SanDiego1K

I'm looking at fall 2024 travel and interested in visiting the Yukon. I might combine it with going somewhere in BC to look for grizzlies. We would then fly from Vancouver.

Is Whitehorse the typical place to stay? and if so, where?

We would rent a car, primarily interested in fall colors and beautiful scenery. What route should we take?

Are we allowed to take a rental car across the US border and then drive back to Canada to drop it?

What else should I know?

YVR Cockroach

Paging @sokolov

Not many roads to take and they may not be paved, and may be in rough condition if they are.

As far as driving between Vancouver and Whitehorse goes, some former tenants of mine (Whitehorse residents then studying/working in Vancouver) did that and it took 2 days of non-stop driving other than for fuel and sleep.

Have never been so far north and not sure about the mass presence of deciduous trees (IIRC, maples don't so far up north).

Though you're not into the style of travel, it'd be worthwhile to read the Alaska/AlCan topics here to understand road conditions.

As for vehicle, get the most (self-damage) coverage you can get. Rock chips on windshield is quite common (pullover and stop if there's a vehicle going to pass you in either direction) if travelling at highway speeds). One-way rentals unlikely. As usual, check for geographic limitations.

Grizzlies, you'll probably see some up there.

SanDiego1K

We will fly from Vancouver to Whitehorse. I can't imagine all those hours of driving!

I see Air North flies from Vancouver to Whitehorse. I assume Air North flies from the remote terminal at Vancouver?

YVR Cockroach

One would assume main terminal because 737s are used but it does appear to be the south terminal usually reserved for small planes (=< 50 seats). 4N is rumoured to serve complimentary meals.

sokolov

The Yukon is quite far from Vancouver. I would highly recommend flying Air North to Whitehorse rather than driving. If you have a flight to or from Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, Edmonton, or Calgary with any other airline, you can take advantage of the Air North's Connector Fares:
https://www.flyairnorth.com/flights/connector-fares
$99 per flight including 2 pieces of luggage is the best air transportation offer in all of Canada. You can have a layover of up to 3 days. I can not guarantee that they will still have that offer next year, but in any case, they are Canada's best airline hands down.

If you prefer flexibility for your Air North flights, I recommend the Solstice Pass for 2 passengers:
https://www.flyairnorth.com/node/633
It is usually sold in June.

Yes, car rental is more expensive in Whitehorse, but you will save a lot of fuel and other costs by not driving all the way up and back. Also note that you probably don't want to drive in the dark. It is much more dangerous and you can't enjoy the scenery. A drive that would take 3 days one way in the Summer, may take 5 days in the Fall, due to shorter days. The farther you go North, the shorter daylight will be in the Fall/Winter.

If you do decide to drive to the Yukon, there are only two routes: The Alaska Highway through Fort Nelson (passing Liard Hotsprings, where you should absolutely make a stop; you can walk in even if the provincial park's gates are closed for the season), and the less-traveled Stewart-Cassiar highway (where I highly recommend the side-trip to Stewart, BC, & Hyder, Alaska - oh, the scenery). So maybe drive North on the Alaska Highway and South on the Stewart-Cassiar. Make sure to check 511 Yukon for road closures. When you pass through Watson Lake on your way in (or out), stop at the famous Sign Forest. Watson Lake has several motels, but I would try to get a room at the Cozy Nest B&B; book ahead. On the Stewart Cassiar highway, I have heard good things about the Vines and Puppies Hideaway B&B. Bring a headlamp for your drive.

Best place to see grizzlies is usually in and around the Kluane National Park / Haines Junction area. Timing of their hibernation varies from year to year. Often late October, but it may vary by several weeks. Even in Summer, there is no guarantee to actually see a grizzley, as bears tend to avoid humans. You will have no problem finding their scat along the highway, though. ;-)

Fall colour timing varies as well. This year they were a bit late, but gorgeous in mid September. As of today, Whitehorse still has a lot of leaves on the trees, whereas in Haines Junction half of the leaves are gone already. Summer was longer than average.

Kluane National Park also features the highest mountains in North America. Consider a sightseeing flight from Silver City and/or Haines Junction (still on my bucket list). I have heard that the flights from Silver City get you closer to Mount Logan. Of course, if you pay more, you can also get there from Haines Junction. Landings on a glacier are optional and cost extra. Plan ahead to make sure the flight operators are still open the week you get there. It is a seasonal service.

Personally, I love the Ibex Valley along the Alaska Highway between Whitehorse and Haines Junction for Fall colours.

I also very much like the scenery in Keno City, though I have never been there in the Fall. Don't miss the drive from Whitehorse to Skagway, Alaska. Gorgeous scenery; stop at Emerald lake, the Carcross Desert, and other viewpoints. It is a great drive, even if you just go to the US border and back (without actually going into Skagway). During cruise ship season, you can ride a train between Carcross, YT, and Skagway, Alaska (google White Pass & Yukon Route). Outside cruise ship season, Skagway is very very quiet, with restaurants and most shops closed.

You could do a loop: Drive from Whitehorse to Skagway, take a ferry to Haines, drive back through Haines Junction. The Haines - Haines Junction drive is absolutely worth it. (Make sure your rental car company allows for taking the vehicle on the ferry; plan ahead as the ferry schedule is a mystery.)

Near Whitehorse, the Yukon Wildlife Preserve is a good place to see animals, albeit not grizzlies.

