The soul of the Yukon resides in the Kluane region. Kluane National Park and Reserve is unquestionably a main attraction in Yukon. It features unmatched scenery, and an impressive diversity in flora and fauna. For thousands of years, the Kluane region has been the homeland of the Northern and Southern Tutchone First Nations people. Tlingit and Upper Tanana cultures also influenced the region.

Local Attractions

Nestled at the edge of the park, Haines Junction is home to the Kluane National park Park Visitor Reception Centre. The Centre provides panoramic views of majestic snow-capped mountains, and displays explaining the Kluane’s flora, fauna, and history.

Sheep Mountain is a preservation zone for a large herd of Dall sheep. In spring and fall, clusters of sheep are usually seen low on the mountain flanks, and in summer they stay high near the ridgeline. The Parks Canada visitor center at the base of the mountain provides spotting scopes for sheep viewing. www.parkscanada.gc.ca/

Exhibits at the Kluane Museum of Natural History include Kluane First Nation artifacts, beaded ceremonial clothing, 18,000-year-old mammoth teeth and dioramas of wildlife. Videos of elders demonstrating traditional activities such as cleaning moosehide and ice fishing are shown daily.

The centre is located in Canada's westernmost community near the Yukon/Alaska border. The log-sided building features White River First Nation arts and crafts, pressed wildflowers, and other displays. Staff will be happy to help you.

Communities within Kluane

772 people are lucky enough to live in this picture postcard village. Haines Junction is surrounded by dramatic scenery and boasts the wilderness adventure playground of Kluane National Park in its backyard. Known to Yukoners as "the Junction," the town offers visitors a wide range of services including a Visitor Reception Centre. The community lies at the junction of the Haines Road and Alaska Highway and is a staging point for wilderness recreation activities including river rafting, canoeing, glacier flights, hiking, fishing and bike touring.

Named after a severe windstorm in the 1940s, Destruction Bay is now a small lakeside village with a population of only 56. The village was founded as an Alaska Highway construction camp. A boat ramp provides access to Kluane Lake and superb trout fishing.

Burwash Landing street signs feature both English and Southern Tutchone language. The 78 people in this town have taken part in a revival of the traditional language of this area. Even First Nation hockey Team team Jerseys jerseys in Burwash Landing feature Southern Tutchone.

Home of the White River First Nation, Beaver Creek. with a population of 109 is Canada's westernmost community and gateway to Alaska with a population of 109. The town is adjacent to the Canada/U.S. border, making it a natural stopping point.

Hiking is a great way to enjoy the spectacular scenery of Kluane National Park and Reserve. Roadside trails lead travelers to park features like a rock glacier and glacial lakes. Backcountry hikers can tackle multi-day treks on established trails and routes.

You can view the highest peak in Canada. With it’s base bBuried in ice 1.5 km deep and surrounded by the St. Elias Ice-fields, Mount Logan (5,959 metres) is a massive presence in the heart of Kluane National Park. Just beyond sight of highway travelers, glaciers spill down Kluane's broad valleys like rivers of ice. For most visitors, a flight-seeing tour is an ideal way to view Mount Logan and giant glaciers like the Lowell and Kaskawulsh.

Adventurers can get away from it all with an exhilarating rafting journey through unforgettable wilderness. The Alsek River travels through unmatched dramatic scenery and abundant wildlife. Travel along this glacier-fed Canadian Heritage River features a helicopter portage over Turnback Canyon. The Rafting the Tatshenshini is a Yukon rafting classic, taking you through thrilling whitewater, lush forests and glacial lakes.

Bring a canoe, enjoy a picnic on the beach or better yet camp overnight at Parks Canada's Kathleen Lake Campground. Boardwalks, benches, trails, a pebble beach and lakefront shelter make it easy to experience the many moods of this azure lake. Kathleen Lake is accessible for all kinds of activities, but the stunning view and azure waters are what most people remember.

Klukshu is a seasonal Southern Tutchone fish camp and village in a picturesque valley adjacent to Kluane National Park. Visitors can view interpretive displays, fish traps and smokehouses. Klukshu features a small museum and craft shop and a spot to buy tea and bannock accompanied by a story.

A popular spot for swimming, fishing and picnicking, the beach and playground at the Pine Lake Yukon Government Campground make a perfect destination.

The quiet grandeur of Kusawa and Aishihik Lakes beckon to a traveler who is looking for excellent fishing, camping and off-the-main-road solitude. This area is also home to a herd of bison.