Gold rush route, hiking the Chilkoot trail

Itinerary “GOLD RUSH TRAIL”

Dates :
21.06.-27.06.2026
05.07.-11.07.2026
12.07.-18.07.2026
26.07.-01.08.2026
02.08.-08.08.2026
16.08.-22.08.2026

DAY 1 : ARRIVAL IN WHITEHORSE

Your guide will welcome you at the airport and provide transportation to your hotel in downtown Whitehorse. The rest of the day is free for you to explore! There is plenty to see in Whitehorse. You can visit the world’s longest wooden fish ladder, the Beringia Centre to learn about the prehistory of the Yukon and Alaska, the Yukon Transportation Museum, or the MacBride Museum on the history of the Yukon. We also recommend a visit to the SS Klondike National Historic Site, a restored sternwheeler on the banks of the Yukon River.

(Overnight in a hotel in Whitehorse)

DAY 2 : WHITEHORSE – FINNEGAN’S POINT

Today’s drive to Skagway will be memorable. This section of the Klondike Highway is known as one of the most beautiful in North America. It will take us into the Coast Mountains, passing the international border and White Pass. You will see the historic train of the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway, now a UNESCO site. Recognized as a gem of international civil engineering, the White Pass Railway was built in 1899 to transport goods and people to Dawson’s gold fields. During the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush, gold rushers arriving by steamboat in Skagway had to prepare to face the 1000 kilometers between them and Dawson’s gold fields. Today, Skagway is a bustling town with visitors but retains the flavor of its gold rush days. The wooden sidewalks of Skagway are perfect for a stroll before beginning our hike. After visiting the historic town, we’ll travel 16 kilometers to Dyea, where we will begin our hike on the Chilkoot Trail. We’ll cover a relatively short distance to Finnegan’s Point, where we’ll set up camp for the night. (Approx. 3 hours of hiking)

This section climbs along the Taiya River. The trees surrounding the trail are home to many bald eagles and occasionally black bears. Salmon spawning can be seen in the river toward the end of the summer. Signs of the Klondike Gold Rush are still evident, including remnants of the telegraph line built in 1898 to connect Skagway to Lake Bennett and Log Cabin. Finnegan’s Point was named after a man who built a bridge here and briefly collected tolls from travelers wishing to use it. Soon, thousands of miners overwhelmed the bridge, and his efforts to control them were in vain. You’ll end your day with a view of the magnificent Irene Glacier across the river.

(Overnight in Camping)

DAY 3 : FINNEGAN’S POINT – PLEASANT CAMP

After breakfast, we’ll continue our adventure through the Alaska rainforests. There will be several creek crossings as we follow the banks of the Taiya River. It’s a pleasant day with some steep, but relatively short, climbs. We’ll pass through the Rock Garden, a lovely meadow with a few trees and many rocks moved to the side of the trail to ease walking. A little further on, we’ll reach Canyon City.

Once a thriving town serving the thousands of miners heading to Dawson, today only the foundations of a few buildings, a stove, some kettles, and an old boiler remain. In 1898, you could save much time and effort by using the hastily built tramway to transport goods across the pass for 7.5 cents per pound… or $5 in today’s money! We’ll cross a suspension bridge near Pleasant Camp and soon reach Sheep Camp, where we’ll rest for the night.

(Overnight in Camping)

DAY 4 : SHEEP CAMP – HAPPY CAMP

Today will be the longest and most memorable day of the hike. We’ll have an early breakfast and then take the trail to cover the 13 kilometers to Happy Camp. Soon after starting, we’ll pass through the Enchanted Forest, an area of twisted, gnarled trees that have been stripped of their bark due to massive snowfalls that bury them under several meters of snow every winter. You’ll see many artifacts from the gold rush along the trail as it starts to climb towards the stairs. After weeks of hauling a ton of goods from Skagway, 50 kilos at a time, the gold rushers began throwing away non-essential items. Surprisingly, the “Treeline” sign is surrounded by trees, evidence that it was colder in 1898 than today.

Just a little further on, the last tree appears and then disappears, leaving only rocky outcrops in all directions. This is where the avalanche that claimed many miners’ lives occurred in the spring of 1898, and the victims are buried nearby. A bit further, we reach the Balance, where the Royal Canadian Mounted Police weighed each individual’s goods entering the Yukon to ensure they had their mandatory ton of provisions before continuing. The trail climbs at a forty-degree angle as you ascend the Golden Stairs. This is where the famous photos of long lines of bent men and women were taken in 1898. It’s a difficult climb, where you’ll need to step over and around large rocks, but we’ll soon reach the summit and cross the border between Alaska and Canada at over 1100 meters (3700 feet) above sea level! From here, we’ll descend across snowfields, passing small lakes, inlets, and rocky outcrops to reach Happy Camp in the late afternoon.

(Overnight in Camping)

DAY 5 : HAPPY CAMP – LAKE LINDEMANN

The section from Happy Camp to Lindeman is considered by many to be the best part of the trail. There are spectacular views, and more importantly, the trail is relatively flat (except at Long Lake). Deep Lake will soon appear, along with the first trees, as the trail begins to descend near Moose Creek to Lindeman Lake, where we’ll camp for the evening.

(Overnight in Camping)

DAY 6 : LAKE LINDEMANN – LAKE BENNETT

With only one day left of hiking, this will be a morning filled with emotions. The end of the adventure is near, but there are still wonderful landscapes to discover throughout the day, first at Bare Loon Lake and then further at Bennett Lake. One of the most spectacular panoramas in British Columbia is here, overlooking Bennett Lake. As we approach the lake, we’ll spot the old church and railway station from the gold rush era—remnants of a community that once housed over 15,000 people. After taking time to explore the area, our seaplane will arrive to provide an absolutely spectacular 45-minute flight back to Whitehorse. We also have the option to book additional flight time for a tour over the great glacial ranges of the coastal mountains, a truly exceptional addition that is highly recommended. Upon arrival in Whitehorse, we’ll pick you up at the airport and take you back to your hotel, where you can finally enjoy a hot shower and a dinner at the restaurant with your guide and friends.

(Overnight in a hotel in Whitehorse)

DAY 7 : DEPARTURE FROM WHITEHORSE

After breakfast, we’ll provide transport to the airport or your next adventure.

(End of services)