Kluane National Park

Kluane National Park

Location: Yukon Map

Area: 22,013 km2

 

Description of Kluane National Park

Contact the Kluane National Parkoffice at +1-867-634-7250 ext 216, or email: kluane.info@pc.gc.ca

Kluane National Park is located in Yukon Territory of Canada and covers a total area of 22,013 km2 (8,499 sq miles). Kluane National Park was proclaimed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 for its unique landscape shaped by glacial activity and abundant wild life. Fauna of Kluane National Park deserves few words. It is abundant. Caribou, moose, squirrels, bald eagle and snowshoe hare are just the few that you can encounter here. Additionally you can encounter less welcome guests like Canadian Lynx, grizzly bear and packs of wolves. Although the last rarely attack people unless they are forced by hunger and winter, the first two can easily charge you. It is especially true if you startle them unexpectedly. So the best way to avoid close contact is to travel in groups or bring something that rattles.
 
There is plenty of opportunities for hiking in Kluane National Park. Kluane National Park has a network of several trails that include Alsek Tral, Auriol Trail, Saint Elias Lake Trail, Mush Lake Road, Rock Glacier trail, Sheep Creek Trail, Bullion Plateau Trail, Dezadeash River Trail and many other. Some people avoid these man made roads and take it back country camping. You take minimum amount of food since you can also fish here for several species of trout, northern pike, sockeye salmon and several other species.

 

Fees and permits

Fishing per permit:
Daily $ 9.80
Annual $ 34.30
Parks Canada Passes

The Discovery Pass provides unlimited admission for a full year at over 80 Parks Canada places that typically charge a daily entrance fee It provides faster entry and is valid for 12 months from date of purchase. Prices for 2018 (taxes included):

Family/group (up to 7 people in a vehicle): $136.40
Children and youth (0-17): free
Adult (18-64): $67.70
Senior (65+): $57.90
The Cultural Access Pass: people who have received their Canadian citizenship in the past year can qualify for free entry to some sites.

 

History

The park was inhabited by the Southern Tutchone Indian tribes for more than 10,000 years. Indian culture is closely intertwined with the natural features of the region. From generation to generation, oral tradition passes on information about seasonal temperature fluctuations, changes in animal numbers, and methods of adaptation. The southern Tutchone engaged in trade with the coastal Tlingit, which only intensified with the arrival of Europeans. In 1903, there was a small gold rush in the park due to the discovery of gold in Sheep Creek and Bullion Creek.

The idea for the park arose after the construction of the Alaska Highway through the region in 1942. In 1943, a wildlife reserve was created in the area, and local communities were evicted from its boundaries. In 1972, work on the creation of a national park and reservation was completed, which included the inclusion of Indian settlements. In 1995, an agreement was signed with the communities of Champaign and Eishihik, and in 2004, an agreement was signed with the community of Kluane. Currently, Indian communities are involved in the management of the park.

The name of the park comes from the name of Lake Kluane, which is the largest lake in the Yukon. There are a lot of fish in the lake, which is reflected in the name. Kluane, which should be pronounced kluoni, means a lake where there are many fish.

 

Physiographic characteristics

The park is home to Canada's tallest and most massive mountains, including Mount Logan, the country's highest peak. About half of the park's area is occupied by glaciers, being the largest accumulation of ice outside the polar zones.

Due to its significant size, elevation changes and proximity to the ocean, the climate in the park is very diverse. Much of the park has a continental climate due to the Saint Elias Mountains. The southern part of the park, exposed to ocean influences, typically experiences greater temperatures and precipitation.

 

Flora and fauna

The park protects the Northern Coastal Mountains Natural Region, the Arctic Cordillera ecozone and the Pacific coast.

The park's flora is represented by species characteristic of the ocean coast, western mountains, northern prairies and steppes. The mountain slopes and low valleys are covered with forests including white spruce, aspen, and Indian balsam poplar. The forests end at a level of 1050-1200 meters, above which only willow, alder and dwarf birch can be found. At a level above 1400 meters, the alpine tundra, represented by more than 200 species, begins. Flowering summer meadows are represented by Arctic poppy, saxifrage, mountain heather and stemless gum.

