13 minute read
ABOVE AND BEYOND
By Elizabeth Cope
WELCOME TO THIS SPECIAL YUKON TRAVEL GUIDE, A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF THE YUKON AND SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE.
Few places in the world have as much space occupied by so few people as the Yukon. With a name derived from the famous Yukon River, the region is home to a population of approximately 40,000, occupying an area the size of California. For visitors to the Yukon, it is a vast and mysterious location, offering adventure, exploration, and an unparalleled opportunity to immerse yourself in the enormity of the natural world.
Here at the Tourism Industry Association of the Yukon (TIA Yukon), we’ve served for almost 50 years as the Yukon’s visitor industry association, tasked with influencing, promoting and assisting the development of tourism in the region. Tourism accounts for five percent of GDP in the Yukon, the equivalent of half-a-billion dollars annually. Turning the clock back when COVID-19 took control of the industry in March 2020, we knew we had to protect it.
Our industry is made up of around 400 individual tourism businesses, losing any one of which would have a compounding effect. With that in mind, TIA Yukon sounded the alarm to the Yukon Government on March 11, 2020, the same day that the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared a pandemic. At the time we anticipated heavy losses for the summer of 2020, but could never envisage the full scale of the disruption.
Throughout the pandemic, we’ve been working to make sure as many operators are protected as possible. We have gone above and beyond in adhering to global best practices, working with communities to understand their needs, and updating people about the safety protocols implemented across the industry. We are now preparing for the return of tourists, working to develop experiences that respond creatively to this unique situation, including alternative 14-day isolation plans in the wilderness The Yukon Government recently announced that the territory would allow fully vaccinated Canadians to travel to the territory without the need of quarantining for 14 days. As vaccinations continue to roll out across the globe and travel restrictions loosen, our industry looks forward to the return of visitors coming to experience everything that the Yukon has to offer!
The Yukon is more than a destination, it’s a feeling that comes with the realization of just how profound and impactful the natural world can be. When visitors are out cross-country skiing, and it’s just you and the wildlife, you can hear the snow as it’s hitting the ground. That’s a magical feeling, and one that only a handful of people get to experience.
Yukoners are passionate innovators. As part of the Singletrack to Success (S2S) initiative, a group of indigenous youths has repurposed old mining trails into world-class mountain bike trails. It’s just one example of how Yukoners continue to drive the desire for positive change through community development. The Yukon’s First Nations communities are integral to our region and to the Yukon’s tourism industry. Indigenous Peoples have lived here for thousands of years; they have developed vibrant cultures and volumes of rich stories during that time. But they have also seen their lives disrupted and traditional lands heavily impacted by human activity. The Gold Rush of 1898 remains an important event, but recently more focus is being devoted to consider the consequences that the mass numbers of people had on the environment, culture, and history over the last 125 years.
Our role now is to acknowledge that history and to learn from it. In 2018, after close consultation with communities throughout the region, the Yukon Government developed the Yukon Tourism Development Strategy – a strategy to which TIA Yukon contributed and that it wholeheartedly endorses. At its core is a commitment to sustainability, laying out the next 10 years of tourism growth and destination management.
Tourism should always give more than it takes when it comes to a destination and the people who call it home. By educating visitors about the Yukon we hope to help travelers to the territory create a long-lasting, positive connection to the land and its people.
WHERE TO START YOUR ADVENTURE
PHOTO BY YUKON WILD
ACTIVITIES AND ATTRACTIONS IN YUKON
Biking / Hiking
Boating
Caribou Crossing Trading Post Claim 33 Gold Panning Cross-country skiing trails Dawson City Dawson City Museum Dog Sledding
Emerald Lake
Experience the Aurora Borealis Fishing / Ice Fishing Five Finger Rapids Golf
Horse riding
Hunting
Icefields Kayaking / Rafting Kluane National Park
Klukshu Lake
MacBride Museum
YUKON KEY FACTS
Largest City: Whitehorse Population: 42,507 Language(s): English Currency: Canadian dollar (CAD) Time zone: UGMT-7 Dialling code: +11-867 Tourist season: All year Annual visitors: 491,300 (2019) Annual tourism earnings: $400 million (2019) Avg. temperature: Summer 85 °F (day), Winter 39 °F (day), Highest point: Mount Logan 5,959 m (19,551 ft)
McIntyre Creek Miles Canyon Mount Logan
National Park
Old Log Church Museum Rafting
Rock Glacier Trail
Sign Post Forest Skiing
Snowmobiling Takhini Hot Springs Tatshenshini River
Tombstone Territorial Park
White Pass & Yukon Railway Whitehorse Fishway Wildlife Preserve Winterlong Brewing Co Yukon Brewing Company Yukon River
Yukon Transportation Museum
WHAT TO DO IN...