As the Yukon is very large, I would think that you will be staying in Whitehorse, but also in other places, like Dawson City, or, on the way to Keno City, in Mayo.

Make noise when you are out in nature. You never ever want to surprise a bear. If you see a bear along the road, you can do a short stop, but do NOT get out of your car. Keep the engine running so you can speed away.

Whenever you go for a walk, even in Whitehorse (outside the downtown core), make sure you carry bear spray in a holster on your belt. You can not bring bear spray onto a plane or in checked luggage. You can buy bear spray in Whitehorse at Changing Gear, Canadian Tire (and I believe a sports or hunting store on Main St). If you have bear spray and you fly out of Whitehorse, drop the bear spray off at Changing Gear (I think they can sell it to someone else for you) or the RCMP (who will properly dispose of it for free as part of the weapons program).

I only know of 4 car rental places in the Yukon, all in Whitehorse: Ford, Subaru, and Driving Force (the largest of the three) plus Uhaul. Sometimes you can get rates that include unltd kilometres, but usually only 100 or 150 km are included per day. I believe you can cross the US border, but you should ask beforehand. Make sure you get coverage for cracked windscreens. The Yukon features many vehicles with big cracks in their windscreens, and we generally don't care, but the rental car agency would meet that with askance.

Avoid calling it Yukon, even if various old signs omit the article. (Yukon is a town in Oklahoma.) The Canadian territory is THE Yukon. An important issue for locals.

For further reading I recommend this annual magazine (free to download):
https://northofordinary.com/wp-conte...022_lowRes.pdf

sokolov

No, the big terminal.

They serve a snack and a warm cookie, plus coffee/tea/water/soft drinks. (Beer is available for a fee.) On the longer routes to Ontario they serve warm meals. These meals are actually good; you can buy them frozen at Independent supermarket in Whitehorse.

SanDiego1K

@sokolov, you are a star. What a wealth of solid information. Only on FlyerTalk would I be told specific stores to go to in Whitehorse to buy bear spray. We're not quite a year out from making this trip and I'm already looking forward to it.

sokolov

You are most welcome!
Of course things may change until next year. In any case, in late May, check out the 2024 issue of Road Trip.

YYCCL3

To chip in - I grew up in the Yukon 30 years ago, everything sokolov said is bang on!

The fall colours in the subalpine can be just amazing - it's the low lying bushes and shrubs that give the gorgeous colour, not deciduous trees like in the "South", so personally I feel like the best colours are where you're above treeline. Close to Whitehorse I'd head out to Fish Lake for some beauty close to town yet still very remote.

I did one of the flights through Kluane and circumnavigating Mount Logan 10 years ago on my last visit and it was one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life - coming from someone who has climbed and stood of many of the highest peaks in the Canadian Rockies, but this is something else. It's a must do !!!

Adam Smith

One sightseeing suggestion I would make is to take a flight in a small plane. There's obviously lots to see from driving around and hiking, but there are also great views to be had from the air.

My wife and I did a seaplane flight with Alpine Aviation, which is based on the lake just outside Whitehorse and seems to still be operating (got to fly in a Maule M-7, which I had never heard of before, let alone flown in!). There may have been some other operators, either on floats or from YXY, I don't quite remember.

I also thought doing a flight to see Mt Logan (tallest mountain in Canada) could be pretty cool, although that looks like it requires a 1.5-2 hour drive each way from Whitehorse, and we ended up deciding that on a short trip (just a long weekend), it wasn't worth going all that way. But if you happened to be heading in the direction of Haines Junction anyway, maybe it would be more worthwhile.

EmailKid

About those grizzly bears .....




This is unusual, but one still has to be careful

Yes, this is very recent.

tdiddy23

+1 for the flight seeing in Kluane. It's really worthwhile if nearby, you can even land up on the glacier.

The drive up to Dawson is far but very pretty as well. Tombstone territorial park is stunning but a bit of a hike (driving force lets your drive rental trucks/suvs on dempster hwy at keast when we went).

As above fall happens earlier up north

Also, although every local i've talked to prefers Air North, air canada also flies up to yukon if its more convenient for your flight plan/connections.

tracon

Here's the updated link for 4N connector fares.
Beware the unpredictable weather for flight seeing.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north...tuck-1.5764418
On the "other side" of Kluane Park is the Pacific Ocean.
Weather changes quickly especially in the fall.
Not sure what you definition of fall is, but early September it starts getting dark about 21:00.
September is one of the more active time of year for Aurora Borealis.
Research wildlife viewing Haines.

Last year, friend did the loop from YXY to Skagway, Haines, Tok, Dawson City.
Took a week with lots of driving.

Keep in mind the temperatures. At or below freezing at night, probably not more than 15C during the day.
Dress accordingly.

Most importantly, "The Yukon." Despite what the gentrified types say.

SanDiego1K

Just booked a nonstop award ticket from SAN - YVR in early September. It's a morning flight so it looks as though I could book the afternoon flight to Whitehorse. Came back to this thread to refresh my memory. Found the link to the connector fares. That will save considerable money. Thank you.

In the next few months figure out what to see in The Yukon and Alaska and how many days to allow. Then to think about return flights.

One step taken.

SanDiego1K

Does anyone have insight as to whether the Hyatt Place Whitehorse will open in 2025? A different article said it would open in early 2024 and that didn't happen.

https://nvdlp.com/hyatt-place-whiteh...ng-early-2025/