Page 101 - 2023-2024 Travel Guide to Canada

ality. Next door is the log cabin that was once
home to storyteller Jack London, author of
Yukon classics such as White Fang and Call
of the Wild (www.dawsoncity.ca).
At the expanded MacBride Museum of
Yukon History in Whitehorse, pretend you’re
a stampeder panning on the Klondike creeks
or peer into prospector Sam McGee’s cabin
(www.macbridemuseum.com).
Many communities have First Nations
cultural centres—Kwanlin Dün Cultural
Centre in Whitehorse, Dänojà Zho Cultural
Centre in Dawson City and Big Jonathan
House at Pelly Crossing are just a few
spots where visitors can learn about the
traditions, crafts and history of the First
Nations.
The Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre
transports visitors to the unforgiving prehis-
toric landscape of Beringia—the dry,
unglaciated land bridge that once linked
Alaska and Siberia. Multimedia displays and
dioramas tell the story of a time when
woolly mammoths and gigantic mastodons
roamed the region (www.beringia.com).
Every summer musicians and music
lovers come to the Yukon for the Dawson City
Music Festival, a world-class showcase of
North American talent (www.dcmf.com).
MUST SEE, MUST DO
Rent an RV and take the ultimate road trip
along iconic northern roadways like the
Dempster Highway across the Arctic Circle
or the winding Silver Trail to historic
frontier mining towns.
Explore Dawson City, the “heart of the
Klondike Gold Rush,” that bustles with the
history of a wild era when prospectors
rushed to follow dreams of riches.
At Montana Mountain in Carcross, about
40 km (25 mi.) of trail have been built for
the enjoyment of hikers, mountain bikers,
snowshoers and skiers (www.destination
carcross.ca).
Winter or summer, take a sightseeing flight
by small plane or helicopter over the spectac-
ular Kluane National Park Icefield Ranges,
one of the world’s largest non-polar icefields
(www.kluaneglacierairtours.com).
Try a traditional healing camp, First Nations
adventure tour or cultural experience,
including activities such as beading, trapping
and drum making (www.yukontours.ca).
DOWNTOWN WHITEHORSE • SHUTTERSTOCK/HW22
Learn from the experts about stargazing and
viewing the aurora colours of the night sky
at Northern Nights: Kluane’s Dark Sky
Festival (www.parkscanada.gc.ca/kluane),
or through one of the northern lights
packages offered with Yukon Tours by
Klondike Travel (www.yukontours.ca).
SCENIC DRIVES
The Golden Circle Route’s 600-km (373-mi.)
begins in Whitehorse and circles to include
Skagway, Alaska and Kluane National Park,
showcasing spectacular alpine scenery.
The secluded Top of the World Highway,
open seasonally only, hugs the top of
mountains for outstanding scenery. At the
east end of the unpaved drive, hop on the
free car ferry and cross the Yukon River to
Dawson City. Bring your passport—the
crossing from Alaska to the Yukon is the
most northern international border crossing
in all of North America.
The breathtaking and bumpy Dempster
Highway, a wilderness route, is best travelled
in summertime. The 740-km (460-mi.)
gravel roadway is Canada’s only all-weather
road across the Arctic Circle.
The paved Alaska Highway is one of the
continent’s great wilderness drives. In 1942,
a workforce of thousands of U.S. soldiers
and Canadian and U.S. civilians built the
lengthy highway in record time. It winds
through eight communities, Kluane National
Park and major attractions including the
Sign Post Forest, the Northern Lights Centre
and the Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre.
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FAMILY FUN
All kids brighten up at the chance to spy some
wildlife. The Yukon Wildlife Preserve features
12+ species of northern Canadian mammals in
their natural environment—including
woodland caribou, lynx, moose, mountain
goats, wood bison and foxes. Open year-round,
the preserve can be explored on self-guided
walking/biking/skiing trails or by interpretive
bus tour (www.yukonwildlife.ca).
Park Pick
DAWSON HISTORICAL
COMPLEX NATIONAL
HISTORIC SITE
The Dawson Historical Complex National
Historic Site commemorates the 1896
Klondike Gold Rush. The site, which
encompasses the town of Dawson City,
preserves dozens of historic buildings in a
modern mining community. Wooden
boardwalks line the town’s laneways and
costumed Parks Canada guides lead
walking tours recounting strange tales of
the Yukon, the colourful history of the
Gold Rush and life in the Canadian north.
Visitors can also choose a self-guided
audio tour in English, French or German.
Parks Canada has also hidden geocaches
around town, containing information
about locations and people commemor-
ated in the Klondike. Sites are open and
programs are offered from the May long
weekend to the September long weekend
(www.parkscanada.gc.ca/klondike).
National Parks and Historic Sites:
www.parkscanada.gc.ca
1-888-773-8888