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Although the number of ways to get in and out of Dawson City is limited, no route lacks beauty or challenges. Three highways meet in Dawson: The Dempster, the Klondike and the Top of the World.

The Klondike Highway runs between Whitehorse and Dawson City, and is one of the area's most well maintained roads. It runs through steep hills of spruce, aspen and dwarf firs and desolate valleys of boulders and eventually meets up with the Klondike River, which can be crossed by ferry to enter Dawson.

The Dempster Highway runs between Dawson and Inuvik and was initially constructed to provide access to newly discovered northern oil fields. It was once a dog-sled track and is one of only three roads in the world to travel into the Arctic Circle. It crosses several rivers over natural ice bridges or ferries, depending on the time of year, and runs through the migration route of 130,000 caribou. The road only has two towns located on its entire 741-kilometre length.

The Top of the World Highway runs the last 127 kilometres from the Alaska border into Dawson City. Its name comes from the high elevations of the route as it runs along the spine of a series of mountain ranges. The gravel road runs through boreal forests and alpine tundra, with the altitude high above the treeline providing sprawling views of the Ogilvie Mountains and Dawson Range. The road descends, with hairpin curves, to the banks of the Yukon River, which must be crossed by ferry to enter Dawson.