Whitehorse - Environment Yukon

A Guide to Wildlife Viewing
in the Wilderness City!
Wildlife Viewing Tips
• Bringbinocularsoraspottingscopefora
closerlookwithoutdisturbingtheanimals.
• Gettoknowthespeciesyouwishtosee.
• Findoutwhichhabitattypeitprefers,whenitis
active,andwhereitismostlikelytobefound.
• Spendtimequietlyobservingafteryour
arrival.Hidinganimalsmayreveal
themselvesoncetheysensenodanger.
• Ifyoufindwhatappearstobeanorphaned
animal,pleasedon’tpickitup.Theparents
aremostcertainlynearby,waitingforyouto
moveawaysotheycanretrievetheiroffspring.
• Keepyourdogonaleashandundercontrol
atalltimes.
• Ifyouseesomeoneharassingwildlife,askthem
tostoporreportit.
Please report wildlife harassment, or illegal
hunting, trapping or fishing to the Yukon “Turn
In Poachers” (T.I.P.) hotline at 1-800-661-0525.
Althoughthesesitesarefairlyclosetotown,youshould
prepareforawildernessouting.Thisincludes:
• lettingsomeoneknowwhere
• takingnoteoftrailjunctions,
youaregoingandwhenyou
plantoreturn;
• takingappropriateclothing;
andpayingattentionto
distancewalked;
• stayingontrails
Maps/Guidebooks:
• WhitehorseTrailMap
• Whitehorse,TheWildernessCity
• WhitehorseareaHikesandBikes
• YukonHikingGuide
Brochures (free):
• TenGreatPlacestogoBirdinginWhitehorse
• ExploringtheWhitehorseFishway
Theseareavailablelocallyeitherthroughretailoutletsorthe
officeslistedbelow.
Formoreinformationaboutwildlifeviewingopportunitiesin
Whitehorsevisitorcontact–
• Environment Yukon’s Wildlife Viewing Programat
10BurnsRoad667-8291
www.wildlifeviewing.gov.yk.ca
• Whitehorse Visitor Information Centreat
100HansonStreet667-3084
• Yukon Conservation Societyat
302HawkinsStreet668-5678www.yukonconservation.org
• City of Whitehorseat
4210-4thAvenue668-8335www.city.whitehorse.yk.ca
ISBN 978-1-55362-540-7
Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper • Revised 2011
Environment
Whitehorse
1 • Boreal Worlds Trail (Yukon College)
The trail system behind Yukon College starts at the south-west
cornerofthestudentparkinglot.Thetrailstakeyouthrougha
varietyofhabitatsandalongtheshoreofabeaverpondonthe
McIntyre Creek. This is a great place to spot beaver, muskrat,
BaldEagles,andsmallforestcritters.
2.• Long Lake
Thispopularday-useandswimmingareaislocatedabout3.5kmalong
WickstromRoad(offofHospitalRoad)ontheeastsideoftheYukon
River.Itisagreatlocationforapicnic,ashortpaddle,orahikealong
the 2.5-km trail encircling the lake. The road to Long Lake is not
recommendedforlargeRVs.Campingandfiresarenotpermitted.
3 • Quartz Road Wetlands
TheQuartzRoadwetlandsareaseriesofgravelbars,shallowriver
channels, and small islands in the Yukon River across from the
ChilkootShoppingCentre.Thisquietoasisishometonumerous
fishandbirdspeciesandisconsideredoneofthemostsignificant
wildlife areas in the city. The shallow channels are important
habitatfortendifferentspeciesoffish.Theislandssupportalarge
MewGullnestingcolonyandeachspringhundredsofswansand
otherwaterbirdsusethisareaduringmigration.
4 • Mt. McIntrye Ski Trails
This is haven for small forest critters and an important travel
corridorforlargermammalssuchascoyote,moose,lynx,andbear.
Theextensivetrailscoveravarietyofterrainfromhighmountain
slopestolowvalleys.Mapsareavailableattheskichaletandatthe
westendoftheCanadaGamesCentreparkinglot.
5 • McIntyre Marsh
Locatedabout3.4kmalongtheFishLakeRoad,McIntyreMarshis
agreatplacetohaveaquietlunchanddoalittlebirdwatching.The
gazebooffersshelterandinterpretivepanelsdescribesomeofthe
birdsthatmakethismarshtheirhome.Watchforotters,beavers,
muskrats,RedFoxes,andcoyotes.
6 • Millennium Trail
This5kmpavedtrailtakesyoualongbothsidesoftheYukonRiver
immediatelyupstreamofRobertCampbellBridge.Ontheeastside
oftheriver,thetrailwindsthroughforestsofspruce,pine,andaspen.
