Hmm, are you interested in the Yukon or in Alaskan Panhandle? Both are amazingly beautiful places for a vacation but they do offer very different experiences.
The cruise boats will take you up the Panhandle and into the Southern Alaskan fjords with a short 3-4 hour round trip from Skagway on the White Pass vintage railway or possibly a day excursion from Haines along the eastern edge of Kluane National Park. Not much hiking, camping, or remoteness but tons of jaw-dropping coastal scenery.
The Yukon, on the other hand, is a camping, hiking, and canoeing paradise with spectacular scenery, interesting history, and very special character. If you enjoyed the less travelled parts of the Rockies like Peter Lougheed, you’ll be blown away by the Yukon. Hands down, our summers in the Yukon were filled with unforgettable experiences.
Some suggestions if the Yukon interests you:
Pick your time carefully. June and July give you almost 24 hours of daylight, but bring bug spray. Late July to early September means shorter daylight hours, but the bugs are mostly gone so camping and hiking is easier.
Whitehorse, the main centre, has decent air connections from other major Canadian cities like Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, and Calgary. Whitehorse also has a wide variety of decent accommodations and is a good place to pick up a rental RV or camping/canoeing gear. It’s also an interesting place to explore for a day or two while you decide on your itinerary or book guides or special adventures.
Many first time RVers make circle trip by driving from Whitehorse to Haines Junction/Kluane, going across the border to Haines, Alaska, taking the car ferry to Skagway (book ahead), then traveling back across the border to Carcross, and finally heading back to Whitehorse. Lots of glorious scenery, Gold Rush history, good hiking, wildlife sightings, and First Nations culture. Give yourself 5-7 days for the trip so you have time to enjoy yourself.
Another good option is to head north of Whitehorse to Dawson City. The drive takes about 5 or 6 hours depending on the number of stops. There is a good campground at Lake Labarge (of Robert Service’s Sam McGee fame!) just north of Whitehorse. Dawson City was THE major city north of Seattle during the Gold Rush and there are lots of preserved buildings, festivals, and historical/cultural events and demonstrations. Worth 3-4 days of exploration.
Finally, a couple of very special, off-the-beaten-track places. First is Atlin, a small isolated town 2 hours south of Whitehorse which some call the Switzerland of the North. Current population is about 400 people, but during the Gold Rush was a city of 10,000. The town is situated on a lake backed by incredible mountain scenery. You can kayak on the lake or go for a sightseeing flight. In July, Atlin holds an Arts and Music Festival which attracts people from around the globe. The second is Teslin, a small Tlingit community at Mile 804 on the Alaska Highway. The George Johnson Museum is a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the remarkable people who live in the North.
I’ve just scratched the surface of this amazing corner of Canada, but I guarantee a trip around the Yukon will leave you with unforgettable memories.
