Yukon Trails
Below is a series of short write ups about some multi-use trails around the Yukon to inspire ideas for your next ride. These have been submitted by our members on a volunteer basis and we are always looking for more additions, so please contact us any time if you would like to add a trail to this page! For current trail condition reports, please see our Trail Conditions page.
The Trans Canada Trail
Bonneville Lakes loop
Canol Road
Coal Lake Road
Copper Haul Road
Dawson Overland Trail
McLean Lake Trail
Mt. McIntyre Trail
Ridge Road Heritage Trail
The Trans Canada Trail
The Trans Canada Trail is a multi-use trail that connects Canadians from coast to coast to coast. It is made up of hundreds of individual trails linked together to form the world’s longest recreational trail, stretching over 24,000 km and passing through all 13 provinces and territories. The Yukon is home to approximately 1,600 km of the Trans Canada Trail. For more information on the Trans Canada Trail and the trails that make up the Yukon portion of it, please visit our Trans Canada Trail page at www.ksa.yk.ca/trails/trans-canada-trail.
Bonneville Lakes Loop
The Bonneville Lakes loop trail is a beautiful afternoon snowmobile ride just a few minutes west of Whitehorse. It is a class three wilderness trail between Fish Creek and the western shore of Fish Lake. Starting and finishing where Fish Lake Road meets Fish Lake, this loop is approximately 30 km and offers riders a wide variety of riding and scenery in a relatively short distance.
The route includes crossing Fish Creek on a naturally forming ice bridge, a winding trail through the boreal forest, climbing up into the alpine and travelling across the chain of Bonneville Lakes, a beautiful view while crossing the ridge to Fish Lake, a steep descent onto Fish Lake, and then a ride across Fish Lake.
A variety of wildlife such as caribou and moose frequent the area, please slow down and give way to the many horse riders and dog teams that use the area, and don’t forget your binoculars to scope out the nearby hills for sheep.
Travelers are advised this is a class four wilderness trail with very limited signage and no services, and the trail can easily be obscured by blowing snow, so it is highly recommended that you travel with someone who knows the area well.
Canol Road
During World War II the Canadian and American governments worked together to complete a reliable supply route between Alaska and the lower 48 states. Construction of the Alcan Highway (short for Alaska-Canada highway and today known simply as the Alaska Highway) started in early 1942 and amazingly the highway, along with several adjacent airfields, was completed in less than a year.
Soon after the highway was constructed it was noted that a reliable supply of oil was going to be needed for the vehicles, equipment and aircraft using the route. Norman Wells, N.W.T., a community on the banks of the McKenzie River several hundred kilometres to the east, was producing oil in the needed quantities and construction began on a pipeline to bring this oil from Norman Wells to a refinery in Whitehorse, Yukon where it could then be used on the Alcan Highway. This pipeline and associated road was named the CANOL (short for Canadian Oil) project and oil started flowing in 1944.
After about year however the war finished up and the CANOL oil pipeline was no longer needed. Although the pipeline was shut down many years ago the Yukon section of this narrow and windy gravel road does remain to this day and is maintained as a summer-time only road for Yukoners and visitors to enjoy.
During winter time the snow-covered class 3 wilderness route is open for adventure by snowmobile and other winter recreational activities. Many snowmobilers come to enjoy the powder and the scenery on the 230 kilometre section between Johnsons Crossing and Ross River, known as the South Canol. Please use caution and come prepared, as this is a remote wilderness route with limited traffic and no services, so all winter users will need to be entirely self-sufficient for the full trip.
Coal Lake Road
The Coal Lake Road is a multi-use class three destination trail from the Copper Haul Road to the Coal Lake area. The trail starts right at the Sima Creek crossing on the Copper Haul Road, and immediately begins climbing through the forest and up into the alpine terrain between Golden Horn mountain and Mount Granger.
Just above the tree line there are some information signs about various topics of interest in the area. This area of the Yukon is home to two herds of Southern Lakes Caribou, which are often spotted from the Coal Lake trail. In the 1990s numbers of Southern Lakes Caribou were found to be rapidly declining, and since then great effort has been put into an extensive recovery program. Recent counts are coming back with good news, however the Klondike Snowmobile Association still strongly encourages everyone to please help protect the caribou by staying on designated trails whenever possible and to keep a large distance from any animals to avoid unnecessarily scaring them.
At the information signs just above the tree line the trail splits, left to Golden Horn mountain and to the right is the Coal Lake trail which winds south through the alpine area and eventually to a site not far from Coal Lake where a small coal mine was operated long ago. There are many coal deposits in southern Yukon, however at this site it was found the coal was low grade and the small project was ended.
After the coal mine the trail continues south and west and eventually links up with a route between Fish Lake and Rose Lake. From here snowmobilers can turn north and it’s a short ride directly to the bottom of Fish Lake, making a loop ride suitable for day trips from Whitehorse. North of the coal mine site there is also an unmarked trail going west directly to the eastern shore of Fish Lake, and another unmarked trail going east to Coal Lake.
These trails are popular with locals but please be aware they are unmarked and unmaintained. From the Copper Haul to the signs just above the tree line is a relatively easy and well marked trail, but beyond that point the trail becomes a remote wilderness trail with very limited signage and extreme conditions possible. Travel beyond that point is not recommended unless you are an experienced snowmobiler and travelling with someone who knows the way.
