Yukon Route: Gold Rush Trails and Arctic Highways

Explore Canada's Yukon Territory, a vast 483,000 km wilderness with fewer than 50,000 residents. This remote route connects isolated mountain valleys, historic gold rush trails, and highways stretching toward the Arctic Circle, showcasing some of North America's most dramatic and sparsely populated landscapes.

Mode
Places
Start
Klondike Gold Rush History
End
Dempster Highway
Stops
20
Video author
travmap
Updated

Stops on this route

  1. Klondike Gold Rush History — Late 19th-century gold discovery that transformed the Yukon, drawing thousands of prospectors and shaping the region's settlement patterns.
  2. Miles Canyon — Narrow canyon section of the Yukon River with dramatic dark basalt walls and turquoise glacial water, historically a dangerous obstacle for gold rush prospectors.
  3. Yukon Wildlife Preserve
  4. Laberge Lake — Large northern lake 50 km north of Whitehorse renowned for sudden dangerous storms, featured in Robert Service's famous poem 'The Cremation of Sam McGee.'
  5. Ibex Valley — Remote alpine valley home to Dall sheep and mountain goats, offering pristine wilderness and wildlife viewing opportunities.
  6. Kusawa Lake — Pristine 70-kilometer glacial lake southwest of Whitehorse with undeveloped shoreline, used by locals for trout fishing and kayaking through mountain valleys.
  7. Kluane National Park and Reserve
  8. Whitehorse — The largest city in Yukon with 30,000 people, featuring riverfront areas with gold rush heritage and surprisingly sunny climate sheltered by surrounding mountains.
  9. Yukon River — Historic river that shaped Whitehorse's development, once used by sternwheel steamboats transporting people and supplies during the gold rush era.
  10. SS Klondike — Historic riverboat now preserved in Whitehorse, representing the final era of river transportation in the Yukon during the gold rush period.
  11. Reserve — Protected wilderness area preserving critical habitats for northern wildlife and maintaining ecological integrity in the Yukon landscape.
  12. Kathleen Lake — Turquoise glacier-fed lake surrounded by mountain peaks, accessible by road and popular for kayaking and scenic photography.
  13. Carcross Desert — North America's smallest desert, covering just 259 square kilometers with sand dunes and unique subarctic vegetation near Carcross.
  14. Emerald Lake — Brilliantly colored alpine lake fed by glacial meltwater, creating striking turquoise waters in the Yukon's mountainous interior.
  15. White Pass — Historic mountain pass and gold rush route connecting Skagway to the Yukon, offering scenic views and trail exploration opportunities.
  16. Yukon Route — Heritage narrow-gauge railway connecting Whitehorse and Dawson City, offering scenic journeys through historic gold rush country and wilderness.
  17. Five Finger Rapids — Historic river rapid formation on the Yukon River used by gold rush prospectors, now a scenic viewpoint accessible by road.
  18. Dawson City — Preserved gold rush boomtown on the Yukon River featuring period architecture, museums, and authentic frontier character from the 1890s.
  19. Tombstone Territorial Park — Remote wilderness park with dramatic jagged peaks, pristine tundra, and excellent backpacking opportunities in the northern Yukon.
  20. Dempster Highway — Canada's northernmost highway stretching 740 kilometers from Dawson City to Inuvik, crossing Arctic tundra and passing remote communities.

Useful for your trip

Avoid
Miles Canyon was extremely dangerous during gold rush era with powerful rapids that destroyed boats. The river was dammed in the 1950s, but understand the historical hazards of this location.
Avoid
Lake Laberge has a reputation for sudden storms with strong winds building quickly, creating rough waves. Prospectors during gold rush dreaded this crossing in small boats.
Transport
Carry extra fuel, food, spare tires, and emergency supplies when driving remote Yukon highways. Help can be extremely far away and phone signal is often unavailable on certain roads.
Transport
In winter, carry survival gear in your vehicle as weather conditions can change incredibly fast. Temperatures can drop below -40°C and exposed skin can freeze in minutes.
Timing
Summer is extremely short in Yukon. Around June solstice, daylight lasts nearly all night. Campgrounds fill up quickly as locals try to enjoy every possible second of summer.
Timing
During winter, some northern parts of Yukon receive only a few hours of daylight with the sun barely rising above the horizon. Plan activities and daylight-dependent travel accordingly.
Tip
Whitehorse has relatively dry climate compared to many northern settlements because surrounding mountains block Pacific moisture, providing far more sunshine than expected.
Tip
Kluane National Park covers nearly 22,000 sq km but most remains completely wild, accessible only by hiking, aircraft, or multi-day expeditions. Only limited areas reachable by road.
Where to stay
Kusawa Lake remains remarkably undeveloped with no large resorts, no crowded marinas, and very few permanent settlements along the 70+ km shoreline. Expect rustic conditions.
Tip
Kathleen Lake gets its intense turquoise color from glacial flour—tiny rock particles ground by nearby glaciers. This color creates striking but almost unreal photographic appearances.
Tip
Carcross Desert covers only 2.6 sq km and consists of wind-blown sand dunes left from an ancient glacial lake that disappeared thousands of years ago.

Video on this route

YUKON: The Most Isolated Land in North America | Travel Documentary

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