Dawson City is the place where fortune hunters came during the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s to what had once been a summer fishing camp of the r’ondek Hwech’in people at the confluence of the Klondike and Yukon Rivers. In 1953 the Yukon’s first capital was moved 330 miles south to Whitehorse and Dawson City was declared a national historic site. All the wooden buildings still resemble a frontier town—some are original and some are new construction mandated to maintain the same appearance.
Planning a visit? Stay at the Bonanza Gold Motel & RV Park.
Canada’s first casino, Diamond Tooth Gerties, offers Klondike-period gaming and The Cancan Show three times a night during the summer. Historic sites include the cabins of adventure writer Jack London and Robert Service, “the Bard of the Yukon.” You can still jump on the gold trail by following Bonanza Creek Road to Dredge #4, the largest wooden-hull dredge in the world. Pan for nuggets at Free Claim #6 and inspecting the spot that started it all at Discovery Claim.
Yukon – Richardson Mountains
Find more great Spring destinations here.
Every visit to Dawson City must include a drive up Midnight Dome, the hill that stands watch over the historic gold rush city. Scenery watchers will love the lush, surrounding forests and frequent glimpses of wildlife, from foxes to moose.