Travel Guides: Yukon Territory
General Information
The territory of the Yukon, Canada's 'True North', is wintry, wild and wonderful: a spectacular wilderness consisting of comprehensive national and territorial parks filled with stunning landscapes and rare wildlife, like the 120,000-strong Porcupine Caribou herd that is protected in the Vuntut and Ivvavik National Parks. Black and grizzly bears, Dall sheep, moose, wolves and musk oxen are some of the other creatures spotted regularly all over the territory.
The Yukon Territory is in the extreme northwest of Canada, bordering Alaska. The sparsely-populated province carries the motto "Larger Than Life", and its tourism is focused around outdoor activities like fishing, canoeing, kayaking and hiking in the summer, and skiing, snowboarding, ice climbing, snowmobiling and dog sledding in the winter.
The Yukon also has its own natural magical light show in winter: undulating ribbons of pale-green, pink and blue lights dance in the night sky as the Aurora Borealis phenomenon delights watchers. The province boasts Canada's highest mountain, the majestic Mount Logan peak in Kluane Park, set in a sea of ice.
Although 80 percent of the Yukon is wild, there are people living there too. Native Yukoners are spirited, uniquely connected with their land, and have plenty of tales to tell travellers. Many legends survive from the days of the Klondike Gold Rush in 1897, when 30,000 aspirants arrived in Dawson City in hope of making their fortunes. The First Nations culture is also well preserved and fascinating to investigate in museums, historic sites and interpretive centres throughout the province.
Activities
Muktuk Adventures, Whitehorse
In a remote area of Yukon Territory, on the banks of the Takhini River, a man named Frank Turner - who has completed the gruelling Yukon Quest, a 1,000-mile sled-dog race, more times than anyone else - has established a truly wonderful community, centred around caring for his beloved sled-dogs. In recent years, the Muktuk Kennels have, in fact, grown into a massively popular excursion for visitors to Whitehorse - and it is not hard to see exactly why. The staff at Muktuk Kennels - who look after over 140 sled-dogs (mainly huskies, samoyeds and malumuts) - are deeply committed to the animals, and always try to include visitors in their daily care routines, while the eco-friendly guest houses (all operated on solar power) are comfortable, and homely, and offer panoramic views of the spectacular, unspoilt Ibex Valley. As popular in winter, when you can have a go at 'mushing' yourself, as in summer - when, for health reasons, the dogs aren't run, and canoeing and kayaking on the lake are the most popular activities - Muktuk Adventures is a heart-warming place to visit, that is sure to appeal to dog-lovers and nature-lovers the world over.
Opening Times:
Reception times vary slightly according to the
season, but are generally from 9am to 6.30pm
Admission:
Check website for pricing details of the various
programs and activities on offer
Kluane National Park, Whitehorse
This vast park is dominated by mountains and ice in Canada's extreme alpine zone, and is a magnet to mountaineers and rugged adventure-seekers. The landscape includes mountain lakes, alpine meadows, tundra and swift cold rivers. At the heart of the park is Mount Logan, rising up in the midst of an ice field to 19,545 feet (5,959m), the highest mountain in Canada. Local tour operators in Yukon towns offer a variety of memorable day trips and excursions into the Park, featuring a wide range of activities such as canoeing, nature walks, rafting, fishing, hiking and mountain-biking. Air flips over the area are also a very popular way to sightsee. The Kluane National Park Visitor Reception Centre is at Haines Junction near the Alaska Highway.
Opening Times:
The Kluane Visitor Centre is open daily, from 9am to
5pm from mid-May to mid-September, and by appointment for the rest
of the year
Admission:
Admission to the park is free, while camping is C$15.70
per site, and C$4.90 per individual per night
Klondike, Whitehorse
The area around Dawson City, which lured thousands of young men and a few brave women to join in the world's last great Gold Rush in 1897, is today bursting with attractions and sights centred on this romantic piece of Canadian history. Dawson City itself is a colourful town with boardwalk-lined streets and plenty of restored historic buildings, including Diamond Tooth Gertie's Dancehall and Casino. Then there is Carmacks, originally a riverboat fuelling station that is now a community preserving the First Nations culture, with an interpretive centre sketching aboriginal history over 10,000 years. Fort Selkirk is the oldest settlement in the area and now survives as a living museum. The other venue to visit on the Klondike trail is Pelly Crossing, where the life and times of the Northern Tutchone people is preserved at 'Big Jonathan's House'.
