Where the Dempster Highway climbs out of the boreal forest and breaks through the Ogilvie Mountains, the landscape changes in a rush. Tombstone Territorial Park lies about seventy kilometres above Dawson City's turn-off and protects a wilderness of jagged granite peaks, glacial valleys and open tundra, with Tombstone Mountain itself standing like a dark fang above the rest. The country belongs to the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in First Nation, who have hunted and travelled here for thousands of years, and the park was created with their involvement.
The Dempster is not an easy road, and its reputation is deserved. It runs some seven hundred kilometres from near Dawson City to Inuvik on the Arctic coast, mostly gravel, crossing two mountain ranges and the Arctic Circle. It was opened in 1979 and named after Inspector W.J.D. Dempster of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who in 1911 led the search for the lost patrol that perished while trying to reach Dawson by dog sled. Sharp rocks cut tyres, and rain turns the surface into slippery clay, so carry spare tubes, a repair kit and a plan. A tyre pressure that is low enough to give grip helps, as does a steady speed.
Within the park, the pass over North Fork Pass is the high point, with a visitor centre a little farther along that offers advice and information about conditions and walking trails. In late August and early September the tundra blazes red, orange and gold in colours that look painted, and it is the best time to be here, although the first snow can arrive in September. Summer brings long light, midnight sun farther north, and mosquitoes, and a headnet and strong repellent are worth carrying. Caribou, grizzly bears, and sometimes wolves roam the country, so keep distance and store food carefully.
Fuel is a serious issue. Camping at the park's campground is simple, with a pit toilet and water that needs treating. Turn around for a moment at the top of a pass, switch off the engine, and listen to the wind coming over the rocks.