Inspiration
Under the Midnight Sun: Your Road Trip Guide to the Yukon’s Klondike-Kluane Loop
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From the riverbanks of Whitehorse to the glacial edges of Kluane, the Klondike-Kluane Loop delivers beauty, wonder, and history in motion. This summer road trip offers a vivid connection to the Yukon’s land and stories as it takes you along the gold rush trail. Along the way you'll cross alpine wilderness, see preserved boomtown buildings, and experience living Indigenous culture. This is northern travel at its most immersive.
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This content is presented in partnership with Travel Yukon and written by Go Canada.
In the vast, storied landscapes of the Yukon, the Klondike-Kluane Loop is more than a summer road trip. It's a roughly 1,413 kilometre journey through wilderness, history, and cultural resilience, where winding highways link gold rush boomtowns, glacier-fed lakes, and ancient Indigenous homelands. Along the Top of the World Highway, alpine vistas stretch for miles and the road feels tailor-made for daydreams. Whether you're soaking up the midnight sun in Dawson City or tracing glacial valleys near Kluane Lake, this loop is a journey through wilderness, living culture, and wide-open beauty.
Whitehorse: Where the Story Starts
(Road trip start point)
Set beside the Yukon River and backed by forested mountains, Whitehorse is the territory's creative and cultural capital. Begin your journey by exploring the restored SS Klondike, a riverboat that once hauled freight to and from Dawson City. Then check out the scenic Millennium Trail or relax with a patio pint before grabbing a bite downtown, with enticing options ranging from food trucks to fine dining. A short drive from downtown Whitehorse brings you to the Hidden Lakes, a network of recreational trails offering views of a variety of small lakes and ponds. Summer brings extended daylight, perfect for an evening paddle or trail walk.
Whitehorse to Dawson City (via Carmacks)
Approx. 6–6.5 hours | 533 km
Once you’ve left Whitehorse, be on the lookout for Braeburn Lodge. Their world-famous cinnamon buns have become a rite of passage for road trippers. Don’t ask for a small one. They don’t exist.
Follow the Klondike Highway north through boreal forest, tracing the path of the Yukon River. Stop in Carmacks at the riverside Coal Mine Campground & Canteen, famous for their burgers and creamy milkshakes.
On the way to Dawson take a quick detour to visit the massive Dredge No. 4, a towering relic of mechanised mining, and try panning for gold yourself at Free Claim #6. Don’t miss the nearby Discovery Claim National Historic Site. This short 1.5 km interpretive trail marks the spot where gold was first discovered in 1896, launching the Klondike Gold Rush and changing the course of history.
In town, Dawson is a place that time didn’t so much forget as carefully preserve. Boardwalks and saloons echo with the ambition and excess of gold-crazed dreamers.
Among it all, you can also have an Indigenous experience at the Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre, where stories of the first people of the Klondike, the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, provide a different perspective to the city’s well known colonial past.
Summer in Dawson hums with energy. The town hosts the Dawson City Music Festival in July and a Summer Concert Series on Fridays by the river, while Diamond Tooth Gerties offers nightly cancan shows in Canada’s oldest gambling hall.
Dawson City to Beaver Creek
Approx. 7 hours | 434 km
From Dawson City, follow the Top of the World Highway west toward the US border. But first you'll need to cross the Yukon River on a short free ferry ride that runs daily from mid-May through the summer.
The highway is one of the most remote and striking in the Yukon, traversing alpine ridges with sweeping views of boreal forest and taiga. The unpaved road can be bumpy at times, but the jaw-dropping scenery may slow you down more than the road conditions.
While you may choose to stop in Tok or Chicken, Alaska, it's also entirely possible to continue without lingering. Simply pass through the US border and re-enter Canada at Beaver Creek, Canada’s westernmost community.
In summer, wildflowers bloom along the roadside and long daylight hours stretch every scenic stop into a golden hour. Beaver Creek is a tiny but welcoming outpost, with a Visitor Centre and interpretive signage sharing the stories of Indigenous heritage and the Alaska Highway’s construction. It's a good place to refuel, grab a hot meal, or rest for the night before heading to Kluane.
Beaver Creek to Haines Junction (via Alaska Highway)
Approx. 4-4.5 hours | 291 km
Southbound now, you’ll skirt the edges of Kluane National Park and Reserve, one of Canada’s great natural treasures. Stop at Burwash Landing or take a short detour to Silver City, a ghost town of collapsed cabins and weathered frontier ruins that once served as a North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) post and roadhouse. It is haunting and photogenic.
Further along the shore of Kluane Lake, the Thechàl Dhäl Visitor Centre offers trail maps, wildlife sightings, and insight into the traditional territory of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations. In summer, rangers often lead short walks and wildlife talks.
Looking for something deeper? Book with Shakat Tun Adventures, where you'll be welcomed into a traditional camp to learn about Indigenous ways of life, family structures, and stories tied to the land.
Haines Junction to Whitehorse
Approx. 1.5–2 hours | 155 km
The final leg takes you through the St. Elias Mountains, beside emerald lakes and golden meadows. Haines Junction itself is an excellent base for hikes or scenic glacier flights. Summer is prime time for flightseeing tours or a refreshing dip in nearby Pine Lake. Before you leave town, stop by the Village Bakery for something warm and nourishing. If you prefer something cool and creamy, check out Frosty’s.
Back in Whitehorse, park the car, exhale, and take it all in. You’ve passed through wild country and places of gold rush legend, crossed rivers and borders, climbed into cloud-snagged mountains and cruised alongside glacial lakes. The dust on your bumper tells its own story. You’ll look back on this road trip for years to come and remember it wasn’t just a drive - it was a journey into the heart of the North!
Trip Tips
- Best driven from late May to early September.
- Confirm the Top of the World Highway is open (it’s open May 18-Sept 15, 2025.)
- Some services in smaller towns may be seasonal. Call ahead!
- Bring a spare tire, bug spray, and a good playlist or three for the trip.
- Mobile service is limited in stretches. Download maps offline before you start.
For more information and resources about travel in the Yukon, please visit Travel Yukon.
To see more ideas for road trips in the Yukon check out Travel Yukon’s Iconic Drives.
Go Canada Staff
Editorial
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