For outdoor adventure seekers, culture buffs and travellers seeking to rejuvenate mind, body and spirit, the Yukon is Canada’s hidden gem. It’s a world where vast forests and parks are eclipsed only by epic mountain ranges and ancient glaciers; where wildlife of all kinds roam freely, and legendary highways pass through historic communities.
Read on for summer adventures to suit every kind of traveller.
For adventure seekers
The Yukon’s rugged beauty, with its snow-covered mountains, spruce forests and abundant wildlife, beckons adventure seekers of all ages, and a road trip is one of the best ways to take it all in.
Take the Klondike Kluane Loop where you’ll cruise from Whitehorse to Dawson City on the iconic Alaska Highway and then on to Kluane Country, gliding alongside the spectacular front ranges of the St Elias Mountains and the shores of beautiful Kluane Lake.
Roll on to historic Haines Junction and then return to Whitehorse. From gold panning to glaciers, this drive will take you on a journey through fascinating history and magnificent natural wonders.
If a bird’s eye view is more your fancy, take to the skies to appreciate the sheer scope of the changing landscape. Lift off and fly sky high above Kluane National Park and Reserve, the largest internationally protected area on the planet, where you’ll lose your breath at the epic scale of the Saint Elias Mountain Range. Have the camera ready to capture glittering blue glaciers, roaming bears and meandering moose.
For the trip of a lifetime, make a safe landing on the icefields for a view of Mount Logan, the tallest mountain in all of Canada. Visit Icefield Discovery Tours.
Insider’s tip: book a rental car sooner rather than later! Yukon road trips are very popular during summer and rental cars are in high demand.
For the wild at heart
The Yukon is a biking dream come true, with a trail for every ability and fitness level, where even the easiest trails reward you with sweeping vistas of expansive rivers, glaciers and pristine alpine wilderness. During winter, don a pair of snow pants and explore the expansive wilderness on a fat bike, named for their thick, oversized tires, designed for traction on snow.
Prime hiking season in Yukon is mid-May to mid-September, when the days are long and the weather is mild. With its dramatic wind-carved mountains, including the craggy granite peak of Tombstone Mountain and dazzling tundra, Tombstone Territorial Park is often referred to as the ‘Patagonia of the North’. Located just 112 kilometres from Dawson City, it’s one of the easiest places to hike in Yukon, with wildlife viewing and tundra walks accessible to even the most novice explorer.
Back in the capital city of Whitehorse, the five-kilometre paved Whitehorse Millennium Trail is an ideal family hike. Follow the path of the mighty Yukon River from the Robert Campbell Bridge, taking in the historic S.S. Klondike sternwheeler and Whitehorse Fishladder and Hatchery along the way. This urban walking trail connects to the Yukon River Loop Trail, which leads to Miles Canyon and the historic gold rush town of Canyon City.
For history buffs
2023 is a year for anniversaries! Firstly, it marks 125 years since the establishment of the Yukon as a territory on 13 June, 1898. Prior to this, the land was not well known to outsiders, and portions of the Yukon were yet to be mapped.
Additionally, this year is the 125th anniversary of the discovery of gold in the Yukon and the start of the notorious Klondike Gold Rush.
The discovery of Klondike gold in 1896 began a stampede of more than 100,000 prospectors, deeply impacting the land and the local First Nations people who had been there for thousands of years. There’s still gold to be found, but it’s the region’s captivating history that draws visitors to Dawson City and the surrounding Gold Rush area.
Visit the Dawson City Museum and the Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre to better understand the history of the local Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in people up until the time of the fur trade and eventual gold rush.
Pan for gold at Free Claim #6, tour Dredge No. 4, explore preserved paddlewheelers on shore or canoe some of the river route the gold seekers took from Bennett Lake to the Klondike. There are touches of the gold rush in everything from jewellery to coffee beans to outdoor art.
GETTING THERE
Air Canada offers daily direct flights to Vancouver from Sydney and direct flights between Brisbane and Vancouver four times per week. Direct flights from Sydney to Vancouver are also available on Qantas. Internal flights to Whitehorse and Dawson City are available on Air North and Air Canada.
More information, including travel guidelines, visit travelyukon.com
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