The Yukon: Hidden Gems You Need to Visit
Growing up in the Yukon I feel like I have earned the titles of a self-proclaimed expert on the area!
Anyone who has travelled to a new place knows that the best spots and the hidden gems that you ought to visit are often not found in any guidebook. The best people to ask are the locals, and as your local Yukoner I am here to share with you a few of our favourite spots that you wont find in any travel guide.
1. Grey Mountain Cave
The issue with many of these spots is that they usually don’t have “real” names. This first one is a spot that we refer to as “the cave”. I myself never even knew this was here growing up, it wasn’t until I graduated highshool that someone took me and some friends to the cave. Now I know what you may be thinking, a cave doesn’t really sound all that exciting but bear with me!
The cave is located on Grey Mountain which is about a 5 minute drive from downtown Whitehorse, which makes it perfect for a quick day trip hike. Now there are two ways you an get to the cave, driving up Grey Mountain is definitely the quickest option however I would not recommend doing it in a rental car. The dirt road drive is quite treacherous and narrow, with a few parts of it involving you driving on the edge of a cliff with a steep drop off that you can see by simply looking out your passenger side window. This is the way most of us chose to get to the cave, so it is definitely safe but I would make sure you have a truck or something with 4x4.
The other option is to drive up Grey Mountain until the road becomes a dirt trail, park and walk the rest of the way. I personally have never walked the whole way but I would say its about a 1-2 hour hike. Once you are about ¾ of the way up to the top you will see a slight pull off on your right for you to park. From here it is about a 30 minute hike to the cave.
Once at the cave you will find a rope for you to climb up into the actual cave. The coolest part, other than the amazing view, is that there are a bunch of notebooks in the cave that people have signed and written things in. Make sure to sign your name before leaving!
2. Fish Lake Road Lookout
I am ashamed to admit that I myself never knew this spot was here until after I graduated highschool, and it is a 3 minute drive from my house. If you are looking for a great photo location within town then this is it!
Driving down fish lake road you will see a few pull outs on the left hand side. Pull over at the 2nd pull out, the largest one. From there you will see a trail, and the look out is literally right there! The coolest part about this spot is the cliffs, you will find yourself standing on these clay cliffs with quite the steep drop off below. Be careful though, the drop off is quite steep!
3. Best View of Whitehorse
One of my favourite views is only a short walk from downtown Whitehorse. Starting by climbing the infamous blackstreet stairs, you will find yourself right at the airport. Following the trail that parallels the airport, with planes flying overhead, you will walk along the claycliffs with a gorgeous view of the entire city. If you follow that trail for about 10 minutes you will come to this giant concrete slab on your left with the best view of Whitehorse. The concrete slab is a great place to stop and snap a quick pic, or even bring a pizza for a picnic! You can also continue on and you will come to a spot with a view of the Yukon River.