The park is home to a large number of mammals, including sheep, mountain goats, caribou, grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, wolverines, muskrats, minks, marmots, lynxes, coyotes, beavers, etc. In addition, there are more than 150 species of birds.

 

Activities

Mountain biking is possible on some trails and the park is a paradise for hikers, for whom there are trails and routes of varying lengths and difficulty. Paths are mostly laid out, well marked, some have bridges, they are relatively easy to follow and some have primitive campsites. Routes indicate a rough hiking direction and demand significantly more from the hiker due to the height differences and river crossings.

 

Ways

St. Elias Lake; Length: 3.8km, Elevation Gain: 120m, Maximum Elevation: 880m, Difficulty: Easy, Duration: 2 to 4 hours, Starting point: 60km south of Haines Junction on Haines Road
Mush Lake Road; Length: 22 km, Elevation gain: 30 m, Maximum altitude: 760 m, Difficulty level: easy, Duration: 1 to 2 days, Starting point: 55 km south of Haines Junction on Haines Road, mountain bikes allowed
Shorty Creek; Length: 12km, Elevation Gain: 270m, Maximum Elevation: 1,000m, Difficulty: Average, Duration: 6 to 9 hours, Starting point: 55km south of Haines Junction on Haines Road
Cottonwood; Length: 83 km, Elevation difference: 520 m, Maximum altitude: 1,310 m, Difficulty: difficult, Duration: 4 to 6 days, Starting point: 27 or 55 km south of Haines Junction on Haines Road, circular route, mountain bikes partially permitted
Rock Glacier; Length: 600 m, Elevation gain: 90 m, Maximum altitude: 790 m, Difficulty: easy, Duration: 0.5 to 2 hours, Starting point: 45 km south of Haines Junction on Haines Road
kokanee; Length: 300 m, Elevation Gain: 120 m, Maximum Elevation: 3 m, Difficulty: Easy, Duration: 10 to 30 minutes, Starting Point: Kathleen Lake Day Use Area, 27 km south of Haines Junction on Haines Road
Auriole; Length: 15 km, Elevation gain: 400 m, Maximum altitude: 1,160 m, Difficulty: average, Duration: 4 to 6 hours, Starting point: 7 km south of Haines Junction on Haines Road, circular route
Dezadeash River; Length: 4.8 km, Elevation Gain: 15 m, Maximum Elevation: 640 m, Difficulty: Easy, Duration: 1 to 2 hours, Starting point: Haines Junction Visitors Center or at the bridge over the Dezadeash River, circular route
Alsek; Length: 26 km, Elevation gain: 90 m, Maximum altitude: 610 m, Difficulty level: easy, Duration: 1 to 3 days, Starting point: 10 km north of Haines Junction on the Alaska Highway, mountain bikes allowed
Bullion Creek; Length: 5.8 km, Elevation Gain: 150 m, Maximum Elevation: 940 m, Difficulty: Easy, Duration: 4 to 6 hours, Starting point: Sheep Mountain Information Center, 72 km north of Haines Junction on the Alaska Highway, mountain bikes allowed
Sheep Bullion Plateau; Length: 12 km, Elevation Gain: 880 m, Maximum Elevation: 1,620 m, Difficulty: Average, Duration: 6.5 to 8 hours, Starting point: Sheep Mountain Information Center, 72 km north of Haines Junction on the Alaska Highway
Sheep Creek; Length: 3.8 km, Elevation Gain: 430 m, Maximum Elevation: 1,280 m, Difficulty: Average, Duration: 3 to 6 hours, Starting point: Sheep Mountain Information Center, 72 km north of Haines Junction on the Alaska Highway.
Soldiers Summit; Length: 0.5 km, Elevation Gain: 90 m, Maximum Elevation: 880 m, Difficulty: Easy, Duration: 20 to 90 minutes, Starting point: 1 km north of Sheep Mountain Information Center, 73 km north of Haines Junction on the Alaska Highway

 

