Yukon 2008 Vacation Planner - 49

Beaufort Sea Kluane Alaska,USA welcome The soul of the Yukon resides in the Kluane region. Kluane National Park and Reserve is unquestionably the main attraction of an area that features unmatched scenery, an impressive diversity in flora and fauna, and the enduring cultural heritage of Kluane’s First People. For thousands of years, the Kluane region has been the homeland of the Northern and Southern Tutchone people, with influences by the Tlingit and Upper Tanana cultures. Yukon Northwest Territories Beaver Creek Burwash Landing local attractions WHITEHORSE Destruction Bay Haines Junction Kluane national Park Visitor information centre Start your visit to the Kluane region at the visitor centre in Haines Junction. You’ll find displays and exhibits, trail information, registration services for backcountry travel, and visitor services for the region. Operated jointly by Parks Canada and the Government of Yukon, the centre is located in Haines Junction about 700 metres off the Alaska Highway (Old Km 1640)—watch for the signs at Kluane Street. Ask for a Haines Junction brochure and Haines Junction Walking Tour brochure. www.pc.gc.ca/kluane preservation zone for a large herd of Dall’s 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. Located near the Slims River Bridge at Old Km 1705. www.pc.gc.ca/kluane Pacific Ocean British Columbia Kluane Museum of natural History In Burwash Landing, view world-class wildlife exhibits along with displays on the Southern Tutchone people and the many plant species that make their home in the national park. The museum features realistic dioramas of over 70 mammals native to the Yukon. It also contains displays of Southern Tutchone artifacts, clothing and tools. A video theatre continuously shows movies with Northern themes. www.yukonmuseums.ca our communities Haines Junction A picture-postcard village at the edge of Kluane National Park, Haines Junction is surrounded by dramatic scenery and boasts a wilderness adventure playground in its backyard. Known to Yukoners as “the Junction,” the town is the hub of the Kluane region and offers visitors a wide range of services, including a Yukon Visitor Information Centre. The community lies at the junction of the Haines Road and Alaska Highway and is a staging point for wilderness recreation activities. Population: 884 destruction Bay Named after a severe windstorm in the 1940s, Destruction Bay is now a small lakeside village that was founded as an Alaska Highway construction camp. A boat ramp provides access to Kluane Lake and superb trout fishing, and the village offers various visitor services. Population: 56 Burwash landing A revival of the Southern Tutchone language and culture has been taking place in this quiet lakeside community. This is readily apparent to visitors when they pull into town and are met with Southern Tutchone street and traffic signs, within and nearby Burwash Landing. Several prominent geographic features have been renamed in Southern Tutchone—watch for signs along the Alaska Highway. The community offers selfguided walking tours and other tourist services, including a service station, laundromat and nearby hiking trails. Take time to visit the Kluane Museum of Natural History. Population: 85 Beaver creek Home of the White River First Nation, Beaver Creek is Canada’s westernmost community. Its proximity to the Canada/U.S. border makes it a natural stopping point with a range of visitor services including accommodations, restaurants and a Yukon Visitor Information Centre. Population: 111 st. elias convention centre The convention centre is home to an historical exhibit depicting significant events of the Kluane region and a growing collection of artwork including quilts, a ceramic tile mural and a silkscreen hanging. The building also houses the municipal offices with information on a range of community facilities and services. www.hainesjunctionyukon.com Beaver creek Visitor information centre Located in Canada’s westernmost community near the Yukon/Alaska border (Old Km 1934), this log-sided building features displays, White River First Nation arts and crafts, pressed wildflowers and helpful staff. Visitors entering the Yukon from Alaska, or considering the loop route to Dawson City on the Top of the World Highway, are encouraged to drop in. www.travelyukon.com below left: Kluane Museum of Natural History – YG below: St. Elias Centre, Haines Junction – YG tachäl dhäl (sheep Mountain) Visitor centre Stop at the Parks Canada visitor centre at the base of Tachäl Dhäl (Sheep Mountain) for hiking information, and to watch for sheep through spotting scopes. The mountain is a travelyukon.com 49

Yukon 2008 Vacation Planner

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Yukon 2008 Vacation Planner