Kluane National Park and Reserve
National park · Yukon ·
Vast wilderness of ice fields, forests, and towering peaks
Vast wilderness of ice fields, forests, and towering peaks
"Marc Telio calls the park’s “sheer and remote beauty … indescribable.” Visitors often stop at Kathleen Lake for crystal waters framed by snowcapped peaks; canoes, a campground, and A-frame tents are available near the shore, and multiple hiking trails offer further exploration of the rugged landscape." - Lauren Dana Ellman Lauren Dana Ellman Lauren Dana Ellman is a New York-based writer and editor who specializes in travel, lifestyle, food, and shopping content. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"At a cozy lodge at the edge of Kluane National Park, my husband and I gathered with other guests around a wood-burning fireplace for an Indigenous storytelling experience; we snuggled around the fire while James Allen, an Elder and former Chief from the Champagne and Aishihik First Nation, shared Southern Tutchone legends he grew up with. My favorite legend was about the aurora borealis: 'there are many legends about the northern lights... our story is that the northern lights are a message from ancestors who have passed on. They dance in the Spirit World to let us know they are happy there.' I was still thinking about that Southern Tutchone northern lights legend long after the session ended and found the idea that the lights have a deeper meaning profoundly moving." - Debbie Olsen
"An immense protected wilderness in western Canada's Yukon covering more than 8,000 square miles and anchored by a vast, contiguous ice field that reads from the air as one unbroken white expanse. Glaciers spill from the ice field into valleys, feed lakes and rivers, and in places the ice mantle exceeds 3,000 feet; crevasses and avalanche-prone slopes emphasize the raw, untamed scale of the terrain. The park contains multiple high summits (including a 19,550-foot peak and a 13,944-foot peak) yet remains remote, receiving only about 30,000 visitors a year—mostly in May through September—so experiences here tend to feel sublime, awe-inspiring and a little intimidating, whether viewed from a small plane on a flightseeing tour or explored on foot, by raft, or on guided valley outings." - Eva Holland Eva Holland Eva Holland is a Yukon-based freelance writer and author of the book “Nerve: A Personal Journey Through the Science of Fear.” Her work has been featured in Outside magazine, Travel + Leisure, Anchorage Daily News, The Walrus Magazine, and Cottage Life. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"With extra time I would visit Kluane National Park to see Canada’s highest mountain, a highlight mentioned as worth an additional week of exploration." - Matthew Kepnes
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