Before
World War II a quiet village of 500 people, Whitehorse
boomed with the construction of the Alaska Highway in
1942. The village was originally established during the
Klondike Gold Rush because of its location beside the
forbidding Whitehorse Rapids on the Yukon River.
Adventurers boating down the Yukon had to cope with both Miles
Canyon and the rapids. Enterprising entrepreneurs built
log tramways and charged the stampeders to lift their
boats, rafts, and supplies around the canyon and rapids.
The gold rush and its aftermath created a major river
port at Whitehorse, with paddle-wheelers plying the
waters of the Yukon, taking supplies and passengers to
Dawson and other mining towns.
With
World War II and the highway, Whitehorse became a city
overnight, with a wartime population of 10,000. Although
the population declined somewhat after the war,
Whitehorse became the Yukon's major trading and
transportation center. The territorial government was
moved to Whitehorse in 1953, replacing Dawson as the
government center. The impressive government building is
located on the bank of the Yukon River. More than 60% of
the Yukon's population lives in Whitehorse. The city
limits encompass 421 square kilometers, including several
suburbs spread along the Alaska Highway and the Riverdale
subdivision on the east bank of the river.
The Whitehorse Visitor Information Centre is in the
T.C. Richards Building, a large log cabin at 302 Steele
Street, downtown. Whitehorse attractions may be previewed
from a laser disc. For advance information, call (867)
667-7545. The Parks Canada Information Centre is
found next to the S.S. Klondike restoration at the end of
2nd Ave., downtown.
What
to See & Do
Several
days could be well-spent in the Whitehorse area, visiting
museums, taking river trips, shopping for native art and
crafts, and visiting the special attractions that have
been developed in recent years, including nighttime
entertainment shows.
The Yukon Government Art Collection is on display in
the territorial government building on 2nd Ave, downtown.
Northern landscapes and people are shown in the works of
prominent Yukon and other Canadian artists. There's a
gallery in the Whitehorse Public Library, in the same
complex.
S.S.
Klondike, the best remaining example of the Yukon
River sternwheeler, is located on the bank of the river
at Rotary Park at the end of 2nd Ave. This is a National
Historic Site, operated by Parks Canada. An
interpretation centre is located in the park. For in
formation, phone (867) 667-3910.
The Old Log Church Museum, at 3rd Avenue and Elliot
Street, was once the territory's Anglican Cathedral. It
opened as a museum in 1962, and displays documents,
artifacts, and photos of the early missionary days in the
Yukon. The museum is open daily, June through
August.
The Frantic Follies Vaudeville Revue is a long-time
staple of Whitehorse summer nightlife, staged in the
Westmark Hotel, downtown. Gold Rush songs, skits, Robert
Service poems and cancan dancing are highlights of this
entertainment set in the Gold Rush days, (867) 668-2042.
Advance tickets are available in the lobby of the
Westmark Whitehorse Hotel.
The Beringia Interpretive Centre is a series of
multimedia exhibits featuring life-size displays of
animals of the last ice age, interactive CD-ROM kiosks
and dioramas depicting the unique landscape, flora and
fauna of Beringia. The exhibits include a full-size cast
of the largest woolly mammoth ever recovered and a
reconstruction of the 24,000 year old Bluefish Caves
archaeological site.
The MacBride Museum, 1st Avenue & Wood St., has a
number of historical themes including natural history,
Native culture, the Gold Rush era, and the construction
of the Alaska Highway. The museum is packed to the
rafters with railway artifacts and other forms of early
transportation in the area. Open daily, May 15-Sept. 15.
For info, call (867) 667-2709.
Yukon
Gardens, on the Alaska Highway, is the only show
garden in the northern territories. Here are large
displays of wild plants as well as northern flowers,
trees, and shrubs. Children will enjoy the petting farm
and an international bird display. Open daily,
June-September.
Takhini
Hot Springs, 9.6 KM (5.9 miles) off the Klondike
Highway north of Whitehorse, is a memorable hot spring
resort which has a coffee shop and one of the best
campgrounds in the north. For information, call (867)
633-2706.