Copper Haul Road
The Copper Haul Road serves as the “main line” of Trans Canada Trail in the Whitehorse area. It is a year-round class two multi-use trail that runs north/south just west of urban Whitehorse, and connects several multi-use trail networks.
The Copper Haul Road was originally constructed in the early 1900s as a spur line of the White Pass and Yukon Route railway to service several copper mines in the area, and when the last mine closed in the early 1980s the road was recycled into a multi-use trail. This trail is fairly well marked and suitable for beginner snowmobilers. For more information check out our Copper Haul Road page at www.ksa.yk.ca/trails/copper-haul-trail.
Dawson Overland Trail
During the Klondike Gold Rush, and for years before and after, the only way to travel between Whitehorse and Dawson City was via the Yukon River. In 1902 the Yukon government contracted the White Pass & Yukon Route to build a winter road between the two communities, which was both shorter and safer than using the river.
The Dawson Overland Trail has long since been replaced by the North Klondike Highway, but the Takhini to Braeburn section remains open for adventure! This section is a class four wilderness trail running from the Takhini River Road just outside of Whitehorse to Braeburn Lodge on the North Klondike Highway, and the ride is approximately 100 km each way.
For more information please visit our Dawson Overland Trail page at www.ksa.yk.ca/trails/dawson-overland-trail.
McLean Lake Trail & Adit Lane Trail
The McLean Lake trail runs approximately seven kilometers from the top end of the Hamilton Boulevard multi-use trail to the Copper Haul Road, and serves as the main connector trail for several neighborhoods in Whitehorse. More recently the northern section of this trail is also known as the Adit Lane trail.
Approximately half way the trail crosses the McLean Lake Road, and there is a small staging area here as well. The trail is a signed, maintained and well travelled class two trail suitable for all snowmobilers, and please travel with caution as this multi-use trail is popular with many other user groups as well.
Between the McLean Lake Road crossing and the Copper Haul the trail passes by the largest of the McLean Lakes, which offers trail users easy access to the lake with some excellent fishing opportunities. Use caution on this lake as there is frequently large areas of overflow throughout the winter.
Mount McIntyre Trail
Mount McIntyre is a mountain guarding the west side of Whitehorse and peaks at just over 5000 feet tall. It’s known locally as “Mount Mac”. Located near the peak is a VOR site, which is a key navigation aid for aircraft coming to and from Whitehorse as well as international air traffic passing overhead on their journeys between North America and Asia. Nav Canada has placed a fence and do not enter signs around the VOR site, please respect this and do not enter as it is a hazardous place for the public to be and also being too close to their equipment can interfere with aircraft navigation. That being said, there is an access trail from the Copper Haul Road to the VOR site, and this trail is open for recreational adventure!
The trail begins on the Copper Haul Road just a few metres south of the Copper Haul / McLean Lake Road intersection. The trail starts through the forest and then ascends up the east side of the mountain, with beautiful views of Whitehorse on the way up. As the trail comes through the tree line it crosses over to the west side of the mountain and offers outstanding views of Fish Lake and surrounding area. As the trail continues along there is an intersection where travelers can either continue straight and go up to the peak near the VOR site, or turn west and go down to Fish Lake. There are also many ski trails and dog sled trails in the area, so snowmobilers are kindly asked to please stick to the main motorized multi-use trails only. From the Copper Haul to the peak is approximately 12 km. It’s a class three trail and well marked, however travel with caution on the upper section as this area frequently sees high winds and blowing snow which can reduce visibility and obscure the trail route making navigation difficult.
The Fish Lake turnoff is approximately nine km up from the Copper Haul and takes riders down another class three trail approximately five kilometers from the Mt. McIntyre trail to the eastern shore of Fish Lake. This loop is popular with locals and also a common route for tour groups, so please expect to encounter large groups on snowmobiles, skis and dog sleds when travelling this area during winter months.
Ridge Road Heritage Trail
This section of Trans Canada Trail is located just south of Dawson City, and takes riders through the heart of the Klondike Gold Rush. The Ridge Road Heritage Trail is approximately 30 kilometres one way of class 4 remote wilderness trail running up along the ridges between Bonanza Creek and Hunker Creek.
The Heritage Ridge Road was originally a wagon route constructed in 1899 to service the mines along the Bonanza and Dominion Creeks, and was one of the first wagon routes to be built in the Yukon Territory. Soon many roadhouses and suppliers set up shop along the route, and at one point there was even a small railway operating in the area.
Before long however, the gold rush subsided and the services along the route faded into history. Many gold mines still operate in the area, however better roads have been constructed and the Ridge Road is no longer used.
During the 1990s locals resurrected the route, this time in the form of a multi-use recreational trail. During winter it’s popular with snowmobilers as well as other winter trail users. Access to the trail is from a small staging area at the southeast corner of Callison Industrial area. The trail starts low but soon climbs up and follows the ridges with breathtaking views all around, and eventually ends where it meets the Upper Bonanza Creek road. Further snowmobile riding is possible by following this road in either direction.
The views are well worth the ride, and there are several artifacts and interpretive signs to check out along the way. See the old watchman’s cabin, find some gold rush artifacts (please look but don’t touch), and keep your eyes peeled for the railway car at Soda Station!
Don’t see the trail you were looking for? Have something to add? Let us know! We are working on expanding this page to include more trails, so if you have anything to contribute please contact us any time!