Top 5 Yukon Car Tours: See the Canadian Wilds

Dreaming of going to the Yukon? Thinking about seeing some expansive wilderness, dramatic mountains, plus that clear northern light? So, too it’s almost an adventure, like your own cinematic road movie just waiting to unfold. Really, you might think about putting these five self-driving car tours high on your must-do list. We might be covering some well-known routes, and some less-traveled paths, basically each provides a distinct look into what is sometimes called the true North. Each one provides something unique, so let’s look at a few options for experiencing this remarkable place at your own speed.

1. The Klondike Highway: History etched in Stone

Imagine driving the Klondike Highway. It’s almost more than just a road; rather it is a connection to the frenzy that came with the gold rush days. In some respects, the trip will probably start in Whitehorse. Then, it proceeds north. We might follow that path the prospectors took so long ago. You’ll see old mining towns, basically silent now. These historical towns whisper stories of dreams found and just as easily, lost dreams. You might want to visit places like the Dredge No. 4 National Historic Site. It provides a window back into a totally pivotal time that shaped the area. A little further north is Dawson City. Once upon a time, this area was the hotspot for people seeking instant riches.

That boom town ambiance persists there now too, just a little different. Today, there’s entertainment that might evoke the can-can days, plus tours that detail the gritty stories of that gold-rush episode. Yet, what will catch many by surprise is how much wilderness this route also showcases. We pass through vast stretches that seemingly show a raw natural splendor: Boreal forest expanses. Possibly spot migrating caribou, that might briefly interrupt the journey. If it’s your aim to get a sense of the history, that blends seamlessly into nature, that is almost iconic; this car tour promises something rather unforgettable. See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Klondike Highway)

2. The Golden Circle Route: Views that Just Keep Coming

The Golden Circle is very popular. It features breathtaking vistas at about every turn. It almost starts with Haines, a town in Alaska, a bit cute and bordering on quaint. Anyway, that will soon give rise to something more. First, a ferry trip from Haines to Skagway, that displays glacier-laden fjords plus forests hugging the shoreline, will provide memorable views, for example. Skagway is pretty well known too. Basically, Skagway showcases its own distinct slice of gold rush stories. In a way, there, it might be more specifically intertwined with the infamous Chilkoot Trail. Driving onward will carry you to the White Pass. This will bring you something really extraordinary. It has such a dramatic alpine backdrop.

When reaching Emerald Lake, you’ll understand a lot, too. The name isn’t by chance. In other words, its intense blues blended with that glittering green warrants admiration, especially if seeing them on a perfectly clear morning. Next on your agenda could be Carcross. You see a chance, there, to learn some area First Nations lore plus admire that surprisingly contrasting Carcross Desert. What you get is this: Coastal landscapes that turn into glacial majesty then suddenly there are dry deserts plus glimpses into local cultures, all linked in this nicely formed driving circle. It really might give you a super-rounded portrait of southeast Yukon together with parts of Alaska. Read our full review: Golden Circle Route Full Review and Details

3. Dempster Highway: Go Remote. Really.

If it’s the idea of being completely surrounded by raw, unbroken land, that attracts you. Plus you think you’re something of an off-roader? This Dempster Highway route is right for you. We might say that’s it’s an out-and-back excursion. As a matter of fact, this one takes you up toward the Arctic Circle. You can start your drive from near Dawson City; and yet it goes, basically, to that border where civilization starts thinning out and only true Arctic majesty rules. You might be on roads consisting largely of gravel here. The trip offers lots. Gaze upon mountain ranges. Enjoy constant light across plains. We almost pass by many cultural sites found inside First Nations communities.

For anyone considering this route: come armed, as they say, with sufficient prep! Really make some service appointments on your auto. Take extra supplies and tires. A trip across is worth every bump though because, after all, experiencing such immensity feels, very surely, very personal. To some, it really seems so spiritually significant, almost to the point of having transformed them from the people who embarked. Experiencing wildness becomes the focus when choosing that path. The vistas just unfold as pure arctic terrain, as a constant that can’t quite be explained easily back to those folks from warmer climes. See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Dempster Highway)

4. Silver Trail: Little Slice of Something Quieter

Now we can check the Silver Trail. We’re going to be focusing, especially, on seeing historic remnants. A few relics tell the history of silver mining during the early twentieth century. First of all, there is Keno City. We might have only a handful of folks calling it home these days. But Keno still radiates with its almost frontier feel. From there, expect exceptional hilltop sights to admire some panoramas spanning valleys; green ones below as well as some peaks up high above. A bit beyond sits Elsa, something close to a totally deserted old silver mining site. Basically, the whole place looks perfectly paused within the constraints of one definitive bygone time. That Silver Trail route feels just that tiny bit more humble.

There is also something rather special here. It brings a more somber feeling. This tour features fewer touristy trappings along these roads, as well as even reduced vehicle traffic to interrupt solitude during times for contemplative reflection set within wild Canada. Arguably you have something special. Seeing what was and understanding that so many dreams are literally now only whispers across such wide geography makes anyone consider how fragile success might sometimes be. Read our full review: Silver Trail Full Review and Details

5. Tagish Lake Road: Serenity between Two Places

We might turn now to a lesser travelled road now. You may find that this Tagish Lake road provides much delight if wanting tranquil trips between places. Essentially what you get can become what some hope. A serene connection exists there spanning both Whitehorse with Carcross through nearly untouched country zones along that tranquil Tagish Lake expanse. Expect quiet, too. You can have forests and still waters everywhere. Basically it all just invites stopping on occasion for picnics plus random viewing locations throughout a few drives.

Really get glimpses sometimes! What may come as quite unexpected arises unexpectedly perhaps during mornings perhaps. Those moments happen when water appears undisturbed plus reflects images from evergreens along nearby shores. The route feels simpler to travel compared with some others previously cited: it seems better, somehow, than simply zooming toward destinations along big wide arteries built for traffic volume rather instead choose relaxation mixed right into everything done daily anyway so days almost seem far different, completely refreshed following even simplest commutes. So go somewhere you appreciate at something less frenetic speed; feel nature deeply alongside journeys taking hold through you slowly from start straight up til complete end point along such memorable highway moments while visiting Yukon. See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Tagish Lake Road)