Onthewestside,thetrailleadspasttheS.S.KlondiketoRobertService
CampgroundandBertLawPark.Eventhisclosetotownyoumaybe
lucky enough to see coyote, beaver, fox, or watch for salmon in the
shallowsduringAugust.
The Wilderness City
7 • Bert Law Park
BertLawParkisasmallislandintheYukonRiverbyRobertService
Campground. It can also be reached along the Millennium Trail
thatstartsattheS.S.Klondike.Accessedbyashortfootbridge,this
parkmakesagreatdestinationforaquietstroll(1km)tolookfor
birds,berries,andsignsoffoxorbeaver.Therearemanydelicious
berries to enjoy, but beware: the Baneberry is abundant on the
islandandpoisonous!
oftheriver.Thetrailofferswonderfulviewsandanopportunityto
learnmoreaboutthenaturalandhumanhistoryofWhitehorse.A
numberofinterpretivepanelsalongtherouteexplainsomeofthe
features.Thetrailrouteismarked,althoughthereareanumberof
sidetrailsandalternateroutesinsomeplaces.Onthewestsideof
theriver,thetrailfollowstheMilesCanyonRoad.Allow4-5hoursto
completetheroute.
8 • Whitehorse Fishway
OneofWhitehorse’spremiernaturalhistoryattractions,theworld’s
longestwoodenfishladderwasbuilthereinthelate1950s.Chinook
SalmonusetheladdertogetpasttheWhitehorsedamontheway
totheirspawninggrounds.Stopbytheinterpretivecentre(open
during the summer) to learn more about the salmon and watch
themnegotiatetheladder.Thefishwayislocatedontheeastside
oftheYukonRiver,justbelowthedam,reachedviaNisutlinRoad
inRiverdale.
12 • Miles Canyon
Miles Canyon is accessible via the Miles Canyon Road, on the west
side of the Yukon River. Here the river narrows into a canyon
bankedbyblackcolumnsofbasaltrock.Youcancrosstheriveron
afootbridgethatleadstomanymilesofhikingtrails,includingthe
Yukon River Loop Trail. Or hike upstream 1.5 km to Canyon City,
wherestampedersheadingforDawsonCityhadtobegintheportage
aroundtherapids.Thisstretchoftheriverisagoodplacetoseeotters
andbeavers.
9 • Hidden Lakes
TheHiddenLakescanbereachedbytravelingabout1.8kmalong
theChadburnLakeRoadthenturningleft(east)ontoashortaccess
road.TheHiddenLakesareexamplesof“kettles”–largedepressions
createdbyleft-overiceblockswhenmeltingglaciersretreated.The
hiking trails around the lakes provide great opportunities to see
localwildflowers.Beaversarecommonandtheirlodgesareeasyto
spot.Coyotes,RedFoxes,andbearsmightalsobeseeninthisarea.
TheChadburnLakeRoadisnotrecommendedforlargeRVs.
13 • Chadburn Lake
Chadburn Lake is found at the end of the 8 km long Chadburn
LakeRoad.Thelakeisgreatplacetoputinacanoeforadayof
paddling.Ifyouvisitonanearlysummereveningyoumaybelucky
enough to see Little Brown Bats, voracious eaters of mosquitoes!
Trailsleadbothnorthandsouthfromtheboatlauncharea.There
isasmalldockandacoveredpicnicshelter,butfacilitiesarelimited.
Campingandfiresarenotpermitted.
10 • Schwatka Lake
Schwatka Lake was created by the construction of the Whitehorse
daminthe1950s,whichfloodedthe“whitehorse”rapids.Thislake
is an important resting area for migrating waterbirds, while many
mammalssuchascoyote,beaverandfoxmayalsobeseen.Thelake
canbeenjoyedfrommanyspots:theMilesCanyonRoadrunsalong
muchofthewesternshore,whiletheSchwatkaLakeday-useareaon
theeasternshoreisreachedviatheChadburnLakeRoad.The15kmYukonRiverLoopTrailisagreatwaytoexplorethishistoricarea.
11 • Yukon River Loop Trail
TheYukonRiverLoopTrailoffersaquieter,lessdevelopedroute
thantheMillenniumTrail.Thetrailcanbereachedfrommanyspots
– across from the Whitehorse Fishway, at Miles Canyon, or at the
entrancetotheRobertServiceCampground.Theportionclosestto
downtownoverlapswiththeMillenniumTrail.This15-kmlooptrail
leadsyouthroughmanydifferentterrainsandhabitatonbothsides
14 • Grey Mountain
Grey(orCanyon)Mountainistheprominentlandmarksoutheast
of Whitehorse. About 6 km up the Grey Mountain Road (off of
Alsek Drive in Riverdale) a small viewpoint overlooks the Yukon
River valley. You may want to continue up the road by foot or
mountainbiketothesub-alpineareasforachancetoseeDallSheep
orptarmigan.Theroadisnotmaintainbeyondtheviewpointandis
notsuitableforvehicletravel.
