The road ends at the Arctic Ocean, and that is why people come. Tuktoyaktuk, which everyone calls Tuk, is a small Inuvialuit community on the shore of the Beaufort Sea, at the top of the Mackenzie Delta, and for most of the twentieth century you could only reach it by boat, plane or a winter ice road across the frozen channels. In November 2017 the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway opened, a gravel all-weather road of about 140 kilometres, and the Dempster Highway, which starts near Dawson City in the Yukon, finally had an end on salt water. Riders who have done the whole thing talk about it the way people talk about a pilgrimage.
The country is flat and enormous. North of Inuvik the spruce thins out and gives way to tundra, with willow scrub, small lakes and a horizon that seems to be a day's walk away. Beneath it is permafrost, ground that stays frozen all year, and it shapes everything: the road is built on a thick gravel pad to keep the heat of the sun from melting the ice below, buildings stand on piles, and the land heaves into odd shapes. The most curious of these are pingos, conical hills pushed up by ice under the surface. Near Tuk there is a cluster of them, including Ibyuk, which at roughly fifty metres is among the tallest in the world and is protected as a landmark.
Riding the last stretch means gravel, and gravel in the Arctic has its own character. The surface can be smooth and fast after grading, then loose, washboarded and wet within a few kilometres, and trucks throw stones. Tyre damage is a fact of life on the Dempster, so carry a repair kit and a spare tube. In summer the sun does not set for weeks, which makes timing strange, and the light at midnight is soft and low. Mosquitoes and black flies are fierce near still water, so keep your jacket zipped and your visor down when you stop.
Plan your fuel carefully. Inuvik is the last proper stop with real services, and it makes sense to fill the tank and any spare container there, rather than counting on anything at the end. The traditional ritual is to walk down to the shore and dip a hand or a boot in the Arctic Ocean, even in July, when the water is only a few degrees above freezing. Late June to August is the usual window, with long days and the road at its driest, and weather can turn quickly, with wind and cold rain coming off the sea. Respect the community, ask before photographing people, and leave nothing behind.