Carcross is a small Yukon community located where Bennett and Nares lakes meet. Historically a seasonal gathering place for the Carcross and Tagish First Nation, the area has long been important for fishing, trading, and travel.
Carcross played a key role during the Klondike Gold Rush, serving as a stopover point for hopeful goldrushers travelling from the coast to the goldfields in Dawson City.
Prospectors passed through by boat, trail, and later by train on the White Pass and Yukon Route, which still runs through town today.
Today, it’s a hub for cultural tourism, where you can enjoy Indigenous art, learn local history, and connect with the living traditions of the Tagish and Tlingit peoples.
When my partner and I visited, I was excited by how much there was to take in for such a small place! From browsing local art at Carcross Commons to walking across the old wooden train bridge.
- Is 1 Day in Carcross Enough?
- What to Know, Before You Go
- How to Spend 1 Day in Carcross
- 1. Start Your Day at Carcross Commons
- 2. Participate in Indigenous Learning in Carcross
- 3. Have Lunch at Chilkoot Trail Sourdough Bakery
- 4. Visit the Carcross Desert
- 5. Admire the Beautiful Emerald Lake
- 6. Wander Around Carcross
- 7. Enjoy Dinner at The Bistro
- Alternative Option For the Afternoon: Go on a Hike
- Where to Stay In and Around Carcross
- Please Visit Carcross Responsibly
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Views in and around Carcross, Yukon
Is 1 Day in Carcross Enough?
Carcross is a small Yukon community. So small that many people only visit for a short morning or afternoon. But don’t let the town’s size fool you. There’s plenty to do and see in Carcross.
Between the historic village, the Carcross Commons, and nearby nature like the Carcross Desert and Montana Mountain, the area easily fills a day. The surrounding region is stunning too, making Carcross a place that definitely deserves at least 1 full day of your Yukon itinerary.
While we were in Carcross, we noticed that every morning, a big fleet of tour buses drop tons of visitors off in the town, and those visitors have about an hour to see Carcross. We heard from locals that this happens every day during the summer months.
I think this may be why Carcross has developed a reputation for being a “quick stop” while in Yukon. A quick stop is better than nothing, but I do recommend spending at least one full day if you can, you won’t regret it. We didn’t!
What to Know, Before You Go
Ready to visit Carcross? Here are a few things to know before you go:
Getting there: Carcross is about an hour’s drive from Whitehorse along the South Klondike Highway. The route is scenic, with plenty of pull-offs where you can stop to admire lakes and mountains. If you’re coming from Skagway, Alaska, Carcross is around a two-hour drive.
When to visit: Summer is the most popular time to visit Carcross, when trails are open, small businesses are buzzing, and you can take advantage of the long daylight hours. In shoulder seasons, some shops and services may be closed.
What to pack: Weather in the Yukon changes quickly. Bring layers, a rain jacket, sturdy walking shoes, and sunscreen. Even on short hikes around Carcross, conditions can shift fast.
Where to park: Parking in Carcross is free and easy to find. There’s a large public lot right next to Carcross Commons, just off the main road, with plenty of space for cars and RVs. We opted to park our RV in this parking lot, and get around Carcross only on foot. This is very doable because Carcross is small!
Supporting local: Many of the shops, cafés, and art spaces in Carcross Commons are run by locals and members of the Carcross/Tagish First Nation. Spending your money here directly supports the community, so please do!
Connectivity: What not to do in Yukon? Expect perfect cell service! Service in Carcross can be spotty, so download maps or trail information before you head out.
Views of Carcross, Yukon
How to Spend 1 Day in Carcross
Planning ahead will help you make the most of one day in Carcross! Here’s my 1 day in Carcross itinerary, which Lucas and I tested out ourselves when we went on a 7-day Yukon road trip in July 2025.
1. Start Your Day at Carcross Commons
Carcross Commons is a small but vibrant gathering of shops, galleries, and food stalls in the heart of Carcross.
If you’re like us, you’ll head straight for the coffee shop! We love good coffee, and Carcross Commons is home to one of the best coffee shops we found on our whole trip around Yukon: Caribou Crossing Coffee. We both got americanos and they did not disappoint.
Caribou Crossing Coffee also offers breakfast sandwiches and yummy baked goods which are easy to grab if you need breakfast, too. Once you’ve got your coffee, enjoy it in the shop, or take it along as you wander around the shops in the area.
There’s lots of cool shops to pop into in the commons, where you can browse locally made goods. Head to Shelley MacDonald Jewellery to check out Shelley’s handmade and one-of-a-kind rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets inspired by Northern Canada.