PHOTO BY YUKON WILD
CENTRAL
TOMBSTONE TERRITORIAL PARK
Experience more than two thousand square kilometers of protected wilderness and arctic tundra within Tombstone Territorial Park, otherwise known as “Ddhäl Ch’èl Cha Nän”, translating to “ragged mountain land”. The park sits within traditional Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in territory, serving as an ongoing legacy of the Land Claim Agreement. Stay in Dawson City or Eagle Plains for nearby hiking, and car and backcountry camping. Purchase your maps, camping permits and fishing licenses at the Tombstone Interpretive Centre, which also has information boards detailing bear safety, recent wildlife sightings, and trail conditions. The Dempster Highway also runs throughout the park, giving visitors the opportunity to see diverse wildlife alongside the unique permafrost landforms.
TRAVERSE THE CARCROSS REGION
Carcross is famous for being one of the oldest gold rush towns in the territory. Before that, however, the town was used by the Tagish and Tlingit First Nations peoples for centuries, so you’re sure to get an authentic Yukon experience when walking past historic buildings, along with First Nations exhibits and totem poles. Alternatively, visitors can stop off at the world’s smallest desert: Carcross Desert, a group of sand dunes measuring about one square mile!
ALSO IN CENTRAL YUKON
• Dog sledding is fun for the whole family at Carcross, Caribou Crossing
Trading Post, and Marsh Lake. • Visit Lake Bennett to explore an abandoned, historic town.
NORTH YUKON
ESCAPE TO IVVAVIK NATIONAL PARK
If you really want to get away from it all, head to the remote Ivvavik National Park. Accessible by air or water, Ivvavik – a name translating to “nursery” in Inuvialuit – operates as protected grounds for Porcupine caribou calves, and permits only a few visitors each year. The first park in Canada established through a land claim settlement, Ivvavik’s biggest attraction is Firth River, known for its whitewater rafting, wildlife sightings, and archeological sites. This park isn’t for the faint-hearted; adventurers are recommended to be as independent as possible during their stay.
DISCOVER DAWSON CITY
Dawson owes its unique landscape to the remnants of the Beringia steppe that once stretched from Canada’s Mackenzie River in the east, to Russia’s Lena River in the west. Yukon’s capital between 1989 and 1953, today the city boasts a vibrant community, with a rich history shaped both by the First Nation peoples and the Gold Rush. Throw in a bustling art scene, and Dawson has
PHOTO BY YUKON WILD
become a beacon for travelers, adventurers and writers alike. Visitors can partake in Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in events, including Indigenous People’s Day and the Moosehide Gathering. Be sure to spend an afternoon in the vegetarian and hand-made Alchemy Cafe, or try the infamous Sourtoe Cocktail. Don’t ingest the mummified human toe though, or you’ll get fined!
ALSO IN NORTH YUKON
• Explore traditions blended with modern technology at Old Crow, where a small village (most are Gwich’in) uses solar panels which harness 24 hours of daylight during summer. • Spend a day at the Ni’iinlii Njik (Fishing Branch) Territorial Park.
WEST YUKON
WILDLIFE SPOTTING IN KLUANE NATIONAL PARK AND RESERVE
With the world’s largest concentration of non-polar ice fields and Mount Logan, Canada’s highest peak, you won’t want to miss the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is Kluane National Park and Reserve. Explore glaciers and trails, with the opportunity to catch a glimpse of Yukon’s 150 different bird species, along with grizzly bears and wolves! Dall sheep, mountain goats, caribou and black bears have also been spotted roaming the park. If you’re worried about getting lost in what is the largest internationally protected area on the planet, you can experience Kluane with the help of a park guide. Picnic and camping facilities are available at Kathleen Lake, operating from May to September.
EXPERIENCE YUKON’S CAPITAL
Choose from a range of activities in Whitehorse, Canada’s so-called Wilderness City, including mountain biking, hiking at Fish Lake Loop, and cross-country skiing trails. The city sits on the Yukon River at the base of Miles Canyon, offering visitors the chance to spot local wildlife, including Yukon moose, elk, mule deer, arctic foxes and lynx, to name a few. Fish and wild game being staples of the Yukon diet, head to Klondike Rib & Salmon or Deli Yukon to sample the local cuisine, or try LuLu’s, the small downtown food truck with its daily rotating menu. A highlight of Whitehorse is the city’s fantastic music scene – stop-off at the Dirty Northern or Miner’s Daughter before you leave!
