Tuktoyaktuk Sandspit | Established Campground

August 22nd, 2023 by princess.sarah

Not much to add to what has been said except a few updates. We were offered two prices: $63 if we wanted to use water, power and toilets, or $33 if we are totally self contained. We chose the $63 option for one night for toilet access only because there was no place to dump our small cassette toilet. We don’t need power or water. The toilets were practically unusable they were so full and I felt bad for the folks who had no other option. My guess is that the lower rates for self contained folks is to discourage the toilet use. I totally understand that getting porta-potties serviced would be a major issue in Tuk and there is no option for pit toilets because of permafrost. This is unfortunate and the toilet situation is the only negative thing to say. If you have the option to bring a small cassette toilet with you I highly recommend it to relive the pressure (no pun intended!) on this small community. You will need to take it out and empty it in Inuvik where there is a free Sani dump. TIP: there is a flush toilet available at the visitor centre when they are open and some Parks Canada porta potties by the Pingo day use area that are only open when the Parks Canada office is staffed (weekends when we were there). Enjoy Tuk, visit with the locals, and don’t expect tourist level services.

August 15th, 2023 by mc.overberg

Location, location, the only reason to stop here. They charge you 60$ can. which is pricy for just a vehicle. But if you drive up here you want to stay here. At least toilets. Locals driving along the street till midnight. But still the best spot right at the ocean.

July 28th, 2023 by fairweather610

the campsite gives unobstructed views of the ocean within a couple of metres. electrical power sources were centralised and needed increasingly longer cables depending where you were parked. we were there Friday night which coincided with an all night street party that didn't finish until 6.30am. and coincided with two wheelers and 4 qheelers continuously driving up and down Beaufort road. not much sleep. toilets were portal's that were often nearly full and very smelly. if it wasn't for wanting to reach the end of the road with tuk, with hindsight we would not have come.

July 24th, 2023 by madScientist777

Absolutely stunning view of the Arctic Ocean. Locals are incredibly generous, kind, and friendly. Lots of kids playing around town and seems like a great place to live! make sure to pay in the way in at the visitor's center these folks have very limited income and they are working very hard to support newly opened tourism post-Covid since the highway was built a few years ago. Safe and fun community unlike Inuvik which was a bit sketchy. But make sure to get fresh water and cash in Inuvik if you want to buy the lovely hand-carved and sewn local crafts.

July 18th, 2023 by derekriehl

Really pretty spot. Great for Starlink. Not too close to each other. Lots of slow local traffic at all hours as they work.

June 23rd, 2023 by SolInvictus

Picked a spot at the municipal campsite at the end of the road. Registration is done at the Visitor Center on the edge of town, little blue and white building. Easy to miss. $63 Canadian. Was provided with a hang tag and some lovely souvenirs; pin, stickers, post card.
Parking lot still busy after 8 PM, but then the sun never sets.

June 6th, 2023 by andeolverseux

Nous y avons dormi du 6 au 7 juin en pensant devoir payer 60$ mais finalement il n’y avait pas d’endroit pour payer et personne n’est passé.
Nous avons donc dormi gratuitement.
Il faut savoir que la route n’avait « ouvert » que le jour même avec la mise en place du ferry donc peut-être que l’organisation n’était pas encore prête à accueillir les premiers touristes

Il y avait à peine 10 rv et motos.

August 31st, 2022 by Thomas

hello, I will camp here, any site is available?
[email protected]

August 16th, 2022 by Kimball Stone

The price is worth it, if you're actually interested in meeting and interacting with the incredibly friendly and warm people who live up there. Be awesome to people, and they invite you into their homes and feed you incredible food, and tell you good stories.
The campsite is whatever. Pay for the experience and make it worthwhile.

August 4th, 2022 by jamessuttar

Nice place

But $63 is silly. They’re definitely bargaining on it being a one night wonder

We planned to stay two nights until we found out the price

August 2nd, 2022 by Pinoekel

Absolutely friendly and helpful information in a small house just before the campground. The pitches are numbered and some with electricity, there you can also fill up portable water. The toilet problem still needs to be solved, but I've seen worse toilets. Measured against everything that this small community did in a very short time, including failures due to Corona, the high price is understandable and serves the community less than commerce.

July 31st, 2022 by chantal_crete

Small camping $63/night. 20 places some are uneven and rought but exceptionnel view on 24/24 hour sunset. Not really quiet on saturday night.

July 29th, 2022 by katienaha

We stayed at the established campground. 63 per night. Pricey, but I imagine they are needing these dollars to try to get some infrastructure in place for all the tourism. We must remember, this is their home and we are invading it. Say yes with a smile and pay the price. I did inform the tourism office that the information online on the NWT website is outdated as I was prepared to pay the 30 a night listed in the information pamphlet, not the 63 she asked me for. She said she will try her best to get that information updated.