And, be sure to drop by The Maple Rush to sample their maple products. After sampling basically all of their delicious maple butters, we ended up leaving with two jars of it!
Luckily, it isn’t an issue to bring the butters home in carry-on baggage. The security personnel in Whitehorse’s airport told us it’s one of the most common things they see people bringing home with them!
2. Participate in Indigenous Learning in Carcross
One of the most meaningful parts of visiting Carcross is the chance to learn about the Carcross/Tagish First Nation, whose people have lived on this land for thousands of years.
After spending an hour or so popping into the shops in the Commons, be sure to take a pause to appreciate the area’s Indigenous art. Look out for totem poles, carvings, murals, and other art created by community members, which share stories connected to the land and culture.
Just across from the Commons is Haa Shagóon Hídi, which translates to “Our Ancestors’ House” in Tlingit. This is the Carcross/Tagish Cultural Centre, run by the Carcross/Tagish First Nation. It’s a gathering space that shares stories, language, and traditions from the community’s past and present.
This space showcases exhibits, cultural displays, and programs that provide deeper insight into traditions, history, and contemporary life.
If you have time, joining a guided experience led by a Carcross/Tagish community member can add even more depth to your visit.
Choosing to spend time and money at these spaces directly supports the community and helps ensure that visitors leave Carcross with knowledge and respect for the people who have long called this part of the Yukon home.
3. Have Lunch at Chilkoot Trail Sourdough Bakery
After spending your morning browsing the Carcross Commons and learning about local Indigenous life, head over to the Chilkoot Trail Sourdough Bakery for lunch.
In the Yukon, “sourdough” refers not just to the bread starter but also to the people who endured the long northern winters during the Klondike Gold Rush.
Prospectors relied on sourdough starter as a dependable way to bake bread in remote camps, since yeast was hard to come by. Over time, sourdough became a badge of resilience and experience in the North, in fact, we were told by some locals in Carcross that newcomers who survive their first winter in the Yukon are affectionately called “sourdoughs.”
Chilkoot Trail Sourdough Bakery serves soup, sandwiches, baked goods, and delicious sourdough bread. Be sure to check out some of the old photographs displayed on the walls of the bakery!
Something to note around lunchtime in Carcross is that around 1:10 PM, a train slowly rolls through! We planned our lunch around this, because we thought it would be fun to see.
We weren’t the only ones who thought this, tons of people gather around the Carcross train station to watch the train go by.
4. Visit the Carcross Desert
After lunch, hop in your car to drive to the Carcross Desert. Yes, you read that right… There’s a desert in the Yukon!
From the center of Carcross, it’s just a two-minute drive north along the South Klondike Highway to reach the Carcross Desert, with a small parking area right beside the sand dunes.
The Carcross Desert is a small patch of sand dunes just outside of Carcross, often called the world’s smallest desert.
Now, if we want to be technical about it, the Carcross Desert isn’t actually a desert. It’s a series of sand dunes left behind from an ancient glacial lake that used to cover the area.
After the lake drained thousands of years ago, the sandy lakebed remained, and today, strong winds blowing through the valley keep the dunes active. So while it looks like a desert you’d find in a hot climate, it’s really a leftover from the last ice age.
The Carcross Desert is a quick stop right off the highway, with a short walking trail and a pull-off for parking. You can climb the dunes, walk around, and get a feel for the area’s unique landscape. Be sure to get a picture with the “Carcross Desert” sign!
5. Admire the Beautiful Emerald Lake
From the Carcross Desert, continue north on the South Klondike Highway for about 10 minutes (roughly 12 kilometers) and you’ll arrive at Emerald Lake, which has a roadside pull-off with a clear view of the turquoise water.
Emerald Lake is famous for its striking green and blue water, which is caused by light reflecting off the lakebed’s white marl.
The view of the lake from the roadside pull-off is truly stunning, so spend some time taking it in! And don’t forget to look southward too, because on a clear day, you have a nice view of Nares Mountain from this viewpoint.
We were curious about whether you could go down to the lake. We did find a pull-off just a minute further down the South Klondike Highway, which appeared to us to be where people park if they are going paddle-boarding on the lake.
We followed a path from the pull-off that brought us to the edge of the lake. To be honest, the view of the lake from the higher up point was nicer, but we still appreciated seeing the lake up close.
Emerald Lake
6. Wander Around Carcross
After enjoying Emerald Lake, you’ll drive 10 minutes back to Carcross. Park your car, and hop out to walk around town on foot to see the town’s historical and cultural sites. Carcross is small enough that you’ll never need to walk longer than 15 minutes to get from place to place.
