northern retreat

Have this beach (almost) all to yourself.

editor’s pov

One of the most unusual and impressive beaches in Canada is often called the world’s smallest desert—and it’s in the Yukon. Covering just 1.6 square kilometres, Carcross Desert is actually a series of deep sand dunes dotted with lodgepole pine, larch, mosses and endangered sedge grass, and it’s also flanked by rocky snow-covered peaks. Locals love to sandboard and off-road on the vegetation-free parts; I recommend hiking the sun-warmed sands down to the shore of Bennett Lake. (Pack a picnic lunch.) Go to ELLECanada.com/travel for a roundup of must-visit beaches in Canada. christiNA REYNOLDS