Dalton Range Road — Pelly Crossing to Riddell River Highlands

Starting just east of Pelly Crossing on the Klondike Highway, this unmaintained track climbs away from the Yukon River lowlands and into the rolling uplands of the Selwyn Mountains foothills above the Riddell River. The route was cut for mineral exploration and still sees the occasional prospector rig, but mostly it’s you and the boreal. The Riddell River crossing — about 40 kilometres in — is shallow in late summer but can be a thigh-deep push in June. Above that crossing the road opens onto tundra benches with uninterrupted views toward the Pelly Mountains, and the silence is the kind that makes you check your ears.

The track is rutted and overgrown in sections, with alder brush closing in on both sides after the first 20 kilometres. A lifted 4×4 with skid plates, all-terrain tires, and a winch is the sensible choice — recovery points get used out here. No maintained facilities, no cell coverage, and no emergency services within a reasonable timeframe. Carry extra fuel; the round trip is longer than it looks on the map. Late June through August is optimal — the access spur off the Klondike Highway gets greasy in wet years. This is a quiet, underrated piece of Yukon backcountry that rewards the self-sufficient.