Things to Do in Whitehorse

The Yukon River is a winding, smooth, fast waterway that impresses with its power and speed. Known as the "River of Gold," the Yukon was the route to gold during the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush. The source of the river is located in British Columbia and the waterway stretches across the Yukon Territory and into Alaska before emptying into the Bering Sea. In total the Yukon River crosses nearly 2,000 miles--more than 3,000 kilometers.

The river winds through many historic sites and visitors will spot remnants of abandoned cabins and sternwheelers along the way. At the Fort Selkirk historic site, visitors will learn of the Yukon's trading and exploration history. At the Thirty Mile section of the river, what was once the most treacherous stretch is now a designated Canadian Heritage River and the perfect spot for a peaceful paddle. Rent canoes or kayaks from one of the many suppliers located along the riverbanks and enjoy a quiet and remote journey with plenty of history, wildlife and scenery.

Carcross has quite the history. This small Tlingit and Tagish First Nations community became a boomtown during the Klondike gold rush, acting as a stopover and supply center for prospectors 

hoping to strike gold in the Yukon. As the gold rush waned, the White Pass Railway connected the small town to Skagway, Alaska, instantly making it a major transportation hub. 

In more recent years, Carcross has reinvented itself as a tourism destination, celebrating stunning wilderness, aboriginal culture and its gold rush past. Situated on Nares and Bennett Lakes, the area is naturally stunning. Caribou still roam the nearby hills, and the Bennett Train Journey on the White Pass Railway, now considered the “Scenic Railway of the World” is back up and running. The Caribou Hotel is now a Yukon Historic Site and the Matthew Watson General Store, located along the town’s main street, is the oldest operating store in the Yukon. Nearby Montana Mountain was recently named a global mountain bike destination, and the same area is renowned for its 4x4 off-road tours. 

 

One of the more surprising attractions is the Carcross Desert. It’s the world’s smallest, measuring only 640 acres, but locals use its steep dunes for sand boarding. There are also several companies 

that run off-road ATV tours in the area and a small network of hiking trails that explore this Yukon anomaly.

Home to Mount Logan, the highest peak in Canada, snow-capped mountains and stunning glaciers dot the landscape of Kluane. It’s also home to more than 100 species of birds, including the golden and bald eagle.

Covering more than 20,000 square kilometers, nearly 9,000 square miles, the area can be explored by raft, mountain bike or hiking on foot. Horseback riding and fishing are also popular activities. Lake trout, arctic grayling, and sockeye salmon are just a few of the fish species that populate the waters.

Kluane National Park lies within the traditional territories of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations and Kluane First Nation who have a long history of living and harvesting in the region. The park is a designated World Heritage Site and presents an opportunity to explore rich First Nation history and take in truly stunning scenery.

These natural hot springs are filled with mineral water at 47 degrees Celsius, providing a warm welcome to relax in the beautiful Whitehouse wilderness. The hot pools emanate a warm fog into the often chilly air, beckoning for a dip. Two slightly different temperatures are kept, allowing for both a hotter and a cooler side of the springs.

Outside of a soak in the hot springs, there are 300 acres of scenic natural beauty surrounding, with hiking and biking trails in the summer and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter. In operation for more than 100 years, it’s one of the most visited sites in the Yukon.

Moose, lynx, elk, mountain goats, and more are often seen in the wilderness nearby. It is even possible to view the Northern Lights from the pools. Many combine a day in the wilderness with an evening soak in the hot springs.

The unique wildlife is often a highlight for visitors to the Canadian wilderness. While sightings are far from guaranteed, an afternoon at the Yukon Wildlife Preserve allows for ten of the area’s mammals to be viewed in relatively close proximity. The animals, which include elk, woodland caribou, lynx, moose, bison, mountain goats, and more, are particularly active during feeding times. Spread across more than twelve acres, the animals roam free in their natural habitat.

The trails running through the reserve total around 5 kilometers, and make for excellent hiking, biking, or walking with views of the Canadian countryside. Open fields scenically framed by mountains allow ample space for wildlife to roam and wander. Seasonally there are also often local birds sitting amongst the marshes. No matter the sightings, it’s always a great opportunity to view the animals in natural surroundings and makes for great photography opportunities.

At first it’s hard to imagine, but the turquoise water that peacefully flows through Miles Canyon once posed a formidable challenge for gold rush stampeders trying to find gold. A dam now controls the surge of the waves and the water gently laps against the multi-colored cliffs of volcanic rock. The Robert Lowe Suspension Bridge gives you a bird’s eye view of this historic site.

It’s become a serene getaway, but in the past hundreds of boats sank here, hammered by powerful waves, and smashed against the unforgiving cliffs. Eventually a wood railway system was built to bypass the dangerous river crossing.

The historic S.S. Klondike sternwheeler rests on the banks of the mighty Yukon River, on the south edge of downtown Whitehorse. Now a national historic site, the vessel spent its early years navigating a 500 mi (805 km) stretch of the river between Whitehorse and Dawson City. The largest ship in the White Pass fleet, the S.S. Klondike had the capacity to carry more than 300 tons of ore, which it did until it sank in 1936 after colliding with a rock bluff.

White Pass rebuilt the vessel the following spring, and the Klondike II was put into service in June 1937. The end of river freighting came in 1950, when a road was built from Whitehorse to Mayo, and then extended three years later into Dawson City. The S.S. Klondike wasn’t finished, though.

After receiving some much needed upgrades, including a lounge and a bar, the vessel began carrying tourists into Dawson City. In 1966, it was retired from the river and moved to its present home, where every summer tourists can visit and relive the bygone era.