Yukon is a destination of unparalleled scenic beauty that captivates its visitors under the spell of the midnight sun and the dance of northern lights. It's a land that provides Larger than Life experiences distinguished by culture and its vast, wide-open spaces and the freedom inspired by the unending, pristine wilderness. If you have an adventurer's spirit, a love of nature and a passion for exploration, Yukon should be at the top of your holiday destination list. It is not a choice for the feint-hearted, but it is a voyage of discovery with very rich rewards and here are just a few ideas:
On the Roads Less Travelled
Yukon is the ultimate road trip destination - an exhilarating combination of postcard scenery, historic communities, cultural attractions, soft adventure outings and interesting friendly locals. Yukon's highways rank among the world's premiere adventure drives and include the world-famous Alaska Highway, the Dempster Highway (the only public road in Canada that crosses the Arctic Circle), the Top of the World and Klondike Highways. Secondary roads such as the Silver Trail, Campbell Highway and Canol Roads offer glimpses into some of Yukon's most unique but less visited communities and provide outstanding opportunities for off-road experiences.
Unique Lodges
Canada's Yukon is a vast and rugged land of diverse mountain ranges and glacier icefields, wild rivers and a myriad of lakes of all sizes and hues. Although a haven to backpackers and campers, travel within and enjoyment of Yukon's wilderness treasures need not be a hardship. Lakeside inns, wilderness retreats and lodges, rustic cabins and uniquely situated bed & breakfasts are scenically located throughout Yukon. Many such properties offer a full range of guided outdoor activities as well as recreational opportunities that can be enjoyed at the visitor's leisure. Top of the scale properties come equipped with many of the 'creature' comforts including hot tubs, jacuzzis, and gourmet dining. Travel to these unique destinations by floatplane, boat or vehicle to experience a stay in a wide array of landscapes and wilderness settings.
Pure Adventure
Yukon is a majestic land teeming with wildlife and is home to Canada's highest mountains, the world's largest non-polar glacier ice fields and renowned wilderness rivers such as the Snake, Firth, Tatshenshini, and Yukon. The Chilkoot Trail, Tombstone Mountains, Mount Logan, Kluane, Lowell Glacier and Alsek River are wilderness names that instantly conjure up memories and dreams in adventurers throughout the world. With a land mass approximately the size of California but with only 36,000 inhabitants, Yukon offers the ultimate in year round adventure getaways. Mountain trekking, wilderness river trips, dog sledding — it makes no difference; licensed Yukon operators are adept guides and experienced at making any adventure truly memorable.
Wildlife Abounds
If you're looking for a wildlife holiday, where better than one of the wildest places in the world to see caribou, moose, bears, sheep, birds and hundreds of other northern species? The Yukon is one of North America's major wilderness attractions; close to 80 percent remains pristine wilderness with just over 10 per cent of the territory fully protected. The Yukon has three national parks, six territorial parks and four Canadian Heritage Rivers. Roughly the size of France at 186,661 square miles, The Yukon is home to more than 165,000 caribou, 70,000 moose, 22,000 mountain sheep, 7,000 grizzly bears, 10,000 black bears and 250 species of birds… and only 34,000 humans! In the Yukon, people are outnumbered by moose 2 to 1!
On the Fly
Spin cast or on-the-fly, Canada's Yukon is a virtual paradise for both the weekend fishing enthusiast and the serious fisher. Its pristine lakes and rivers are home to a multitude of trout and salmon species, as well as other sportfishing species such as arctic grayling, arctic char, dolly varden, inconnu, whitefish, and northern pike. It is no wonder that fishing lodges of every description dot many of Yukon's wilderness lakes. Located on remote lakes, most lodges are accessible by floatplane only. Yukon's fishing and wilderness lodges range from upscale to rustic, but generally all feature a myriad of outdoor recreational pursuits, as well as fishing experiences of every kind, and are known for their gourmet dining fare or home cooking. Not every great fishing experience is lodge based. In fact, some of the best, but least known, fishing spots are road accessible and, of course, Yukon's expert fishing guides offer day and multi-day outings to these choice locations.
