Page 10 - RV Yukon

Haines Junction -
Gateway to
Kluane National Park
For thousands of years, the area of
present-day Haines Junction was
a place for the seasonal hunting
and fishing camps of the Southern
Tutchone people. The townsite
you see today rose during the
construction of the Alaska Highway
and the Haines Road in the early
1940s. Located at the edge of Kluane
National Park in the traditional
territory of the Champagne and
Aishihik First Nations, Haines
Junction, or commonly referred to
as “the Junction” by locals, offers
travelers many services. Haines
Junction has a population of about
600 at the crossroads of the Haines
and Alaska highways. It is also the
headquarters for Kluane National
Park Reserve (part of the biggest
internationally protected area in the
world). It provides an access point
to Tatshenshini-Alsek Wilderness
Provincial Park in British Columbia.
Overlooking the community is
the towering peaks of the St. Elias
Mountain range.
Kluane is derived from the local
Southern Tutchone language and
means “a place of fishing,” and refers
to the teaming waters of the area,
from the spawning salmon in the
Klukshu River to the great late trout in
Kluane Lake.
Haines Junction was born during the
Alaska Highway project, serving as a
U.S. army base to house engineers
working on the road’s construction.
Its name comes from the community
of Haines, situated on the Alaska
coast. The 257-kilometre Haines
Highway connects Haines, Alaska and
Haines Junction via the 1,065-metre-
high Chilkat Pass. This highway was
originally constructed to provide a
direct route for transporting supplies
shipped into Haines to the Alaska
Highway project.
Kluane National Park is a land of
superlatives best describe as “High
Mountain Wilderness.” Here int he
southwest corner of the Yukon are a
myriad of remote lakes, alpine valleys
and glacially-fed rivers. Kluane boasts
the highest mountains in Canada, the
world’s largest non-polar icefield, and
the most enormous diversity of plant
life and wildlife in northern Canada.
Outdoor recreational opportunities
abound for all age and ability levels.
Haines Junction is situated at the
junction of the Haines Road and
Alaska Highway. Kluane National
Park and Reserve has some of the
healthiest populations of grizzly
bears and Dall sheep in the world.
The park contains over 2,000 glaciers
and is a UNESCO World Heritage
Site. Be sure to visit Da Kų (Our
House) Cultural Centre, it celebrates
the Champagne and Aishihik First
Nations peoples, Culture and
Traditions. The cultural centre also
houses the Yukon and Parks Canada
visitor information centres.
KLUANE MUSEUM
Mile 1093, Burwash Landing
Wildlife Gallery, First Nation
& Mineral Displays
KLUANE REGION
Million Dollar Falls Lookout
Photo: YG / Derek Crowe
Kluane Highlights
Get your daily
campground permit online!
You can now get daily campground permits on the web.
Use them when you self-register on-site.
Visit env.eservices.gov.yk.ca and log in with your
Environment Client ID to get them.
▶ Online daily campground permits are
$18 per campsite, per night
($9 for Yukon resident seniors 65+).
▶ This is not a reservation.
▶ Expire 21 days after selected start-date.
▶ Non-refundable and non transferable.
Taken on a hike to Kings Throne
Peak in Kluane National Park
Kluane Lake has many places to
park and enjoy your surroundings.
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