Kluane National Park (Haines Junction)

Gateway to the World Heritage Kluane National Park. Take a sightseeing plane over Mount Logan and the icefields, hike to Kathleen Lake, and watch for grizzly bears and Dall sheep.

Kluane National Park and Reserve lies in the southwest corner of Yukon Territory, Canada, and covers about 22,000 square km. Together with Wrangell–St. Elias and Glacier Bay national parks in Alaska, and Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park in British Columbia, it has been a World Natural Heritage Site since 1979. The park contains Mount Logan, Canada's highest peak at 5,959 m, and one of the largest icefields in the world outside the polar regions. Glaciers cover more than half of the park. The forested valleys on the edges are home to grizzly bears, moose, and Dall sheep. The park has almost no roads into its interior, so visitors mainly drive the Alaska Highway and the Haines Highway on the eastern side.

The gateway town, Haines Junction, has the Da Kų Cultural Centre, which doubles as the park's visitor center. About 27 km south are Kathleen Lake and King's Throne Trail. About 70 km north are Kluane Lake and Sheep Mountain, where you can see Dall sheep and a marker commemorating the opening of the Alaska Highway in 1942. The best way to see the icefields and Mount Logan is by small sightseeing plane from Haines Junction or Kluane Lake.

The best season is Jun–Aug, when daylight lasts 18–19 hours, and early September brings autumn colors. Winters are long and severe, and most facilities close.

Transport: from Whitehorse, drive about 160 km (about 2 hours) west along the Alaska Highway. There is no public transport, so you must drive yourself or join a tour. This is bear country. Carry bear spray, hike in groups, and register at the visitor center before any multi-day hike. Plan to stay 2–4 days.

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