It took 35,000 men to blast through mountains and build a railroad from Skagway, Alaska, to Whitehorse, Yukon. But much smaller groups can enjoy the ride—and the views—with White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad. From May through early September, Yukon visitors can depart from Carcross and journey to Bennett Lake in British Columbia. The secluded lake is accessible only by train (or a 33-mile hike).
“The ride features unforgettable vistas from the comfort of vintage-inspired rail cars,” says Jacqueline Taylor-Rose, the company’s marketing manager. “The history of the region during the Klondike Gold Rush is told as you meander along the shore.”
The stopover in Bennett Lake features an interpretive center in the railway’s 1910 station house, and visitors can walk to St. Andrew’s Church, the last remaining gold rush-era building, which the railroad and Parks Canada have helped preserve.
“It’s unforgettable ride that only a handful of visitors get to see each summer,” Taylor-Rose says, adding that custom tours can be created with many of the Yukon’s transportation providers.
To learn more about rail excursions, contact Jacqueline Taylor-Rose or visit wpyr.com. For more information about Yukon, email Stephen Reynolds or visit travelyukon.com.
Top photo: WP&YR’s Carcross to Bennett Lake excursion
Photo by White Pass & Yukon Route
