May long weekend in Canada signals the kick off to summer. It’s the first holiday of the season, and hikers, campers and adventurers alike head out to explore all that the campsites, trails and backcountry has to offer.
In the Yukon, people head out early in the week to stake out their spot at the many government campsites in the southern Yukon. If you wait until Friday, good luck finding a spot at the more popular campsites in close proximity to Whitehorse.
Knowing this, we were prepared to head out further afield, and we had an ambitious plan to try and make Keno City. Unfortunately, we got out a little later than we had planned, so we switched gears on the fly and headed to Carmacks. From there we branched off the Klondike Highway, and headed northeast towards Faro Yukon on the Robert Campbell Highway. En-route we looked up a few campsites and decided to check them out. Approximately 80 kilometres after the turn off, you will reach an access road for Frenchman Lake Campground 10 kilometres off the highway, followed by Nunatuk Campground 12 kilometres past that.
The road to the campsites is a reasonably well maintained gravel road, with only a few washboard sections to contend with. If you continue on this road for another 51 kilometres it actually loops around and connects you back with the Klondike Highway, which is how we headed back home at the end of our trip.
The campground at Frenchman Lake was completely full, so we pushed on to Nunatuk, which was almost empty. We were able to get a spot right next to the lake, with no one else around. The lake was absolutely spectacular, and the views were stunning. My only regret is we didn’t bring the canoe with us…something for next time, and a great reason to bring us back in the future.
Camping is one of those quintessentially Canadian activities; there is something very relaxing about being in the solitude of the backwoods, campfire roaring, and wildlife roaming in and out of camp. I’m not sure if there is a food pyramid for camping, but if there is, I’m sure s’mores, hotdogs, and beer are at the top of the recommended items.
Driving on the Klondike Highway you’ll have lots of animal spotting opportunities. We passed deer and elk on the drive back, not to mention the numerous species of birds along the way. Although many of the lakes were still partially ice covered, the trumpeter swans are slowly making their way north, and can be spotted in most areas where the water is starting to open.
On the Klondike Highway, you’ll also pass Five Finger Rapids, which has a lookout about 25 kilometres north of Carmacks. You can stop and get some beautiful pictures of the Yukon River from the road; but if you have the time, there is a descending staircase that lets you access a trail head where you can hike down to the river. It’s an easy 3 kilometre hike, with some beautiful views of the rock formations that give the rapids their name. Depending on the time of year, you can see canoeist run the rapids from above, which is really impressive, given how fast the water moves through the narrow rock channels.
Heading back to Whitehorse, you will pass Braeburn Lodge, about 90 kilometres south of Carmacks. This iconic roadhouse is a surviving testament to the numerous road houses and highway stops that used to line the highways in the Yukon. Better roads and more efficient cars have rendered most of these locations ghost towns, leaving nothing but abandoned buildings, but a few have managed to survive. I think Braeuburn’s secret is gruff hospitality, and their world famous, obscenely large cinnamon buns, which are the size of a small football. Plan on sharing, likely with more than one other person.
The May long weekend is enshrined in the Canadian psyche as the start of summer, and has long been associated with camping and outdoor activities. For me, it’s about a little road trip, a little junk food, a roaring campfire, and a whole lot of beautiful scenery. What more could anyone ask for on the first long weekend of the summer.
Great story. The photos bring back terrific memories. By the way, what species of birds did you see on your weekend adventure?