Canadian
Yukon Riverboat Family has riverboat trips departing
from Whitehorse and Dawson City, on the Yukon River.
Accommodation and meals are included. Riverboat trips:
Whitehorse to Dawson -- 3 nights; Dawson City to
Whitehorse -- 4 nights. For information and reservations,
call (867) 633-4414.
Tours
and Walks
Walking
tours are available through the Yukon Conservation
Society, (867) 668-5678. These guided walks include
tours to Miles Canyon, Grey Mountain, and Hidden Lake.
Allow two to six hours.
Whitehorse
Heritage Walks start from the Donnenworth House (3126
3rd Avenue) and lead through the downtown area. For
information, call (867) 667-4704.
The
cruise boat M.V. Schwatka offers a good
opportunity to see the famous Miles Canyon and learn the
history of the most treacherous rapids of the Trail of
98. A friendly and informative 2-hour cruise. Hosted by
long time Yukoners Bruce and Rachelle, this trip will
help you understand some of the hardships and trials of
the early day gold seekers. The tour departs from
downtown hotels, RV Parks or from the hydro dam from June
1 to September 10. For information, call (867) 668-4716.
The Dam & Fish Ladder along the Yukon River beyond
the downtown area is worth visiting during spawning runs.
This route to the ladder starts at the end of Nisutlin
Drive in the Riverdale suburb, across the river from
downtown. The fish ladder allows chinook (king) salmon to
migrate past the hydro dam to their spawning grounds up
river. August is the best time to see the migration. The
fish ladder is open daily, July and August. Info: (867)
633-5965
Side
Trips from Whitehorse
1.
To Carmacks & Five-Finger Rapids
Drive
north on the Alaska Highway from the Two Mile Hill
junction for 12 KM (7.4 miles), and turn onto the
Klondike Highway (Hwy. 2). Passing the Takhini Hot
Springs Road you approach the Yukon's only reindeer farm.
It is open to the public. Lake Laberge, made famous by
Robert W. Service in "The Cremation of Sam McGee," can be
seen from viewpoints and from the Lake Laberge Yukon
government campground 32.8 KM (20.4 miles) from the
Alaska Highway junction.
Passing
by Fox Lake and the small Twin Lakes, an old tumble-down
log building revives memories of the early days of the
Yukon. Montague House was a way-station on the rough
wagon road to Dawson City.
Carmacks,
a small community on the Yukon River, is located 165.3 KM
(102.7 miles) from the junction of the Klondike and
Alaska Highways. This was once a stop on the riverboat
route to Dawson. Now, it has a hotel and cafe, plus a
Yukon government campground with a picnic site.
189.1
KM (117.5 miles) from the junction is Five Finger Rapids,
named by early prospectors for the 5 channels or
"fingers" made by the rock pillars sticking out of the
river. Riverboats had to be winched through the one
navigable finger. There is an excellent viewpoint with
steps leading down to a trail which gives a closer view
of the rapids. 2 KM beyond the rapids is the road to
Tatchum Creek Park.
2.
To Carcross and Atlin
It
makes a long day, but any visitor to Whitehorse should
drive to the scenic village of Atlin, B.C., the historic
gold rush town on Atlin Lake. Drive south along the
Alaska Highway to the Klondike Highway junction and turn
right towards Carcross. Carcross is a small village which
was an important lake steamboat and rail center before
the 1950s. The original Carcross Hotel is still in
business with a cafe and lounge. The paddle-steamer
Tutshi (Too-Shy) is beached here as a museum.
After
visiting Carcross, turn northwest on Tagish Road (Hwy. 8)
and drive to the junction with the Atlin Road, near
Jake's Corner. The Atlin Road (Hwy. 7) provides a 93.3-KM
(58-mile) drive along Little Atlin Lake and Atlin Lake.
This area is called the "Switzerland of North America,"
for its high snow-clad peaks and hanging glacier.
