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Roam Canada

Whitehorse, Kluane and the Klondike

Yukon

Aurora, tundra colour and 48,000 people in a territory the size of Spain.

Best months
February–March · August–September

The Yukon has one city, a handful of highways (one of them gravel all the way to the Arctic), and dark skies for eight months of the year. Late August and September give aurora with mild nights and red tundra in Tombstone; February and March give the best lights, the sled-dog races and ten hours of daylight. Whitehorse is the base for both.

Things to do

  • Aurora from a lodge outside Whitehorse

    Operators run heated viewing cabins 20–40 minutes from town with pickups after 10 pm. The season runs late August to mid-April; three nights gives good odds of one clear show.

  • Kluane National Park

    Two hours west of Whitehorse. Kathleen Lake and the King’s Throne trail from Haines Junction; flightseeing over the icefields and Mount Logan, Canada’s highest peak. Da Kų Cultural Centre in Haines Junction is run with the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations.

  • Tombstone Territorial Park

    Up the Dempster Highway from Dawson City. The tundra turns red and gold in the first half of September; the Interpretive Centre closes around September 20 and campground services run into late September.

  • Dawson City

    Six hours north of Whitehorse. Dredge No. 4, the Klondike gold-rush streets and Diamond Tooth Gerties casino run daily from May to mid-September; Gerties opens weekends in autumn and late winter, and the town is much quieter but still open.

  • Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre

    On the Whitehorse riverfront, with exhibits, carving and programmes run by the Kwanlin Dün First Nation. Carcross, 45 minutes south, has the Carcross/Tagish First Nation’s carving shed and Commons.

  • Dogs, hot springs and wildlife

    Day mushing runs December to March. The Yukon Wildlife Preserve, 30 minutes from town, has bison, muskox, lynx and moose in large enclosures; Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs is a few minutes further along the road.

When to go

  • Late August to September

    Darkness returns, the first aurora shows arrive with above-freezing nights, the bugs are gone and the tundra colours in Tombstone. Most Dawson attractions are open until mid-September.

  • February and March

    Yukon Rendezvous fills late February, and sled-dog racing returns when the Yukon Quest runs; longer days and −12 to −1°C in March. Statistically the best aurora months.

  • December and January

    Dark by 5 pm, −20°C is normal and −30°C happens, but the lowest lodge prices and the longest aurora nights. Dress for it.

  • No aurora in June and July

    Midnight sun means no dark sky. Summer is for hiking and the Chilkoot Trail, not lights.

How to get there

  • Fly to Whitehorse (YXY)

    Air North and Air Canada fly from Vancouver in about 2.5 hours, with flights from Calgary and Edmonton, and seasonal Air North flights from Ottawa and Toronto in summer. There are no nonstops from Europe; connect through Vancouver or Calgary.

  • A car in winter is fine

    The Alaska and Klondike highways are ploughed and sanded. Rentals come with winter tires and block heaters; keep the tank above half.

  • Whitehorse to Dawson

    Six hours on the Klondike Highway, or a one-hour Air North flight. Tombstone is a further 90 minutes up the Dempster on gravel.

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