trip description

https://www.pedalerspubandgrille.com/bike_tours/alaska/Klondike_Gold_Rush.htm

Westmark Dawson City

A modern hotel, built to blend into the historic gold rush style of Dawson City.

Whitehorse Hotel

Luxurious frontier hotel located in the heart of Whitehorse.

Westmark Inn Skagway

Victorian style hotel at the start of the Klondike Gold Rush Trail.

The hotels listed here are our preferred properties, but may not be available for all dates. Our other nights are camping, all with hot showers.

Day 1:

Your group will assemble at the Fairbanks Airport, where we board a short flight to Dawson City in Canada’s Yukon Territory. Your guides will meet you at the Dawson City Airport and transfer to our hotel in this historic gold rush town. After prepping the bikes, the balance of the day is free to explore town. Welcome drinks and orientation will proceed dinner.(motel accommodations tonight)

Day 2:

We will spend some more time in town this morning, a chance to explore what you might have missed yesterday. After a picnic lunch at the park downtown, we set out on our bike tour, pedaling a short distance to Dempster Corner where we camp tonight. Folks wanting a few more miles can take a spin up the Dempster Highway, which travels up past the Arctic Circle all the way to Inuvik in the far north. 25 mi / 40 km (breakfast on your own)

Day 3:

After yesterday’s easy start, we bump up the mileage a bit, as there is not much civilization in this part of the Yukon. Our ride traverses the Tintina Trench, a major bird migratory route, through vast forested wilderness. Our goal for tonight is Stewart Crossing, site of one of the early trading posts in the gold fields. 72 mi / 116 km

Day 4:

A more leisurely ride is in store today, as we roll through aspen and spruce forests en route to Pelly Crossing, one of the only towns along this part of the highway. As is often the case, a “town” means a couple hundred residents, with a store, gas station and post office. The Selkirk Heritage Centre in town is a replica of houses from the old Fort Selkirk. 60 mi / 96 km

Day 5:

Continuing south, our bike tour picks up the Yukon River, the major transport route during the Klondike Gold Rush. We’ll visit Five Finger Rapids, a great hazard to gold rushers traveling down the river. Then continue on to Carmacks, a slightly bigger town where we bed down on the banks of the Yukon River. 66 mi / 106 km

Day 6:

You probably have been hearing rumors during the ride from northbound travelers about the Braeburn Buns, well tonight we reach the Braeburn Lodge where you can confirm the rumors … the cinnamon buns require two hands to hold them. En route, we pass by the ruins of an old roadhouse from the era of stagecoach travel. We roll a bit further down the highway to bed down near Fox Lake. 69 mi / 111 km

Day 7:

Our last leg of the bike tour along the north Klondike Highway takes us past several scenic lakes, including Lake Laberge, where Sam McGee met his demise in the poetry of the Yukon bard, Robert Service. After several days on the road, our overnight stop will be a welcome taste of civilization, as we bed down in Whitehorse for two nights. 45 mi / 73 km (motel accommodations tonight, dinner on your own)

Day 8:

A free day is in store, a chance to catch up with your journal, relax in the hot spring pools or perhaps go visit Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon Territory. As your crew needs to restock on food, you have the option to get shuttled into town and then ride home later in the afternoon. (motel accommodations tonight, all meals on your own)

Day 9:

We pick up a short stretch of the notorious Al-Can Highway today. This road was built in a short nine months during World War II as an overland supply route to Alaska. traffic is a bit busy due to Whitehorse, but we have nice shoulders and smooth pavement. We will be turning south back onto the Klondike Highway a few miles past Whitehorse. Then rolling down to our overnight camp in historic Carcross. 47 mi / 76 km (breakfast on your own)

Day 10:

This morning explore old Carcross, dating back to the gold rush era. The old Yukon & White Pass Train station has become a museum and is well worth a stop. As we head further south the various lakes we pass are backed up by magnificent mountain landscapes, taking us to the top of White Pass, a barren alpine wonderland. From the pass it is a seven mile, 3200 foot descent to the US border and Alaska. We will celebrate the end of a great bicycle tour tonight in Skagway, a frontier port town whose historic town center is a popular destination for travelers. 65 mi / 105 km (motel accommodations tonight, dinner on your own)

Day 11:

Skagway still has the feel of frontier days, with wooden sidewalks and frontier architecture. We have the day free to explore this popular city. For folks with an interest in trains, you can take a ride on the old White Pass & Yukon line, traveling up to Fraiser Pass through a beautiful valley. Or perhaps follow one of the local trails for a hike through coastal rainforest. We will gather in the evening for a final dinner in the far north together. (motel accommodations tonight, breakfast and lunch on your own)

Day 12:

Morning comes early, as you have an 8 am ferry to catch, taking you through the Inside Passage to Juneau. Your guides will bid you farewell on the docks in Skagway. (all meals on your own)

Some folks think we’re pretty cool:

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