Whitehorse: Yukon History, Trails and Museums

If you’re looking for a hotel in Whitehorse, its trails and varied connections to Yukon history help define the destination. Museums, public artworks, groomed trails and a tour on the Yukon River offer different points of interest. When planning your trip, it’s worth distinguishing between Whitehorse’s citywide trail network, an individual trail and a river tour.

Culture and History in Whitehorse

The S.S. Klondike is a large sternwheeler on the banks of the Yukon River beside the Robert Campbell Bridge. In Whitehorse, it sits on dry land. The vessel was designated a National Historic Site of Canada to recognize inland water transportation in the Yukon Territory and to represent Yukon sternwheelers and other vessels. If you’re interested in the history of river travel, the S.S. Klondike is a tangible point of interest in Whitehorse.

The MacBride Museum is the Yukon’s first museum and features 11 unique galleries. The Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre offers insights into the Yukon during the Ice Age, including ice ages, extinct animals and First Nations legends. These provide different points of interest for visitors with varied cultural interests: the MacBride Museum stands out as the Yukon’s first museum, with its galleries, while the Beringia Centre focuses on the Ice Age.

Main Street also offers a historical perspective on Whitehorse: public artworks there celebrate the Yukon’s rich history. This connection can be found not only at the ship and museums, but also in public art.

Trails from the Citywide Network to an Individual Route

Whitehorse has an estimated 230 km of citywide trails and more than 850 km of local and neighbourhood trails.

The Whitehorse Nordic Centre is a separate offering, with nearly 100 km of groomed trails through snowy forests and views of the mountains. The centre has routes for every skill level, from beginner to expert.

The Long Lake Loop Trail is located near Whitehorse. It is about 2.8 km long and connects to a larger trail network in Riverdale.

Yukon River Tours and the River Route

Yukon River Tours offers another way to connect Whitehorse with the Yukon landscape. The departure point is five minutes from downtown Whitehorse. The tour follows the historic Yukon River into the Yukon wilderness. From Schwatka Lake, it passes through Miles Canyon with views of Grey Mountain and Mount McIntyre, then continues along the Yukon River. The tour is therefore defined by a sequence of named places and landscape views, while the trail offerings are described mainly by length, grooming or skill level.

Information from the operator is seasonal, so check it again before booking. When choosing what to focus on, you can compare the offerings based on their different connections: museums and art explore Yukon themes, the Nordic Centre offers groomed trails for a broad range of skill levels, and the river tour follows a named route through the landscape.

Discover more destinations: Dawson City, Beaver Creek, Haines Junction.

View the main travel overview: Yukon.