Ross River: Yukon, Canada

Ross River is a small village located on the banks of the Ross and Pelly Rivers in Central Yukon Territory, Canada. The village is a Kaska First Nation Village and a transportation centre on the Canol Road and Robert Campbell Highway.

The village of Ross River operates a river cable ferry connecting the North and South Canol Roads. The village is also an important destination for road travelers because it operates the only gas station in the Campbell region. There is also a general store and a few community services in the village.

In 1843 Robert Campbell named Ross River after a trader of the Hudson's Bay Company named Donald Ross. In 1903 there was a trading post erected at the junction of the Ross and Pelly Rivers. It operated for 50 years and serviced the First Nation people and fur traders of the region arriving by river.

The Canol Pipeline Road, the river ferry and the suspension bridge were built during the 1940s and the Robert Campbell Highway was completed in 1968. The new routes provided road access with Ross River. The suspension bridge is the longest in the Yukon measuring over 182 metres (600 feet).

Ross River being near Canol Road is a launching point for many wilderness adventures. The one-way North Canol Road leads to the Yukon/NWT border and the wilderness mountains of Macmillan Pass. The South Canol Road connects with the Alaska Highway and Watson Lake, Yukon.

Sections of the Canol Road are rough, filled with mud holes, rib rattlers and may be only 4x4 accessible. Best to check the road conditions when visiting Ross River. At the end of the northern Canol Road the road route ends and the Canol Road Heritage Trail begins.

Many activities in the Ross River area are self guided. Fishing, canoeing, hiking, hunting, wildlife sightseeing and backpacking are some of the popular activities in the back country forests during the summer months. In the winter the gravel roads become snowmobile routes and the frozen lakes are ice fishing hot spots.

When exploring the wilderness regions near Ross River be aware it is "Bear Country". The forests, lakes and rivers are home to wolves, moose, black bears, grizzly bears, fox and lynx. Respect wildlife, keep a safe distance and give them the right of way to avoid confrontation.