Yukon Vacation Planner 2018

SOUTHERN LAKES
A Railway and
Mining Crossroads
At one time the narrows between Nares
and Bennett lakes was an Inland Tlingit
and Tagish hunting and fishing camp.
A settlement grew as prospectors explored
the area and the North West Mounted
Police established a post. When the
stampede for Klondike gold began in 1897,
thousands of would-be miners floated past
on hastily built boats bound for the
Yukon River and the Klondike. Tent towns
flourished, hotels and services sprang up,
and in 1900, after two years of construction,
the last spike in the White Pass & Yukon
Route railroad was nailed in Carcross,
linking the port of Skagway with Whitehorse.
The route across the Coast Mountains
was treacherous, and many doubted that
the narrow gauge railway would succeed.
The arrival of the rail line helped transform
Carcross into a bustling service centre and
it was the trans-shipment point for supplies
destined for mines in the Southern Lakes
region. Steamer service and telephones
linked the towns, and the Carcross train
depot was a busy hub for transporting
freight, passengers and ore. For a time,
hundreds of miners lived in the valleys and
the aerial tram from a Montana Mountain
mine was the longest in the world.
With 100 kilometres of pristine water and wilderness ahead of them, paddlers head out onto Tagish Lake – YG, P. Mather
Water, Water Everywhere
With over 600 km of scenic interconnected
lakes weaving through the region, a trip onto
Southern Lakes waterways gives you that
Larger Than Life experience. Boat launches
are found at campgrounds and marinas
throughout the region, and sandy beaches
are located at Bennett (Carcross), Marsh
(Army Beach*), Tagish (California Beach*)
and Kookatsoon lakes. Local operators offer
charters, boat rentals, fishing, wildlife
viewing, guiding and other services. If you
have your own boat, check conditions before
you go. Remember that these glacier-fed
lakes are extremely cold and conditions
can change quickly.
* Locally known name
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