Shallow
Bay, Lake Laberge km 209 (mi. 130)
Land access to Shallow Bay is somewhat difficult.
You will find a trail
just north of the Shallow Bay road, on the east side
of the Klondike Highway.
In April and May, this is one of the best sites for
waterfowl viewing. Tundra and Trumpeter swans stage
here by the thousands in spring and fall. It is
also a hot spot for migrating shorebirds and songbirds.
Watch for birds of
prey like Short-eared Owls and Northern Harriers
that hunt in the open fields
surrounding the bay.
Lake
Laberge Campground km 224.6 (mi. 139)
The campground is located on a signed side road
2.9 km (1.7 mi.) east
of the highway on the shores of Lake Laberge. Made
famous by the Robert
Service poem, “The Cremation of Sam McGee,” this
is the only place in
Yukon where Double-crested Cormorants can be reliably
seen. Loons and
other open water birds are common. This is one
of the fisrt places in the
Whitehorse area to see the prairie crocus bloom
in spring (mid-April).
Fox
Lake km 239 (mi. 148)
Waterfowl stop here on their spring migration.
You can put a canoe in
at the south end of the lake for a day of adventuring
in the sheltered bay. Muskrats come to feed on
the abundant aquatic vegetation and many muskrat
push-ups can be seen dotting the frozen surface
of the lake in winter and
spring. You may be scolded by a Lesser Yellowlegs
if you venture too close
to its nest or its offspring.
Fox
Lake Burn km 271.9 (mi. 167)
Follow the 200 m (650 ft.) interpreted trail to
the overlook and
experience the importance of fire to the boreal
forest ecosystem.
Elk
and bear viewing km 273-340 (mi. 171-212)
About 50 elk — a protected species in the Yukon — live
in this area. The best time to see them is in winter
and spring, when there are no leaves on the trees.
Listen for elk bugling in late summer and autumn.
Drive slowly and look on the exposed south-facing
slopes for their distinctive cream-coloured rumps.
Grizzly bears are also commonly seen here in spring
and summer, feeding on the roadside vegetation and,
sometimes, on the elk.
Nordenskiold
River km 320 (mi. 199)
The picturesque wetlands seen
from here to Carmacks on the west
side of the highway are part of the
Nordenskiold River system. Waterfowl
stage here during spring and fall
migrations and nest in the more
isolated areas of the river. Watch for
breeding Trumpeter Swans, Greenwinged
Teal, Lesser Scaup and Ruddy
ducks. Beaver, muskrat and moose
feast on the lush vegetation while
mink and red fox hunt along the edges
of the wetland. Listen for Soras and
Red-winged Blackbirds singing in
the sedges. These species are locally
common in the Yukon, usually
indicating very productive wetlands.
This is a Special Management Area
under the Little Salmon Carmacks
First Nation Final Land Claim Agreement and has
been proposed as a Habitat
Protection Area due to its rich biodiversity.
Five
Finger Rapids Recreation Site km 380 (mi. 237)
Five Finger Rapids was a dangerous place on the
river during the
Klondike gold rush and river travel eras. There
is a large pullout on the west
side of the highway. A staircase, perhaps the Yukon’s
longest, leads down to
the rapids. It takes 45 minutes (return) to walk
the 850 m (0.5 mi.) trail that
ends at a large viewing platform. The south-facing
slope is a perfect habitat
for prairie crocus, kinnikinnick, common juniper
and sage, and is home to
White-crowned and American Tree sparrows. This
is the edge of Beringia
(the area that remained ice free when the North
American continent was
joined to Asia) and so open slopes like these contain
many unique species of
plants and insects. Interpretive panels discuss
historic and natural themes.
Tatchun/Frenchman
Road km 383.4 (mi. 240)
A gravel road leads you to campgrounds at Tatchun
Lake at km 8.4
(mi. 5.2), Nunatuk at km 33.3 (mi. 20.7) and Frenchman
Lake at km 41.7
(mi. 25.9). All three campgrounds are on beautiful,
clear lakes that offer great
opportunities for pleasant canoe outings. The road
is 46.2 km (28 mi.) long
and offers some of the best chances to view mule
deer. The road joins the
Robert Campbell Highway about 41 km (25 mi.) from
the Klondike Highway
intersection.
Lhútsäw
Wetlands km
442 (mi. 276)
 |
American Coot, C. Eckert |
Lhútsäw Wetlands,
also known as Von Wilczek
Lakes and locally known
as Jackfish Lake, is an
important wetland complex
for duck staging, nesting
and moulting. It has been
identified as a Special
Management Area under the
Selkirk First Nation Final
Agreement and, when the management plan is completed,
will be designated
as a Habitat Protection Area.
