Yukon roads, miscellaneous
Encyclopedia
In addition to numbered highways, the Yukon
has several other roads that are maintained by the territorial government.
The Aishihik Road is an 84 mile road from the Alaska Highway
at Canyon Creek (historic mile 996) to the former airfield of Aishihik at the north end of Aishihik Lake
. The airfield was part of the Northwest Staging Route
, but was effectively abandoned in 1968. Since then, the Yukon government only maintains the first 27 miles of road, which serves two campgrounds and the Aishihik Lake hydroelectric station. The Champagne-Aishihik First Nation (CAFN) has an aboriginal interest in Aishihik and uses the location for traditional gatherings; it has used the site to host a gathering of the Council of Yukon First Nations when the rotation among member first nations took the gathering to the CAFN.
The Annie Lake Road is an 18-mile road in Mount Lorne hamlet that services residential areas, plus a golf course. During the 1980s, the Skukum Gold Mine made use of the road to connect across the Wheaton River to its gold mining operations.
The Snag Road is a primitive but driveable road that starts from the Alaska Highway south of Beaver Creek, leading approximately 15 miles to the former location of Snag, Yukon. Until 1968, Snag was a military airfield, established as part of the Northwest Staging Route
, and the weather station here recorded, on February 3, 1947, the coldest official temperature in North America
: 81 degrees below zero, Fahrenheit
(-62.8 degrees Celsius
). The personnel at the station could also hear conversations at the First Nations (Indian) village just about three miles away.
Until the 1970s, the Canadian customs station for Beaver Creek
was still called Snag, at a time when the customs station was in the middle of Beaver Creek. Some travelers who missed the customs station, and who the police did not catch up to, traveled up the Snag Road looking for the customs station!
The Ross River Access Road connects Ross River
with the Robert Campbell Highway
, an approximate nine-mile road that replaces a poorer six-mile section of the Canol Road
.
The Kusawa Lake Road, starting at historical mile 960 of the Alaska Highway
, provides access to campgrounds on Kusawa Lake
as well as a small number of area residents.
The Old Alaska Highway at Champagne served as part of the main highway until fall 2002. It remains open to provide access to Champagne and a traditional campsite.
The Bonanza Creek Road and the Hunker Creek Road in the historic Klondike
mining district provide access to privately-operated mines and some private homes in the Hunker Creek area. These roads are built to minimal standards, and the course of the Bonanza Creek road has been shifted in recent years to accommodate mining operations.
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
has several other roads that are maintained by the territorial government.
The Aishihik Road is an 84 mile road from the Alaska Highway
Alaska Highway
The Alaska Highway was constructed during World War II for the purpose of connecting the contiguous U.S. to Alaska through Canada. It begins at the junction with several Canadian highways in Dawson Creek, British Columbia and runs to Delta Junction, Alaska, via Whitehorse, Yukon...
at Canyon Creek (historic mile 996) to the former airfield of Aishihik at the north end of Aishihik Lake
Aishihik Lake
-References:*...
. The airfield was part of the Northwest Staging Route
Northwest Staging Route
The Northwest Staging Route was a series of airstrips, airport and radio ranging stations built in Alberta, British Columbia, the Yukon and Alaska during World War II. It was known in the Soviet Union as Alsib ....
, but was effectively abandoned in 1968. Since then, the Yukon government only maintains the first 27 miles of road, which serves two campgrounds and the Aishihik Lake hydroelectric station. The Champagne-Aishihik First Nation (CAFN) has an aboriginal interest in Aishihik and uses the location for traditional gatherings; it has used the site to host a gathering of the Council of Yukon First Nations when the rotation among member first nations took the gathering to the CAFN.
The Annie Lake Road is an 18-mile road in Mount Lorne hamlet that services residential areas, plus a golf course. During the 1980s, the Skukum Gold Mine made use of the road to connect across the Wheaton River to its gold mining operations.
The Snag Road is a primitive but driveable road that starts from the Alaska Highway south of Beaver Creek, leading approximately 15 miles to the former location of Snag, Yukon. Until 1968, Snag was a military airfield, established as part of the Northwest Staging Route
Northwest Staging Route
The Northwest Staging Route was a series of airstrips, airport and radio ranging stations built in Alberta, British Columbia, the Yukon and Alaska during World War II. It was known in the Soviet Union as Alsib ....
, and the weather station here recorded, on February 3, 1947, the coldest official temperature in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
: 81 degrees below zero, Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Within this scale, the freezing of water into ice is defined at 32 degrees, while the boiling point of water is defined to be 212 degrees...
(-62.8 degrees Celsius
Celsius
Celsius is a scale and unit of measurement for temperature. It is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who developed a similar temperature scale two years before his death...
). The personnel at the station could also hear conversations at the First Nations (Indian) village just about three miles away.
Until the 1970s, the Canadian customs station for Beaver Creek
Beaver Creek, Yukon
- External links :* *...
was still called Snag, at a time when the customs station was in the middle of Beaver Creek. Some travelers who missed the customs station, and who the police did not catch up to, traveled up the Snag Road looking for the customs station!
The Ross River Access Road connects Ross River
Ross River, Yukon
Ross River is an unincorporated community in the Yukon, Canada. It lies at the juncture of the Ross River and the Pelly River, along the Canol Road, not far from the Campbell Highway. Primary access to the Campbell Highway is a nine-mile access road of superior alignment, not the six-mile Canol...
with the Robert Campbell Highway
Robert Campbell Highway
Yukon Highway 4, also known as the Robert Campbell Highway or Campbell Highway, is a road between Watson Lake, Yukon on the Alaska Highway to Carmacks, Yukon on the Klondike Highway. It is long and mostly gravel-surfaced...
, an approximate nine-mile road that replaces a poorer six-mile section of the Canol Road
Canol Road
The Canol Road was part of a project to build a pipeline and a road from Norman Wells, Northwest Territories to Whitehorse, Yukon during World War II. The pipeline no longer exists, but the long Yukon portion of the road is maintained by the Yukon Government during summer months...
.
The Kusawa Lake Road, starting at historical mile 960 of the Alaska Highway
Alaska Highway
The Alaska Highway was constructed during World War II for the purpose of connecting the contiguous U.S. to Alaska through Canada. It begins at the junction with several Canadian highways in Dawson Creek, British Columbia and runs to Delta Junction, Alaska, via Whitehorse, Yukon...
, provides access to campgrounds on Kusawa Lake
Kusawa Lake
-References:*...
as well as a small number of area residents.
The Old Alaska Highway at Champagne served as part of the main highway until fall 2002. It remains open to provide access to Champagne and a traditional campsite.
The Bonanza Creek Road and the Hunker Creek Road in the historic Klondike
Klondike, Yukon
The Klondike is a region of the Yukon in northwest Canada, east of the Alaska border. It lies around the Klondike River, a small river that enters the Yukon from the east at Dawson....
mining district provide access to privately-operated mines and some private homes in the Hunker Creek area. These roads are built to minimal standards, and the course of the Bonanza Creek road has been shifted in recent years to accommodate mining operations.