ALSO IN WEST YUKON
• Go horse riding at the Sky High
Wilderness Ranch and Fish Lake. • Learn more about the settling of
The Yukon at the MacBride Museum. • Enjoy a swim in Takhini Hot Springs.
SOUTH EASTERN YUKON
GO WILD CAMPING AT LAPIE CANYON
Kayaking, canoeing, and rafting are all on offer at Lapie, with a number of easy hiking trails also dotted across the small canyon. Millions of years of compression and strain beneath the surface of the earth have combined to give the canyon walls their present form, now playing host to a wide variety of bird species and making this a popular spot for birdwatching. If you’re visiting between May and September, stay the night at a choice of 18 campsites within the Lapie Canyon Campground, situated on the Robert Campbell Highway – suited to families with its open areas and a covered cooking area.
ALSO IN SOUTH EASTERN YUKON
• Go snowmobiling in the Liard Region. • Visit the photogenic Signpost Forest. • Between late-August to mid-April, visitors at the Northern Lights Space and Science Centre on Watson Lake can see the Aurora Borealis. • Book an Icefields Discovery Flight Tour. • Visit numerous 14,000-year-old-glacierfed alpine lakes, including postcard perfect Emerald Lake.
PHOTO BY YUKON WILD
PHOTO BY YUKON WILD
THE BEARS OF KLUANE
Within the traditional territories of the Champagne, Kluane, and Aishihik First Nations, sits Kluane National Park and Reserve, a 21,980 square km UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Reserve protects the world’s largest concentration of non-polar ice fields and Mount Logan, Canada’s highest peak at 5959m tall, and the continent’s second highest. It has become an iconic destination globally, and rightly so.
83% of the Reserve’s land is covered by the Saint Elias Mountains, which contain 17 of Canada’s 20 highest peaks, and 2000 glaciers. However, during the last 60 years, the Park and Reserve has lost approximately 20% of its original glacial coverage due to global warming. Today, Earth’s glacial wildernesses are fewer and far between.
The Kluane National Park and Reserve and Thechàl Dhâl’ Visitor Centres have friendly staff on hand to assist in the careful planning of your Kluane experience. You can also find award-winning exhibits about the Canadian wilderness at the Kluane Visitor Centre in Haines Junction or, an hour’s drive away, brand new First Nations collaboration exhibits at the Thechàl Dhâl’ Visitor Centre in the ‘Ä’äy Chù Valley. Worried about hiking in the largest internationally protected area on the planet? You can experience Kluane with the help of a park guide.
The Reserve provides a seasonal habitat for grizzly and black bears, omnivorous species under threat around the world. There are approximately 250 Kluane grizzlies, which are two-thirds the size of their relatives in southern coastal regions such as Alaska. Due to the lack of available protein, the Kluane bears rely on plants for most of their diet, feeding in open areas largely between April and October due to the seasonal availability
of Yukon flora and the need to reproduce and hibernate. Kluane campsites are in or near potential feeding areas, so visitors are firmly encouraged to camp in lower quality bear habitats.
It’s believed by biologists that the Kluane grizzlies are descendants of migratory bears from Asia, traversing the Bering land bridge approximately 50,000 years ago. There used to be anywhere up to 100,000 grizzly bears in North America, but as a result of habit disturbances caused by human settlement the bears were registered as threatened in the United States in the 1970s. Because of this, bears prefer to avoid humans, and are highly sensitive to our activity, but encounters do happen. It’s important to look for signs of bear activity like droppings and torn-up logs, to ensure your visit to the Kluane National Park and Reserve serves to protect the bears and yourself. Carry bear spray and hike in large groups.
Paddling down the remote Alsek River, you’ll get a different perspective of this glacial landscape, and on the way is Lowell Lake, the cut off point between the wet and dry vegetation which the bears feed on. Upstream you’ll need to watch out for soapberry and kinnikinnick – common bear food – but visitors should also look out for bearroot, horsetail, and field locoweed when choosing a spot for the night. Downstream of Lowell Lake the foliage is dense and species numerous, increasing the likelihood of a surprise encounter with a grizzly or black bear.
To get a more comprehensive understanding of Kluane flora and the ecology of grizzly and black bears, we recommend seeking advice at the Kluane National Park and Reserve Visitor Centre in Haines Junction or at Thechàl Dhâl Visitor Centre before beginning your hike. c
VISIT YUKON FOR THE EXPERIENCE
OF A LIFETIME
PHOTO BY YUKON WILD
With service from destinations in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario to Whitehorse and our authentic Yukon hospitality, you’ll wonder how a place you’ve never been could feel so much like home.