Start at the SS Tutshi Memorial, where you’ll learn about the once-thriving era of sternwheelers in Yukon. The SS Tutshi was a steamship built in the 1910s to carry passengers and freight along Bennett Lake during the gold rush economy.
A fire destroyed most of the ship in 1990, but what remains has been turned into a small interpretive site that tells the story of transportation and trade in the region.
Next, walk over to the Matthew Watson General Store, the oldest continuously operating store in Yukon. It’s a good spot to browse local goods and grab a small souvenir or snack.
Right across the street from the general store is the Carcross Train Ticket Office. It’s a beautiful, fully restored national heritage railway station.
It was first built in 1910 for the White Pass & Yukon Railway. After train service stopped in the 1980s, the building sat quiet for years until it was restored and reopened in 2007 as a visitor information centre.
It’s still the northernmost stop for the White Pass & Yukon Route, and inside you’ll find restrooms, exhibits, and staff who can answer questions. The displays highlight both the railway’s history and the culture of the Carcross/Tagish First Nation.
After the Carcross Train Ticket Office, take some time to wander the few streets of Carcross that you haven’t yet seen. You’ll stumble across many buildings that are over 100 years old, and fascinating to see.
End your walk around town with a stroll along Bennett Beach, where you can look out over the lake that was once a vital link in the Klondike Gold Rush trail, which led hopeful prospectors all the way north to Dawson City, Yukon.
7. Enjoy Dinner at The Bistro
To wrap up your day in Carcross, head to The Bistro for dinner. It’s a very short walk from the Carcross Commons.
The Bistro is a casual spot that serves up comfort food with a northern twist. You’ll find options like Alaskan cod, bison burgers, soups, salads, and vegetarian choices available too.
It’s a good place to grab a sit-down meal while enjoying the area, with both indoor and outdoor seating and views of the surrounding mountains. Just be sure to check what time they close when planning your dinner. Most shops and restaurants in Carcross close up on the early side.
Alternative Option For the Afternoon: Go on a Hike
If you prefer to go on a hike, you can spend your afternoon doing that instead! Most people think of Kluane National Park as being the place to go for hiking in Yukon. There are amazing trails in the park, but the Carcross region has some trails that are well-worth hiking, too.
We heard great things about the Sam McGee Trail. It is a 20 km out-and-back hike that follows an old tramway path to sweeping alpine views over Tagish Lake and the surrounding mountains.
This hike is on the challenging side, so be sure you’re in good physical shape for the climb, and bring the hiking necessities with you: bear spray, lots of water, food, and good footwear.
Where to Stay In and Around Carcross
If you’d like to spend a full day in Carcross, I recommend booking 2 nights in the area. Here are two great options – one camping, and one hotel.
Camping: Conrad Campground
Conrad Campground is a quiet, first-come, first-served campground located about 30 minutes south of Carcross, near the shores of Tagish Lake.
It’s known for being peaceful and less busy than other campgrounds in the area, but because you can’t reserve in advance, it’s best to arrive early to grab a spot, especially on weekends.
The campground has outhouses, bear-proof storage, and fire pits, and a short hiking trail leads from the site, all around the lake. Plan to spend 2 nights at this campground.
Hotel: Boreale Ranch
Boreale Ranch is a boutique lodge located about 30 minutes south of Whitehorse, offering a quiet, scenic stay just outside the town of Carcross.
The property is tucked into the forest with mountain views, modern Scandinavian-style cabins, and a main lodge with a cozy common area. What makes Boreale Ranch special is the focus on comfort and design. It has heated floors, local artwork, and big windows that frame the landscape.
It’s not right in town, but it’s not a long drive to Carcross. A homemade breakfast is included, and there’s free parking on-site. Plan to spend 2 nights at Boreale Ranch.
Please Visit Carcross Responsibly
Road tripping the Yukon is an experience that will stay with you, and it’s not just because of the landscapes and wildlife. It’s thanks to the people, the stories, the territory’s history, and more.
Whether it’s slowing down on the roads, staying safe on the trails, or being mindful of how you interact with communities, every small choice you make in the Yukon matters. It’s about more than just checking things off a list, it’s about being a responsible tourist. This is how we can help ensure that communities benefit from the pros vs. cons of tourism.
If you’re planning to roadtrip the Yukon, here are some resources to help you visit in a mindful way:
- Learn the main tips for being a responsible tourist.
- Use sustainable tourism tips to travel eco-consciously.
- Travel to places that aren’t facing overtourism to reduce your impact.
- Be aware of cultural appropriation and avoid it.
- Practice responsible wildlife tourism.
- Learn about how you can decenter yourself in travel.
- Shop for souvenirs responsibly.
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