The Yukon covers 483,450 square kilometres. All Yukon communities are south of the Arctic Circle and are accessible by road except for Old Crow which is a traditional native community 185 kilometres south of the Arctic coast.
Capital city and administrative, transportation and communications centre of the Yukon. Kilometre 1489, Alaska Highway. Popular tourist attractions include the S.S. Klondike sternwheeler, MacBride Museum, Miles Canyon, Yukon Gardens, log skyscrapers, and Whitehorse fish ladder.
Carcross was known by the Tlingit people as ‘Naataase Heen’, meaning water running through the narrows. The Tagish people called it ‘Todezzane’, meaning wind blowing all the time. Both names are quite appropriate. It was called Caribou Crossing in 1904 and renamed Carcross in 1906 by Bishop Bompass of the Anglican Church.
Today, a few of the must sees include, the Caribou Hotel which is the oldest operating Hotel in the Yukon, St. Savior’s Anglican Church built in 1902 and the Baptist Catholic Church built in 1905 and the Matthew Watson General Store, also the oldest operating store in the Yukon.
Teslin, the gateway to the Southern Lakes Region provides a bounty of unique northern cultural history, lifestyle and stories. Teslin Lake, Dawson Peaks, the Nisutlin River Delta National Wildlife Area, Nisutlin and Teslin Rivers provide endless adventure and excitement.
Teslin is home to the Tlingit First Nations people who migrated inland through the Taku River from Alaskan coastal areas from 200-300 years ago. Many trace their lineage to the Juneau/Auk Bay area. Fur trading to the coast was the original economy. The Teslin Tlingit traditional lifestyle still follows the movement of fish and game and the harvest of plants and berries today. Pot latching remains an integral component in the lifestyle of the Teslin people, as do traditional values and belief systems. Elders are held in high esteem, remain fundamental to the Tlingit governance system and provide the wisdom and knowledge of the original ways.
Teslin people speak an entirely different language from the Athapaskan spoken by other Yukon First Nations people. Teslin people are closely related to the Tlingit people of Atlin and a system of trails used prior to the Alaska Highway for mail and supplies is still evident between both communities, which are part of the Da Kah Nation. Teslin was a summer place until churches, a school, a trading post and a paddle-wheeler dock appeared. Thereafter, more people began settling year round. The Alaska Highway arrived in 1942.
Teslin offers extravagant lake and mountain scenery, prize fishing and hiking. There are three museums; George Johnston Museum, the Yukon Wildlife Gallery and the Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre. The Heritage Center provides unique opportunities to learn about the past and to re-experience it today with the Tlingit people. Some of the Yukon’s most renowned aboriginal carvers live and work in Teslin.
Highway community 10 kilometres from the southern border of the Yukon. Kilometre 1019, Alaska Highway. Tourism, lumber, mineral exploration and wilderness outfitting form Watson Lake's economic base. Watson Lake signposts and Alaska Highway history display are the major attractions.
Centre of the Klondike goldrush. Placer gold mining and tourism are the major economic activities. Attractions include Parks Canada's restored Palace Grande Theatre, Post Office, Robert Service's cabin and Gold Dredge #4. Diamond Tooth Gerties is also a popular attraction.
A mining town, located northeast of Whitehorse, on the Robert Campbell Highway. Faro was built in 1970 to support open pit lead and zinc mining operations. Fannin sheep viewing stations are situated near the town.
Situated west of Whitehorse at the junction of the Alaska Highway (Kilometre 1636) and the road south to Haines, Alaska. Headquarters for Kluane National Park.
A supply centre, prospecting and placer mining community in central Yukon. Mayo is located on the Silver Trail, southeast of Dawson City.
Highway community between Whitehorse and Dawson City. Former site of Tantalus coal mines. North of Carmacks is the viewing site of Five Finger Rapids on the Yukon River.
A Kaska native community on the Robert Campbell Highway. Major economic activities include hunting, trapping, guiding and mineral exploration.
A Vuntut Gwitchin community 192 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle. No road access. One of the earliest sites of human habitation in North America. Hunting, trapping and fishing are major economic activities.
Westernmost community in Canada, Kilometre 1934, Alaska Highway. Canada Customs post and tourist lodges are the main employers.
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