Nahanni Range Road (Little Doctor Lake)

The Nahanni Range Road starts innocently enough as a gravel haul road serving the abandoned Cantung tungsten mine, but once you pass the mine gate, it turns into 40 miles of technical driving through some of the most remote country in the Northwest Territories. The road climbs over Flat River Pass at 4,500 feet, threading between peaks that scrape 7,000 feet and drop into valleys where caribou still migrate like they have for thousands of years. At the end sits Little Doctor Lake, a pristine alpine tarn surrounded by peaks where the only sounds are wind and the occasional loon.

This is difficult-level territory that demands a capable rig with skid plates, recovery gear, and multiple spare tires. The road gets rough past the mine — loose rock, steep grades, and creek crossings that can turn nasty after rain. Best tackled June through September when snow clears the high passes. You’ll need camping gear, extra fuel, and emergency supplies since there’s no cell service and the nearest help is back in Tungsten, 60 miles away. What you get is absolute solitude in country that most Canadians will never see, plus some of the finest wilderness camping in the North.