Tthi
Ndu Mun Lake km 449 (mi. 281)
Also known as Rock Island Lake, this lake is
just beyond the northern
limits of a 1995 forest fire. Water lilies and
other seldom-seen aquatic
wildflowers bloom in the shallow areas of the
lake. American Coots, rarely
seen in Yukon, along with geese and ducks, nest
here. Sandhill Cranes are
often seen flying overhead in spring and fall.
Meadow
Lake km 458 (mi. 286)
 |
Moose
|
This shallow lake is one of the “athalassic,” or
salty lakes of inland
origin found in the area. Notice white salts
deposited on old stumps sticking
out of the mud along the lakeshore. Salts accumulate
over time after naturally
weathering out of the rocks. Much saltier lakes
may be found nearby. Such
lakes are home to salt-loving plants known as “halophytes.” Look
for
chicken-like American Coots. This is their most
northerly known nesting site. Large numbers of
Horned Grebes make Meadow Lake their home in summer.
Drunken
Forest km 510 (mi. 317)
This straight section of highway is surrounded
by black spruce and
paper birch that grow on poorly drained soil.
Permafrost develops in these
soils. As the permafrost melts, the trees lean
in different directions appearing “
drunken.” This same permafrost causes frost
heaves in the highway.
Back-country wildlife viewing:
Ddhaw Ghro Special Management
Area
Ddhaw Ghro is the Northern Tutchone name for
the area also known as
McArthur Wildlife Sanctuary. Although not accessible
by road, the refuge
is a great place for outdoor enthusiasts. Grey
Hunter Peak and surrounding
hillsides support many species of wildlife, including
Fannin sheep. Some
private land holdings exist within the protected
area. Please contact the
Selkirk First Nation for more information. If
you are an intrepid adventurer,
inquire about retaining the services of a guide
to travel into the area.
Ethel
Lake Campground km 523.6 (mi. 327)
Ethel Lake Campground is 24 km (14.5 mi.) down
this windy, narrow
road. The lake provides fishing opportunities
for Lake Trout and Northern
Pike. The road passes through some high elevations
where subalpine fir can
be seen. This is a rich area for moose.
Moose
Creek Campground
km 559.3 (mi. 350)
A 2.5 km (1.5 mi.) interpreted nature trail
to the Stewart River takes you into the boreal
forest along Moose Creek. Allow one hour to
complete this loop trail. Note the change of
habitat from dry white spruce forest to floodplain
willow. Listen for such floodplain residents
as
the Northern Waterthrush, Wilson’s Warbler
and
Common Yellowthroat. They feast on mosquitoes
that hatch from the areas’ many small ponds.
The
return trail takes you along a dry ridge. Fishing
opportunities are found along Moose Creek and
at Stewart River.
Gravel
Lake
km 622 (mi. 389)
This important wetland on the Tintina Trench
is a major travel corridor for migratory birds
in
spring and fall. Just north of the highway pullout,
a dirt road goes down to the lakeshore. Waterfowl
nest here in early summer, joined by rafts of
ducks in late summer. Because of its location
on the trench, unusual birds are sometimes seen
here, including Ruddy Duck, Black Scoter and
the most northerly sightings of American Coot.
Yellow water lily blooms carpet the lake surface
in July. Sharp-tailed Grouse are commonly seen
in the open aspen woodlands.
Tintina
Trench viewpoint km
655 (mi. 409)
A large rest area on the north side of the road
has a commanding view of the Tintina Trench
and the Klondike River. The Tintina Trench is
the
largest geological fault in North America, and
is
one of two major travel corridors for migratory
birds in the Yukon. The other is the Shakwak
Trench.
Klondike
River
km 668 (mi. 418)
A large pullout on the east side has an
interpretive sign about the history of salmon
in
the Klondike River and their importance to the
Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First
Nation.
Klondike
River Campground km 697 (mi. 436)
A 1.7 km (1 mi.)
interpreted nature trail loop
takes you to the Klondike
River. It offers a close look
at an unspoiled section of
the forest and river. In this
stand of giant white spruce
and riverside willows you
get a glimpse of a typical
forest in this area prior to
the 1898 gold rush. A wide
variety of plants grow along the trail. Watch
for Labrador tea, highbush
cranberry, prickly rose, arctic bearberry and
horsetails.
Crocus
Bluff Trail km 713 (mi. 446)
A 500 m (0.3 mi.) trail leads you to a view
of the confluence of the
Klondike and the Yukon rivers. Lowbush cranberry,
feathermoss, lichens,
arctic bearberry, and arctic bluebell are only
a few of the plant species that
thrive on the rich black earth under the white
spruce/paper birch forest of the
Klondike Valley. Interpretive panels discuss
nature and history themes. The
trailhead is found near the cemetery on the
Dome Road, off the end of King
Street in Dawson City.