Try to come self-contained. The porta-potty toilets were very full, needing to be pumped out but I am sure that service is limited. Our tourism dollars hopefully will remedy this in the future.

The site is exposed to the wind so batten down the hatches! Tenters, make friends with someone in a vehicle to help protect your stuff from being blown away. Today's winds were very strong.

July 27th, 2022 by tom1298

Check in at the visitor center. $63 a night at the split and $53 a bit further out. The are the only places your are allowed to stay overnight so please pay and support the community.

That being said you get electricity and portable water at two red buildings as well as a cooking shelter and toilets. The sites aren't level but you have a really nice view on the ocean.
Just don't expect a quiet night as there are some cars, atvs and motor cross bikes driving along during the night.

July 9th, 2022 by SnowyMT

As described in previous posts, except now charging $63 night. Other parking areas in town are patrolled to keep overnighters moving on, so this is the only game in town. Worth it for bragging rights of camping at the end of the world on the Arctic Ocean, but expect tight camping spots, unlevel ground, and activity all night. After all this is the turn-around spot at the end of the highway, and it doesn't get dark, so is to be be expected. No water, a half-dozen overflowing toilets, but the locals are still figuring this all out. Being a destination for world travelers after being isolated for generations will take time. Just go with it and support the local economy.

June 27th, 2022 by Overlandsite

As of now the campsite is free of charge. Lots of firewood too

June 27th, 2022 by overlandingwithdogz

No fee - stayed here the night no one paid anything or were asked to pay. Obviously that might change again. Worth the drive, and take a dip in the ocean. You can swim on the left hand side of the peninsula only, there is a little beach area over a few rocks. Take your trash/ litter
back they don’t have a good way of disposing it !

June 26th, 2022 by John S.

Parked close to the Arctic Ocean sign for 2 nights
Just looked like a parking spot with a view. No signs of established camp ground 1or 2 tables most campers just got out chairs and tables
Residents very friendly as were the other campers.
Residents did say it’s easier to swim at beach near Grandmas kitchen restaurant
Police and city workers drove by several times but nobody stopped to check anything
One of the best campsites ever.

June 16th, 2022 by snugglebunnies_forever

ATTN: There are no signs, but this is now a campground with benches, tables, firepits, and electricity.
It is $60 per night, payable at the city building (blue). You can pay in.the morning. Most stay and don't pay...which is sad as the community has very little.
You're on the banks of the Arctic Ocean! Be honest and pay up. It's an honor system. They also have cool stickers and a postcard and a pin to purchase.

March 12th, 2020 by Sonik90

Nice spot to spend the night, right on the ocean. Campground was shut down for the season, but I stayed there no problem. Pit toilets were full to the brim, started gagging and nearly barfed up my granola.

September 2nd, 2019 by The Destinators

We were looking for a place to stay that would be convenient to explore and experience Tuktoyaktuk. We’re self-contained in our 8 m (25 ft) MH and don’t use the facilities. We stayed on a weekend in early September. Tourism and camping in Tuk is relatively new as the road to Tuk was completed in November 2017 and tourists began to arrive in June 2018. The locals are still getting organized and building the infrastructure to deal with tourism. Current camping fees are high to fund construction of a more formal campground. As of this time, drive to the end of Beaufort Road and there’s a small Visitor Center on the right just before the road ends. Check in to register and pay for camping - $63 (incl tax) to park at one of the 8 improved primitive (no hookups) campsites on the spit. Each site includes a relatively level dirt/gravel parking spot, picnic table, bench, fire ring and full view of the Arctic Ocean. There’re portable toilets. There’s no potable water, no dump station. No trash cans – carry out. (Water, dump, trash are available in Inuvik.)There was good ATT/Telus and Verizon cell service. There were 2 open sites the night we stayed. There’re non-view sites at the gift shop at corner of Beaufort and Oceanview for $40. The locals were friendly and helpful. We enjoyed lunch at Grandma’s Kitchen on Oceanview Drive. We anticipate the campground and tourism facilities will continue to evolve in the next few years. Be respectful and patient with this community. The star rating reflects the unique location, view and experience.

August 20th, 2019 by rightlost.com

As mentioned by others, now $60+tax a night. Quads and ATVs all night and toilets overflowing. Recommend either stay at the Pingo day use area (out of towns authority) or do a day trip from Inuvik.

July 12th, 2019 by christopher.foerster

$63 a night including tax, pay at the small visitor centre booth just before getting to the point. Beautiful sites overlooking the Arctic Ocean. They seemed to have someone patrolling all night. A letter from the Mayor that you are given when you register says that the money will be going towards building a more formal campground since things are rather basic currently.

