When you think of places to visit in the Yukon, chances are that Whitehorse and Dawson City immediately come to mind. While both are wonderful, there are also many more off-the-beaten-path destinations worth seeing. To find out about some “hidden” Yukon tourist attractions, we chatted with Yukon local Isabelle Piché.
Isabelle is BGC Yukon’s Communities and Communications Director and has been living in the Yukon for over 10 years. She currently resides in Haines Junction, a small community that’s about 160 kilometres from Whitehorse, home to over 1,000 residents and within the traditional territory of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations. It was also the Yukon’s Most Active Community in the 2023 ParticipACTION Community Challenge.
“Living in Haines Junction for the last five years has made me appreciate the outdoors so much more”, Isabelle told ParticipACTION. “There are so many more folks like me who have the desire to get out and be active. Taking part in hosting the Community Challenge was such a great excuse to try so many new things!”
Situated just beneath the Saint Elias Mountains and surrounded by beautiful, rugged landscape, Haines Junction is a wilderness town that offers incredible outdoor experiences.
“You can do many of these activities within about a 20-minute car ride because the mountains are right here and we’re already in the wilderness,” said Isabelle. “I enjoy walking on our local trails and snowshoeing in the winter.”
Here are the top 5 hidden Yukon tourist attractions Isabelle recommends:
1. Dezadeash River Trail
If you enjoy hiking, Isabelle highly recommends the Dezadeash River Trail, a short, well-maintained trail with boardwalks and interpretive signs throughout. This 5.5-kilometre round trip trail takes hikers through wetlands, meadows and forest along the Dezadeash River to a viewing platform overlooking the valley.
“The Dezadeash River Trail is a must-do in Haines Junction,” said Isabelle. “It’s ideal for families and those who want a taste of adventure but can’t go on long hikes.”
2. Pine Lake
Located approximately 10 kilometres from Haines Junction, Pine Lake is a campground and day-use area with incredible views of the Kluane and Saint Elias mountains. It has a sandy beach with a swimming area, a wheelchair-accessible interpretive boardwalk along the lake and a footpath extending to Pine Creek. The lake is also a great fishing and boating spot. In winter, Pine Lake is popular for skating, cross-country skiing, kicksledding and fat biking.
3. Kluane National Park and Reserve
The stunning Kluane National Park and Reserve, boasts mountains (including Mount Logan, Canada’s highest peak), the world’s largest non-polar icefields, boreal forests, lakes, iconic wildlife and Southern Tutchone cultural heritage. The Tatshenshini and Alsek Rivers – two of North America’s best rafting rivers – also pass through it. While hiking may be the most popular activity in this year-round playground, you can also go rafting, paddling, horseback riding, cycle touring, mountain biking, rock climbing, hunting, fishing, cross-country skiing, heli-skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing.
With crystal-clear waters and the Kluane Range mountains behind it, Kathleen Lake (Mät’atäna Män) is a wonderful place within Kluane National Park and Reserve for canoeing, boating, camping and hiking. You can hike on the Kokanee Trail, a half-kilometre wheelchair-accessible boardwalk along the lake, or up the King’s Throne Trail, a challenging, five-kilometre trail boasting alpine flowers and gorgeous views from an alpine cirque.
Also within Kluane National Park and Reserve is the Auriol Trail, a 15-kilometre trail that goes through mixed boreal forest and offers great views of the Auriol Mountain Range and Haines Junction. It takes about four to six hours to hike this trail, but you can extend your excursion into an overnight trip.
4. Carcross
Located within the Traditional Territory of the Carcross/Tagish First Nation, the town of Carcross is surrounded by lakes such as Bennett Lake, a glacial lake with sandy beaches that’s popular for windsurfing and kitesurfing, and mountains like Montana Mountain. It’s also home to the Carcross Desert, the world’s smallest desert.
“The Carcross community is very connected with and proud of its First Nations culture,” said Isabelle.
Carcross is an ideal spot for fishing, dogsledding, hiking and mountain biking. If you’re seeking adventure and incredible views, you can hike to the top of Montana Mountain, which has over 40 kilometres of world-class hiking and biking trails built and maintained by local Indigenous youth. For example, the 28-kilometre Mountain Hero Mine Trail climbs up to 1,400 metres and offers spectacular views of the river system around Montana Mountain and adjacent regions.
5. Carmacks
Carmacks is a small riverside community about 180 kilometres north of Whitehorse. Thousands of years before the Klondike Gold Rush, the Carmacks area was a rest stop on the main trade route that Indigenous Peoples used.
The community is in an incredible wilderness setting, with many fun outdoor activities to do within and near it, including fishing, hiking on trails leading to gemstones and geodes, walking on a 1.5-kilometre boardwalk, canoeing, kayaking and disc golf. If you’re paddling from Whitehorse to Dawson City, Carmacks is about the halfway point, making it an ideal spot for replenishing supplies. You can also view the Five Finger Rapids from the highway lookout or by taking stairs and path to the river.
Now that you know more about these hidden Yukon tourist attractions, which ones do you want to check out?