Routes

Onion Lake; Length: 35 km, Elevation difference: 830 m, Maximum altitude: 1,380 m, Difficulty level: for experienced hikers, Duration: 3 to 5 days, Starting point: Dalton Post, 84 km south of Haines Junction on Haines Road, mountain bikes partially permitted
Goatherd; Length: 60 km, Elevation difference: 640 m, Maximum altitude: 1,190 m, Difficulty level: for experienced hikers, Duration: 7 to 11 days, Starting point: 55 km south of Haines Junction on Haines Road, mountain bikes partially permitted
King's Throne; Length: 5 km, Elevation Gain: 1,220 m, Maximum Elevation: 1,980 m, Difficulty: for experienced hikers, Duration: 4 to 10 hours, Starting point: Kathleen Lake Day Use Area, 27 km south of Haines Junction on Haines Road
Quill Creek South; Length: 18 km, Elevation Gain: 730 m, Maximum Elevation: 1,580 m, Difficulty: Difficult, Duration: 2 to 4 days, Starting point: 13 km north of Haines Junction on Haines Road
Mt Decoeli; Length: 9 km, Elevation Gain: 1,340 m, Maximum Elevation: 2,330 m, Difficulty: for experienced hikers, Duration: 7 to 11 hours, Starting point: 25 km north of Haines Junction on the Alaska Highway
Kimberly Meadow; Length: 62 km, Elevation gain: 1,219 m, Maximum altitude: 1,890 m, Difficulty: for experienced hikers, Duration: 3 to 5 days, Starting point: 25 km north of Haines Junction on Haines Road, circular route
Slims East; Length: 23 km, Elevation Gain: 910 m, Maximum Elevation: 1,680 m, Difficulty: Difficult, Duration: 2 to 4 days, Starting point: 3 km south of Sheep Mountain Information Center, 69 km north of Haines Junction on the Alaska Highway, mountain bikes allowed
Volcano Creek; Length: 10 km, Elevation Gain: 790 m, Maximum Elevation: 1,580 m, Difficulty: for experienced hikers, Duration: 1 to 2 days, Starting point: 3 km south of Sheep Mountain Information Center, 69 km north of Haines Junction on the Alaska Highway
Kluane Plateau; Length: 7 km, Elevation Gain: 975 m, Maximum Elevation: 1,770 m, Difficulty: for experienced hikers, Duration: 7 to 11 hours, Starting point: 3 km south of Sheep Mountain Information Center, 69 km north of Haines Junction on the Alaska Highway
Slim's West; Length: 30 km, Elevation difference: 910 m, Maximum altitude: 2,114 m, Difficulty level: difficult, Duration: 3 to 5 days, Starting point: Sheep Mountain Information Center, 72 km north of Haines Junction on the Alaska Highway, mountain bikes allowed in parts
Sheep Mountain Ridge; Length: 11 km, Elevation Gain: 1,310 m, Maximum Elevation: 1,920 m, Difficulty: Difficult, Duration: 6 to 10 hours, Starting point: 2 km north of Sheep Mountain Information Center, 74 km north of Haines Junction on the Alaska Highway, loop trail
Sheep Congdon; Length: 25 km, Elevation gain: 910 m, Maximum elevation: 1,710 m, Difficulty: average, Duration: 2 to 3 days, Starting point: Sheep Mountain Information Center, 72 km north of Haines Junction on the Alaska Highway, loop trail
Williscroft Canyon; Length: 2 km, Elevation Gain: 240 m, Maximum Elevation: 1,040 m, Difficulty: Average, Duration: 1.5 to 3 hours, Starting point: 9 km north of Sheep Mountain Information Center, 81 km north of Haines Junction on the Alaska Highway
Donjek; Length: 96 km, Elevation gain: 2,700 m, Maximum altitude: 2,070 m, Difficulty: for experienced hikers, Duration: 6 to 10 days, Starting point: Duke River, 9 km north of Burwash Landing Center, 81 km north of Haines Junction on the Alaska Highway, loop route

 

Administration

The national park and national park reserve are administered according to a co-management model between Parks Canada, the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations and the Kluane First Nation, where the parties share the administration of the natural and cultural resources of the park within the Kluane National Park Management Board. These two indigenous entities are of Southern Tutchone ethnicity, the people inhabiting the territory where the national park is located since time immemorial.

A particularity of the park lies in its bilingual road signs where the signs located within the boundaries of the park, namely on the Haines Highway, the Alaska Highway and the Klondike Highway, include indications in English and Tutchone. from South.