9 Nights: Golden Circle & Atlin From Whitehorse (Approximate Distance: 1,000 km)

DAY 1: Whitehorse To Haines Junction

Pick up your RV in Whitehorse in the morning and stock up on groceries and supplies before leaving town. Travel westbound on the historic Alaska Highway towards Haines Junction.

Haines Junction is the gateway to Kluane National Park and Reserve, a park roughly half the size of Switzerland. The park features twelve of Canada’s highest mountains including Mount Logan, the country’s highest peak.

• Kathleen Lake Campground

DAY 2: Haines Junction

Spend a full day in Haines Junction to enjoy everything the area has to offer. Choose from one of the area’s many hikes, go rafting on the Tatshenshini River, or visit the Da Kų Cultural Centre to learn more about the history and lifestyle of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations.

Embark on a glacier sightseeing flight for a truly unique view of this spectacular part of the world!

• Kathleen Lake Campground

DAY 3: Haines Junction To Haines

Depart Haines Junction in the morning. The Haines Highway is one of the most spectacular drives in the North and was designated a Scenic Byway in 2009. Along the way, an extensive boardwalk leads to a lookout where you can watch the 60 meter high Million Dollar Falls on the Takhanne River. Each July the falls are the endpoint for the Chinook’s upstream salmon spawning run.

Be sure to have your passports ready for the border crossing into Alaska. After crossing the border, the 40-mile stretch of highway takes you through the Bald Eagle Preserve.

• Haines Hitch-Up RV Park
• Chilkoot Lake Recreation Site

DAY 4: Haines

Haines is situated on the Alaska Panhandle and is known as Alaska’s adventure capital. It serves as a popular destination for tourists visiting Glacier Bay National Park.

Enjoy this leisure day to visit one or more of the city’s museums, enjoy a local hike, and visit the local brewery and distillery.

• Haines Hitch-Up RV Park
• Chilkoot Lake Recreation Site

DAY 5: Haines To Skagway

Leave your campsite in the morning for the ferry ride to Skagway. The car deck fills up quickly, so it is recommended to make a reservation at least one week in advance. Watch for whales, eagles and maybe even grizzly bears fishing for salmon on this scenic 45-minute ferry ride. Skagway is nestled at the northernmost reaches of the Inside Passage.

The streets are lined with wooden boardwalks and restored buildings, looking much as they did over 100 years ago. Attend “The Days of ‘98” show in the evening to relive an incredible story of the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush through music, laughter, and of course, the legendary Can-Can!

• Pullen Creek RV Park
• Dyea Flats Campground

DAY 6: Skagway

Skagway has a lot of wonderful hiking trails around town. Train enthusiasts can take a full day ride on the historic White Pass & Yukon Route railway. The track climbs 3000 ft in just 12.5 km, through tunnels and across trestle bridges.

Another option is to book a day trip with a fast ferry to Juneau, where you can find restaurants, souvenir shops, great hiking trails and tours to the Mendenhall Glacier. The ferry ride offers great chances of seeing whales, seals and grizzly bears!

• Pullen Creek RV Park
• Dyea Flats Campground

DAY 7: Skagway To Conrad

Travel on the Klondike Highway, with stops at the Captain William Moore Bridge, and the Summit Lake pullout, about 6 km before the border. Before crossing the border back into Canada, you can stop for a quick photo of the ‘Welcome to Alaska’ sign on the left side of the highway.

After returning to Canada and adjusting your watch back to Mountain Standard Time, the Yukon Suspension Bridge offers impressive views over the white-water rapids of the Tutshi River. Your campsite is located at the Conrad Historic Townsite, a former mining town dating back to the start of the 20th century.

• Conrad Campground

DAY 8: Conrad City To Snafu Lake

Continue northbound on the Klondike Highway to the beautiful Bove Island Viewpoint. Approximately ten kilometers further north lies Carcross, a historic village that sits on the shores of Bennett Lake. The Visitor Information Centre offers a handout for a self-guided walking tour of the ‘Carcross Commons’ and the rest of town.

Visit the Parks Canada exhibit on the Chilkoot Trail at the Visitor Centre. The Carcross Desert just north of town is often considered the smallest desert in the world. After this drive to the Emerald Lake viewpoint and continue eastbound to Snafu Lake on the Tagish Road.

• Snafu Lake Campground

DAY 9: Snafu Lake To Atlin

Follow Atlin Road (Highway 7) southbound and enter the province of British Columbia. This road follows the eastern shore of Atlin Lake to the village of Atlin. In Atlin, you can visit the former transportation vessel MV Tarahne, the Atlin Museum and Visitor Information Centre, and the Atlin Pioneer Cemetery where many of the town’s early residents are buried.

There is also an opportunity to rent a canoe or kayak and explore the shoreline and islands of Atlin Lake.

• Pine Creek Campground
• Grotto Recreation Site 

DAY 10: Atlin To Whitehorse

Depart your campsite in the morning and stop at Marsh Lake, followed by a stop at the blue Yukon River Bridge near the start of the Yukon River. Return your RV to Fraserway RV in Whitehorse by 11:30 am.

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