Native
tribes, descended from the early Athabaskans who traveled
over the Bering Land Bridge&emdash;have been the primary
residents of the Yukon for at least 10,000 years and
probably as long as 30,000 years. Over the centuries, the
Native people have survived the rigors of this harsh
land, adapting to the changes brought first by the fur
trade, then by gold discoveries, the Alaska Highway boom,
and the recent mining and tourism development.
There
are seven Native tongues used by Yukon tribes: Tlingit,
Tagish, Kaska and Southern Tutchone in the southern areas
of the territory, Tutchone and Han in the central
interior, Kutchin in the north. There are seven thousand
Natives now living in the Yukon. A campaign has been
waged to preserve the traditional languages, as well as
the art of the Yukon groups, including leather crafts,
beadwork, canoe-making, carving and parka-making. Many of
these arts and crafts are exhibited for sale in crafts
stores in the Yukon communities.
The
Yukon Natives are deeply spiritual and have preserved
this culture in the face of modern civilization. An
outstanding experience for tourists is visiting the
Native communities, exploring the local museums, and
observing their ancient traditions.
Yukon Outdoors
The
vast Yukon Territory is an exciting land of mountains,
rivers, plains, and northern muskeg. In most of the
Yukon, permafrost is only a few feet under the surface of
the ground. Canada's highest mountain is located in the
southwest corner of the territory. The Dempster Highway,
running north from Dawson City across the Arctic Circle,
passes through the most northerly range of the Rocky
Mountains, permitting tourists to see mountain tundra in
the higher altitudes.
The
Yukon provides a range for vast herds of caribou, seen as
they migrate in the spring and fall. Throughout the Yukon
there is an abundance of other wildlife: grizzly bears,
Dall sheep, mountain goats, and fish including lake
trout, northern pike, and Arctic grayling.
Outdoor
recreation lies around every corner in the Yukon. Anyone
who likes the outdoors will want to don a back pack and
wander along the rivers, through mountain meadows, and on
many trails found in the national and territorial parks.
Kluane National Park is outstanding, with 250 KM (155
miles) of hiking trails, including trails for day hikes
and others which take you to striking wilderness country
and overnight camping. River trips are a popular pastime.
Several outfitters in Whitehorse organize trips down the
Yukon River and it's possible to canoe from Whitehorse to
Dawson with a portage at the Five-Finger Rapids. Other
rivers offer white-water canoeing and rafting.
Whitehorse
Camping
Takhini
Hotsprings Campground
R.R. 2, Site 19, Compartment 4, Whitehorse YT Y1A
5A5
(867) 633-2706
This is arguably the best private campground in the
Yukon, and a major attraction is the hot spring resort of
which this is a part. It's located at the end of Takhini
Hotsprings Road, off the Klondike Highway, north of
Whitehorse. Camping facilities include electrical
hookups, showers, picnic tables, firewood, and laundry,
and other resort features include a coffee shop, large
outdoor hot spring pools, and guided trail rides. The
resort is open year-round, with cross-country skiing and
soaking in the steaming hot water.
Sourdough
City RV Park
411 Main Street (mailing address), Whitehorse YT Y1A
2B6
(867) 668-7938, or 800-661-0539 (Yukon, B.C.), or
800-764-7604 (Alaska)
This large downtown RV park is located on 2nd Avenue,
north of Ogilvie Street. The entry is at the 2nd Avenue
Chevron. Facilities include RV and trailer sites with
full hookups, additional sites with electrical hookups,
tenting sites, showers, laundry, barbecue area, and a
gift shop. This is the only camping park close to the
downtown area. Open May 1 to October 1.
MacKenzie's
RV Park
301-Mile 922.5, Alaska Highway, Whitehorse YT, Y1A
3Y9
(867) 633-2337
Located 6 miles north of town, this park has RV and
trailer sites with full hookups, plus tenting sites,
showers, laundry, a grocery store, and an RV/car wash.
Gold panning is a popular feature.
More
On-line Information:
Cedar
& Canvas Adventures
(guided canoe trips)
