|
The Kluane region might keep its greatest mountains out of sight, but it makes amends by laying on the stunning Kluane Lake along some 60km of the Alaska Hwy. About 75km northwest of Haines Junction, and hot on the heels of some magnificent views of the St Elias Mountains, the huge lake (some 400 square kilometres in area) is framed on all sides by snow-covered peaks whose sinister glaciers feed its ice-blue waters. It's not part of the national park, but there's still a second park kiosk at its southern tip, the Sheep Mountain Information Kiosk (mid-May to early Sept daily 9am-5pm; no phone). About 5km before the kiosk is the Kluane Bed & Breakfast (no phone; $60-80), with four cabins on the lakeshore. A kilometre beyond it lies the Bayshore Motel and Restaurant (tel 841-4551; $60-80), open 24 hours a day from May to October; as well as rooms it offers sites for tents and Rvs. If you want to boat or fish there are rental facilities at the two main settlements along the shores, Destruction Bay and Burwash Landing, each of which also has a small selection of accommodation to supplement the odd lodges and campsites along the Alaska Hwy. In the smaller DESTRUCTION BAY (pop. 44), named when a previous road construction camp was destroyed by a storm in 1942, bed down at the Talbot Arm Motel with restaurant, cafe, store and Chevron garage (tel 841-4461; $80-100). The best overall campsite locally is the lovely Yukon government-run Congdon Creek ($8) site off the Alaska Hwy, 12km south of Destruction Bay which also offers the start of hiking trails. At BURWASH LANDING , 15km beyond, there's a tiny 1944 Oblate mission church and museum, Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, and the Burwash Landing Resort (tel 841-4441; $60-80), with restaurant, store, glacier flights, fishing trips, gold-panning and a big unserviced campsite (free; May-Oct). Five kilometres further south the Cottonwood Park Campground , a private outfit, offers rather more facilities (tel 634-2739; $12; mid-May to mid-Oct). Moving on from Burwash, there are just two more major indoor accommodation possibilities before Beaver Creek: 85km east of Burwash is the Pine Valley Bakery & Lodge (tel 862-7407; $60-80) and, 36km beyond that, the white River Motor Inn (tel 862-7408; $60-80), with cafe and petrol. Ten kilometres west of the Pine Valley Bakery & Lodge are the Yukon government campsites at Lake Creek; additional campsites are situated eleven kilometres further at Pickhandle Lake (both $8).
Your Tip for Kluane Lake
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to Kluane Lake - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to Kluane Lake - visit the main Kluane Lake forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the Kluane Lake webguide section below! Thanks.
|
