Chilkoot Charters Scenic Tour: Yukon Territory Back to Skagway

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Finishing Off Our Full Day in Skagway

Earlier in the morning, we had explored Skagway's Historic Downtown, then hopped aboard the White Pass Railway for an excursion from Skagway to Fraser with an epic scenic ride. When arriving at Fraser Station, we transferred to a tour bus for the next portion of the excursion - headed towards Wild Adventure Yukon (formerly Caribou Crossing) for our Chicken BBQ lunch, tour a Wildlife Museum, and enjoyed a Sled Dog experience. With a full belly, it was time to explore some of the Yukon Territory before heading back aboard the Sapphire Princess cruise ship.

View of Taiya Peaks near Shallow Lake

View of Tutshi River

Sign in the distance says, "Tutshi Lake."

We got to stretch our legs at Tutshi Lake.

Photo-Op: Yukon Sign

Photo-Op: Welcome - The Best Place on Earth (British Columbia, Canada) Sign

The Yukon had a Silver Rush Era, too.

Here we passed the historic Venus Silver Mine along the Klondike Highway.

At kilometre 83 on the South Klondike Highway, the weathered remains of the Venus Silver Mine and Mill cling dramatically to the steep shoreline of Windy Arm on Tagish Lake. Built in 1908 by ambitious mining entrepreneur J.H. Conrad, this pioneering facility was the Yukon’s first concentrating mill.

Ore from the Venus No. 1 and No. 2 mines high on Montana Mountain was carried downhill by an aerial tramway, then crushed and processed on-site using gravity-fed machinery to extract silver (and some gold). By concentrating the ore here instead of shipping raw rock out of the territory, the mill aimed to cut costs and boost profits during the early hard-rock mining boom.

Though it operated only intermittently until around 1920, the striking multi-level structure still stands as a vivid reminder of the Yukon’s lesser-known silver rush era — a fascinating roadside landmark for anyone driving between Skagway and Carcross.

View of the uninhabited Bove Island surrounded by backdrops of Mount Conrad, Nares Mountain, and Lime Mountain that frame the horizon. Its striking waters of the Windy Arm portion of Tagish Lake.

Carcross Desert - a gift from the last Ice Age.

As massive glaciers melted around 10,000–12,000 years ago, they left behind large glacial lakes filled with fine silt and sand. When those lakes drained, the sediments remained, and strong winds funneling down Bennett Lake continue to pick up the sand and reshape the dunes today. Standing among the soft golden dunes with forested mountains and sparkling lakes just beyond is one of those unforgettable Yukon moments that feels almost otherworldly.

Just outside the village of Carcross lies one of the Yukon’s most surprising landscapes: the Carcross Desert. Often billed as the “world’s smallest desert,” this pocket of shifting sand dunes covers only about one square mile (roughly 2.6 km²). Technically it isn’t a true desert — the area receives a bit too much precipitation — but the nickname has stuck because of its striking, Sahara-like appearance in the middle of the sub-Arctic.

We only passed by it.

Emerald Lake: The Yukon’s Jewel of Turquoise Waters Near Carcross

Emerald Lake sits just a short drive from Carcross along the South Klondike Highway and is one of the most photographed spots in the Yukon. We stopped here as well and can confirm why it's so popular.

Its vivid turquoise-green color comes from sunlight bouncing off a layer of white marl — a soft mix of clay and calcium carbonate — that covers the shallow lake bottom. This marl formed from limestone gravel left behind by glaciers about 14,000 years ago.

Charming Carcross

Totem nearby Carcross Train Office

St. John the Baptist Catholic Mission

The sign says, "Government Airport."

Trackside in Carcross: Catching a White Pass Maintenance Speeder at Work

Spotted this bright orange rail vehicle — number 2020 — parked on the White Pass & Yukon Route tracks. It’s a classic “speeder”, “Caseys” or gang car, a compact maintenance vehicle that railway crews use to inspect tracks, haul tools, and reach remote sections of the line that bigger trains can’t easily access. Seeing the crew gathered around it added a lively, working-railway feel to the historic Carcross station area and reminded us that this narrow-gauge line is still very much alive behind the scenes.

Tagish Lake’s Windy Arm: Scenic Welcome to the Yukon Territory

International Falls comes into view right from the South Klondike Highway.

On a future visit, we'd love a bit more adventure, to soak in the alpine scenery, and get a closer experience by getting on the International Falls Trail. From what I've read it would be a short but steep trail that leads you down to the creek and along the falls best enjoyed in late summer, when lower water levels make the creek crossings easier and safer by simple rock-hopping.

About to pass the US Canadian Border.

Welcome to Alaska Sign

The bright yellow poles you see along the Klondike Highway aren’t light poles — they’re specialized snow poles (also called snow markers or delineators usually 6 to 10 feet tall above the ground). In winter, deep snow and whiteout blizzards can completely bury the road, guardrails, and lane markings. These tall, highly visible markers become essential visual guides for snowplow operators and drivers, helping them stay on the road when the landscape disappears under several feet of snow.

Pitchfork Falls

I photographed Pitchfork Falls from the White Pass Railway earlier in the day. It was nice to see the full magnitude of the falls.

It's ~2,000-foot cascading in vertical drop originating from Goat Lake, high in the mountains above. It streams down and eventually flows into the Skagway River. Wish the tour pulled-out along the Klondike Highway (around mile 7.6) to take in the falls a bit longer.

Now passing the US Customs and Border Protection, Skagway Port of Entry. Earlier on the railway, we had seen a white-painted sign "ON TO ALASKA WITH BUCHANAN" on the cliffside in the same general vicinity.

Can you see yet another Railway Speeder maintaining the tracks?!

At Skagway Cemetery a few graves stood out with a striking aviation theme: actual airplane propellers serving as headstones or markers, often decorated with flowers. One of the most notable belongs to local pilot Francis Steven Lewis (1944–1981), who was killed when the sightseeing plane he was flying crashed in the White Pass area.

I'm glad to have captured this shot as our tour bus passed the cemetery. These propeller markers are a personal and poignant tribute to Skagway’s long connection with aviation — from early bush pilots navigating the rugged mountains to the small airlines that have long served this remote community. In a place defined by its dramatic terrain and Gold Rush history, these graves quietly honor the aviators who flew the challenging skies above it.

Returned safe and sound back to historic Skagway.

We will surely remember this Yukon Rail and Bus Excursion tour for years to come. Thank you Chilkoot Charters.

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