Road trip guide: Conquering the Canol Road
Canada, north-america
449 km
1,387 m
hard
Year-round
Get ready for a wild ride on the Canol Road! This rugged track, carved out in the 1940s by an oil company, winds through the untamed landscapes of Canada's Northwest and Yukon Territories. Fair warning: this one's not for the faint of heart!
Canol, short for Canadian Oil Road, is almost entirely unpaved, stretching a whopping 449 km (279 miles) from Johnsons Crossing up to the Canol Heritage Trail. Originally built to support a gas pipeline, it's now divided into three sections: South Canol, North Canol, and the Canol Heritage Trail. While the southern part sees a bit more action, any travel here is an adventure. It used to reach all the way to Norman Wells, NWT, but isn't maintained past the Yukon/NWT border anymore.
The road climbs to a breathtaking 1,387m (4,550 feet) at Macmillan Pass. Keep in mind, it's usually closed from late October until late June or early July.
The South Canol, at 220km (137 miles), runs from Johnsons Crossing on the Alaska Highway to the Robert Campbell Highway near Ross River. Expect a narrow, winding path with one-lane bridges, some seriously rough patches, and occasional closures due to washouts. Oh, and did we mention, zero services? A straight shot will take around 4 hours.
The North Canol stretches 232km (144 miles) from the Robert Campbell Highway near Ross River to the Yukon/NWT border. Just north of Ross River, you'll quickly cross the Pelly River via ferry. This section is also narrow and winding, with potential washouts, no services, and those charming one-lane bridges.
Beyond the border lies the abandoned section, about 372km (230 miles) of unusable road which follows the old Canol Road.
Where is it?
Road trip guide: Conquering the Canol Road is located in Canada (north-america). Coordinates: 58.2509, -108.4258
Road Details
- Country
- Canada
- Continent
- north-america
- Length
- 449 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,387 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- 58.2509, -108.4258
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