Quiet town, not much to look at
Historical buildings dot the lakeshore
You must imagine the bustling metropolis
Of Stampeders and Cargo passing by the score.
The tourist trade did also bustle
And as such things do boom and bust
You can see it all in minutes, if you hustle --
But I'm glad it's not ALL back to dust.
At the "Crossroads of the Klondike," the Tagish people call this area Todezzane, "blowing all the time" and the Tlingit call it Naataase Heen, "water running through the narrows." Carcross (Yukon) is said to be “Sand clear through to China.” With the same annual precipitation as Arizona, it’s sometimes called the "Green Desert."
In 1899, the community was officially named Caribou Crossing, referring to the spot where the local woodland caribou herd crossed the narrows. Biship Bompas requested Caribou Crossing be renamed Carcross in 1904 (due to major mail misdirects -- apparently 'Caribou Crossing' was a POPULAR name in the region), and the government obliged in 1906.
Carcross was a railroad town -- surveyed in 1899 for the White Pass & Yukon Route (WP&YR), established to maintain the line and connect freight and passengers to Atlin and other points around the lakes via the Yukon River Sternwheelers. Regal, even in her derelict state, the ruin of the SS Tutshi -- burned to the ground by an arsonist in 1990 -- can still be seen.
The 110 mile railroad, connecting Skagway and Whitehorse, was built from both directions -- meeting here in Carcross, where the golden spike was driven (on the old railway bridge) in July 1900. Currently, the railroad operates as an excursion train, and only goes the 67.5 miles between here and Skagway -- a 7 and change hour trip with a stop in Bennett at their restored cookhouse.
As is the story of most towns of this vintage, downtown Carcross was destroyed by fire in 1909. Licked but not beaten, the town survived -- even unto the relocation of buildings from Bennett City, Conrad City, and other mining communities.
Quiet now, unless a WP&YR train has just arrived (or is departing), this picturesque little town perches like a gemstone chip against the grand expanse of the Yukon landscape.
Visitors are encouraged to make a stop in the Visitor Reception Centre (the Carcross Railroad Depot, a Canadian Heritage Railway Station) and pick up a copy of the Carcross Historic Building Walking Tour (which is also available on line (
visit link) -- and the source of many of the bon mots above; others should be credited to our knowledgable excursion train crew). When we were there, the Oldest Operating Hotel in the Yukon, the Caribou Hotel, was undergoing a MAJOR remodel -- hopefully the hiatus doesn't affect its record! However, you can still shop in the Yukon's oldest store, Matthew Watson General Store, purveyors of everything from popcorn and icecream to native/local arts. The historic churches are also lovely.
More reading:
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Location: on the South Klondike Highway, between Whitehorse and Skagway Population (June 2008): 431 Elevation: 2,170 feet, 662 meters
Home of the World's Smallest Desert, and the great beach of Lake Bennett. The population is about 50/50 Native and non-Native. Tourism (summer primarily, but winter as well) is a very important component of the economy.
About the Tutshi and the Sternwheeler trade and Carcross, visit (
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yukonography writing about life in canada’s Yukon 04 - Rooting for a Railroad
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Yukon Communities: Carcross
At the Crossroads of the Klondike
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The History of Carcross, Yukon Territory by Ken Spotswood
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Yukon Heritage South Klondike Highway Km 105.5 - Carcross
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