15 • Wolf Creek
Nestled in an old growth spruce forest, Wolf Creek features a
territorialcampgroundandday-usearea.Youcangoforawalkon
the 3-km Wolf Creek Trail to a viewpoint overlooking the Yukon
River.Atrailguideisavailableatthetrailhead,atthefarendofthe
campground.InlateAugustyoumaybeabletoseeChinookSalmon
spawning. The Vista Trail (also called the Escarpment Trail) near
thehighwayclimbsabovethecreektoaviewingdeckoverlooking
thevalley.
H o t Sp rin
Whitehorse
r
Hidden Lakes Trails
Sewage
Lagoon
Cousins Airstrip
Chad
burn
Lak
eR
NO
RT
oad
H KL
ON
DIK
MACPHERSON
The Wilderness City
E HWY
Tak hi ni Rive
g s Ro ad
Schwatka
Lake
First Hidden
Lake
Y
uk
on
R
i
ve
r
Second Hidden
Lake
CRESTVIEW
Yu k
on
AL ASKA HI GHWAY
Sewage
Lagoon
Viewpoint
er
v
PORTER
CREEK
Ri
WOLF CREEK
CAMPGROUND
Wolf Creek
Interpretive Trail
Viewpoint
Vista Trail
Wo l f C
reek
Stinky L.
Landfill
McIn t y r e
Yukon
College
k
C re e
Wolf Creek Trails
1 Boreal Worlds Trail
2
oa
R
a
sh
L
oad
Fi
d
La k e R oa
Long
INGRAM
ARKELL
6 Millennium Trail
Whitehorse
International
Airport
HILLCREST
7
LOGAN
GRANGER
Hospital
0
500
1000
Grey M
o
d
AY
RIVERDALE
7
Robert Service
Campground
Miles Canyon
Footbridge
12
Miles
Canyon
9 Hidden Lakes
Grey
14 Mountain
Grey
Mountain
Chadbur
n Lake
Ro
ad
13 Chadburn Lake
AL
Canyon City
(abandoned)
AS
8 Whitehorse Fishway
er
AY
Hidden
Lakes
Mile
s
Schwatka
Lake
o
Ch adb urn L a k e R
C a nyo
nR
d
oa
WHITEHORSE
COPPER
PINERIDGE
ad
Ear
Lake
iv
MACRAE
9
y
Chadburn
Lake
R
HW
Hidden
Lakes
on
HIG
Wa
k
Yu
KA
Mount
McIntyre
vice
Ser
ert
b
o
R
Hidden
Lakes
Schwatka
10 Lake
River
11 Yukon
Loop Trail
HW
a
Ro
6
8 Whitehorse Fishway
HIG
n
tai
un
LOBIRD
RIVERDALE
Schwatka
Lake
A
Robert Campbell Bridge
SS Klondike
1500
ASK
metres
Robert Service
Campground
AL
COPPER
RIDGE
Whitehorse
International
Airport
Bert Law Park
Hospital
CITY
CENTRE
MILLENNIUM TRAIL &
Law Park
YUKON RIVER LOOP Bert
TRAIL
Gravel Road
Millennium Trail
ITS
LIM
ITY
EC
VALLEYVIEW
Mt McIntyre
Ski Trails 4
MCINTYRE
CITY
CENTRE
Secondary Road
RS
Quartz Road Wetlands 3
5 McIntyre Marsh
Wildlife
Viewing
Secondary
RoadSite
Gravel Road
Highway
ke
Long Lake
La k e R
Hospital
Viewpoint
Visitor Information Centre
Hospital
Private Campground
Visitor Information Centre
Government Campground
Private Campground
Wildlife Viewing Site
Government Campground
Highway
HO
Viewpoint
Long Lake
L on g
d
MARWELL
ITE
TAKHINI
WH
Haeckel
Hill
15 Wolf Creek
Mount
10
Schwatka Lake
Chadden
Sima
Lake
WOLF
CREEK
Wolf Creek
Campground
SPRUCE HILL
GO
ON D I K E H W Y
S O U T H KL
COWLEY
CREEK
11 Yukon River Loop Trail
Viewpoint
Miles
Canyon
MARY LAKE
12 Miles Canyon
Footbridge
Yu k o n R
ive
r
0
1
2
kilometres
3