Canada’s Yukon: A Great Experience

If you want the ultimate outdoor and wilderness experience, you will love Canada’s Yukon. Crystal clear lakes run off glaciers and stretch across the foothills of majestic mountains areas. Panoramic views will meet you at every turn.



Scenic Highway

If you want the ultimate road trip, rent a car when you arrive. The Yukon is one of the most scenic travel destinations in the world. You’ll find the perfect combination of friendly locals, majestic scenery and memorable attractions and events when you reach your destination. There’s very little traffic and six scenic routes offer a wide range of options. It takes from two to five days to complete these excursions. It all depends on your individual interests and how much you want to see. Road and weather conditions are also contributing factors.

Flights and Charters

Book a flight to fly over Canada’s highest mountain, or glide over canyons, tundra and crystal clear rivers. Look out the window of the light aircraft to watch people wave as you pass over small, northern communities.

The sight of the St. Elias Mountains inside the boundaries of Kluane National Park will leave you breathless. Enjoy seeing an eagle’s view of the historic Chilkoot Pass or be filled with awe by the beauty and color of alpine glaciers. If you’re traveling in autumn, you will be in awe at the forests that are ablaze with color from nature’s palette. This is God’s Country and you will certainly feel closer to your creator in this beautiful land.

Fishing in the Yukon

Imagine standing on the shore of a crystal clear lake and casting your line far out on the water. In the distance, mountains stretch to the sky. A flock of Canada geese fly overhead in a V-formation, honking to their companions. Forests are a blaze of color. It’s autumn and the wonders of nature are evident at your every turn. Suddenly, a fish takes your bait. You play it until it tires, then bring it in to shore. When you finally land it, you see you’ve caught the fish of your dreams. It’s a 22 inch Sockeye salmon.

Besides salmon, you can catch Arctic grayling, lake trout, Arctic char, northern pike, burbot, Dolly Varden, rainbow trout, whitefish and several other salmon species. Be sure to obtain a fishing license and check fishing regulations of the area where you’re planning to fish.

Wildlife Viewing

The Yukon provides a diverse and unique wildlife viewing experience. There are two moose for every person in the Yukon for an approximate moose population of 70,000. Woodland and Mountain caribou number 30,000 animals in 23 herds and there are 129,000 barren ground caribou in the Porcupine Caribou Herd. Viewing caribou and moose in their natural habitat is an experience you will remember your entire life.

Other wildlife species you can see in the Yukon are mountain sheep, mountain goat, grizzly bear, Kodiak bear, black bear, wood bison, wolves, elk, Arctic fox, muskox, cougar, mule deer and elk.

Aurora Viewing

Have you ever watched the Aurora Borealis arc across the northern sky? It’s a stunning spectacle that will make you feel as one with nature. The Aurora light up the sky on a quiet winter night with ribbons of pulsating light in colors of red, green, blue and yellow. It’s a once in a lifetime experience that you won’t want to miss. Be sure to stop by the Northern Lights Space and Science Center that is located in Watson Lake to learn the folklore and science behind the stunning phenomenon of the Aurora Borealis.

Dog Sledding

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to stand on a sled and fly over the snow behind a team of dogs? This experience can be yours in Canada’s Yukon. Many locals still depend on this mode of transportation and each year mushers challenge themselves and each other in the Yukon Quest, which has been dubbed, “the toughest dogsled race in the world.”

You can book a tour from half a day to a week with dogsled tour operators in the Yukon. They show you the ropes and how to stay in control of your dog team as you enjoy the thrill of mushing. Accommodations are provided for the trip and may range from a wall tent to a wilderness cabin or a contemporary lodge that provides all modern amenities. No matter which option you choose, you will be safe and warm.

Kayaking and Rafting

If you enjoy rafting or kayaking, it’s a great way to experience Canada’s Yukon on a swiftly moving river. Be prepared for a wild ride. Ride a raft down the white water of the Talshenshini River, past the areas towering glaciers. Watch wildlife give birth to their young on its banks, so close that you can almost reach out and touch the newborns. If you prefer a less intense ride, paddle the Snake and follow its course as it winds through alpine meadows that are home to an abundance of wildflowers, including fireweed that turn the slopes of the area a bright crimson.

The River of Gold, as the Yukon River is known, also gives a much tamer water experience. During the Gold Rush, prospectors and stampeders used this river to reach Dawson City in their search for gold.

There are many more unique experiences to be had in Canada’s Yukon. Hike, bike, golf, pan for gold, take in panoramic views on horseback, or ride rough terrain on an ATV. Skiing, both downhill and cross country and snowboarding are all activities you can engage in while enjoying the wildlife and scenery of the area.

Getting There

Since 1977, Air North has been transporting visitors to the Yukon. The airline provides light meals, ale that’s brewed locally, Midnight Sun Coffee and the down home hospitality that is typical of Canada’s North. Air North has scheduled Boeing 747 flights leaving Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver for Whitehorse daily. From there, you catch a flight on the company’s Beech 99 or Hawker Siddeley 748 aircrafts to go on to Old Crow, Inuvik and Dawson City. These aircraft also fly to Fairbanks and Juneau, Alaska. Air Canada offers flights to and from Vancouver and Whitehorse every day of the week.

For a one of a kind outdoor experience that you’ll never forget, put Canada’s Yukon on your destination list.

by Mary M. Alward