Selkirk Loop Road — Pelly Crossing to Fort Selkirk Historic Site

Fort Selkirk sits at the confluence of the Pelly and Yukon Rivers, accessible only by water or by the seasonal Yukon River ferry at Pelly Crossing. Once the ferry drops you on the west bank, a rough two-track cuts south through boreal flats and creek crossings before opening up at the abandoned townsite — Hudson’s Bay post ruins, Anglican church, and all of it frozen in time since the 1950s. The route follows the west bank of the Yukon for roughly 25 kilometres of soft river-bottom track, with a particularly muddy stretch just north of Ethel Creek that’s eaten more than a few overconfident rigs.

This is a high-clearance trip minimum, and locker-equipped rigs will handle the soft sections with less drama. The ferry at Pelly Crossing runs mid-May through October — call Yukon Highways ahead of time because schedules shift. No fuel past Pelly Crossing, so top up. The payoff is enormous: a First Nations and fur-trade heritage site that sees almost no vehicle traffic, incredible Yukon River views, and dead-quiet camping on the riverbank. Cell service is zero from the ferry onward.