Time travel

Klondike Gold Rush

The headlines screamed: “Gold!” when it was first discovered in the Yukon region in northwest Canada in 1896, and it sparked a stampede of more than 100,000 prospectors the following year.

There’s still gold to be found there, but it’s the Klondike Gold Rush’s captivating history that still draws visitors.

The world-renowned Chilkoot Trail hike traces the prospectors’ path from Skagway, Alaska, through Yukon to Bennett Lake, British Columbia.

Across the ravine, the White Pass and Yukon Route railway chugs over the pass. In between the trail and the tracks, a scenic highway winds through the coastal mountains to the village of Carcross.

Visitors can also explore preserved paddle-wheelers on shore or canoe the river route the gold-seekers took from Bennett Lake to the Klondike. You can also tour heritage buildings, pan for gold, stroll boardwalks and get to know largerthan-life Gold Rush characters as they share their gripping stories.

Author Jack London was one of those brave souls who survived the treacherous journey to the Yukon. Although he did not find his fortune in the precious metal, he found it in the stories he wrote about his experiences, most famously The Call of the Wild.

Gold Rush town Dawson City looks and feels like an old movie set, and featured in the 2020 movie of London’s book, starring Harrison Ford.

The Jack London Museum and Cabin (jacklondonmuseum.ca) in Dawson City tells the story of his Klondike adventure.

While you’re there, you can also visit the Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre (danojazho.ca) to learn how the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in people lived on the land for thousands of years before the Gold Rush, and how it changed their lives for ever.

The MacBride Museum (macbride museum.com) in Whitehorse is home to more than 40,000 artefacts which illustrate the stories of the Klondike Gold Rush as well as Yukon’s First Nations.

Close to 80% of Yukon remains pristine with towering peaks, forests, unspoiled waters and untamed wildlife.

travelyukon.com

Icelandic low-cost carrier

PLAY is launching a new route from Stansted in Essex to USA capital Washington DC and its fine museums, restaurants and galleries in April. Fares start at £199 one-way, flying Airbus A321/ A320neo jets via Reykjavik, and are on sale now.

flyplay.com