Named after the Mackenzie River—Deh Cho is Slavey Dene for "big river"—the Deh Cho route is a 795-mile/1,279-km wilderness loop connecting Grimshaw in the Peace River region of northern Alberta with the Alaska Highway in British Columbia by way of the Mackenzie River region of Northwest Territories. The Deh Cho also provides access to an additional 700 miles/1,127 km of Northwest Territories’ road system. All of these roads are well maintained. Road conditions range from 2-lane paved highway to hard-packed gravel. An active asphalt paving program is under way on the remaining gravel portions of Northwest Territories highways.
This route follows Alberta Highway 35 north to the Alberta/NWT border, where it continues as NWT Highway 1 (the Waterfalls Route) to Checkpoint and the junction with the Liard Trail (NWT Highway 7/BC Highway 77). The Deh Cho “loop” is completed as the Liard Trail junctions with the Alaska Highway about 17 miles/27 km from Fort Nelson, BC.
The NWT government provides free summer ferry service for cars and passengers across the Mackenzie River to Fort Providence, across the Liard River to Fort Simpson and across the Mackenzie River to Wrigley. In winter, traffic crosses on the ice.
The MILEPOST® Quick Reference Log Miles from Grimshaw (G) shown.
G 0 GRIMSHAW (pop. 2,435); all services. Mile 0 of the Mackenzie Highway. Dee-Jay Motel.
G 1.9 Queen Elizabeth Provincial Park: camping.
G 24.8 Dixonville (pop. 100); Dixonville Country Mall.
G 52 Manning (pop. 1,493); food, gas, lodging, camping.
G 54.2 Truck stop: 24-hour food, gas, lodging.
G 89.4 Food, lodging.
G 89.8 Twin Lakes Campground.
G 113.4 KEG RIVER (pop. 400); food, gas, lodging.
G 130.3 PADDLE PRAIRIE (pop. 164); gas.
G 137Junction with Mackenzie County Loop to La Crete and Fort Vermilion. Visitor Information.
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by 3.785 and divide by current exchange rate (U.S. to Canadian).