June 29th, 2019 by fivejer

We are at the sandspit. You can get a permit in the visitors center. To stay 1 night is 60 CAD put you get a nice letter from the mayor of Tuk thanking you for your contribution to building a campground in Tuk so more people can enjoy the town.

June 28th, 2019 by Wilde Weite Welt

Actual state: You can camp here and have to pay $60 plus tax at the visitor booth.

June 22nd, 2019 by brodersenreist.wordpress.com

Beautiful place. A little bit to busy. But it‘s 60 Dollars p. night for our small van. That‘s to much. Anyway we payed it. You are here just once time in your life...

June 6th, 2019 by oneendlessroad.com

Update - Tuk security patrol came by at 7.00am this morning and politely told us to move from the Pingo Landmark we had slept at overnight . Told him we had tried the SandSpit but signs there said we faced a $150 fine if we stated there.In chatting with me he said he had reported ( and moved ) 7 RV’s from the SandSpit in town the day before ( I believe him - there were none there when we arrived in the late afternoon ).

Seems like the small pullout just before Tuk may be the only spot to camp soon unless you pay $40 to stay at the Souvenir shop ☹️

June 5th, 2019 by oneendlessroad.com

Beautiful location but signs up now saying ‘permit required’ or $150 fine if camping overnight. There is no indication where you get the permit !!!

Visitor centre was closed, went to a ‘souvenir shop’ who would let us park in their lot for $40 ! She called a rep from the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk who advised we actually could camp on the ‘SandSpit’ for....wait for it.....$100 !

We drove just a bit out of town and camped at the Pingo Canadian Landmark where there are first class toilets and a nice view. It’s technically day use only but when we were there there were 3 campers staying there...no one has bothered us as I write this.

June 3rd, 2019 by Wabi-Sabi Overland

After driving over 4,000 miles, when we showed up at the Arctic Ocean, a woman in a government vehicle intercepted us before we even shut our engine off. She told us that we needed to leave as the Arctic sign area is only for locals to use. Apparently, they are getting really upset by all the overlanders showing up in their town since the new road opened. She wasn’t rude, but we definitely got the impression that the town is overwhelmed by all the newcomers. There is a parking lot that they have designated on the other side of town for people to park in but it is not at the end of the road. Several other people that we met on the road said that they were charged $20 CAD per person for a “day pass” and $100 CAD per vehicle for a “camping permit” to be in the parking lot on the opposite side of town from the sign. Apparently 2,000 people came in the summer of 2018 and tried to camp at the sign, so the locals are trying to figure out what to do. We were on the first group of ferries across the Peel River for the season, so we were one of the very first vehicles to get to Tuktoyaktuk summer of 2019.

August 26th, 2018 by mariannewerm

This place is now a "campground". Since August 1th 2018 they charge you $30 for RV's and $20 for tent/car's.

August 25th, 2018 by evolutionofali

We stayed overnight on the spit. As of Aug 1 2018 it is ok to camp for a few of $20 for tent or $30 for a camper.
Worth it to sleep on the point!

August 25th, 2018 by alanthenomad

From August 1st 2018 there is a charge for camping here, $20 per tent. $30 per RV. The facilities are 2 outhouses, a shelter, picnic tables, a few rubbish bins and warm friendly locals picnicking. There is no water here but you can buy it from the 2 supermarkets in the village.

July 19th, 2018 by lifestyleoverland

Gravel lot right on the Arctic Ocean. Very exposed and busy but the only way to really enjoy the Tuk experience. Smoked fish hut right on the lot with plenty of fresh fish opportunities! Love it here!

July 9th, 2018 by Tony LEE

Since there aren't many options in Tuk, the locals I talked to (including a town council member) seem OK with this being the defacto camping ground. There are toilets, they are building a shelter and a new Visitors Information Centre is almost finished.

July 6th, 2018 by trikebubble

We initially had planned on making a day trip to Tuk from Inuvik. Upon arrival we got to chatting with the girl at the gas station who suggested we camp out on the point at the end of the road. Without question it was the single best camping experience of our journey. Simply amazing.

July 5th, 2018 by CarpeViam

First and foremost, Congrats!! This is a parking lot at the far end of town that has been designated camping. Pretty exposed, very windy during our stay. To make friendly with the locals best to make a donation at the Hamlet House to the Mayor Merv (as of summer 2018, totally voluntary, they just opened the road to the public so always nice to reward their efforts).

June 18th, 2018 by yukonjack1898

drive to the end of the town to the sandspit Day use area of Tuktoyaktuk, several picknick tables and fire pits, 2pit toilets, trash cans,the native people in the community are very friendly,helpful & interested but they also told us that the locals used to come here for Picknick and that this is not possible anymore because of the campers...so, be mind-and respectful with this place and think about which place you block ....; there was a fisherman selling fresh&smoked fish right at the shore; you can buy native art in the town(kitty hall) only at certain days...please ask the locals