River. Cell service is zero. Best attempted July through mid-August when water levels are lower. This is a two- to four-day one-way run minimum, and it earns its reputation every single kilometre.