Robinson Roadhouse : Carcross, Yukon, Canada

The Robinson Roadhouse Historic Site is located north of the community of Carcross, Yukon on the South Klondike Highway. The roadhouse is a sightseeing destination providing insight into the history of Klondike Gold Rush and the lives of the many miners who lived in the region.

A roadhouse was a camp settlement situated on a busy transportation route used by miners. There were many roadhouses in the day along most major transportation routes in the Yukon. They often included a main lodge, saloon and accommodations. Some provided trapper cabins with bunks for accommodations while others pitched tents and were more like a tent city.

The Robinson Roadhouse was under the supervision of William Robinson. To his friends and the locals he was referred to as "Stikine Bill" because he was originally from Stikine, British Columbia, Canada. He was known as a blunt and "take no nonsense" type of individual.

The roadhouse was built to service the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway. The railway only reached the summit at the time and the Robinson Roadhouse was responsible for transporting the supplies from the rails end to the shores of Bennett Lake. Bill was the manager of the Red Line Transportation company which provided the services.

The Robinson Roadhouse was called " The City in Embryo". It was a popular stop on route to the Yukon River. The roadhouse included a log cabin lodge, a saloon and three tents. The roadhouse started to grow quickly and in 1906 there was talk of turning the roadhouse into a townsite. They even went as far as to have the surrounding 320 hectares surveyed for the townsite.

At one time during the peak of activity at the Robinson Roadhouse the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) sent a Mountie to be stationed at the roadhouse. After all was said and done the big population explosion did not come and the roadhouse was left as a base camp for miners.

How to Get to Robinson Roadhouse

Travel the Alaska Highway east of Whitehorse, Yukon to the Carcross / South Klondike Highway Exit (Hwy #2). Turn south down Highway #2 and continue driving towards Mount Lorne. On your left will be a park sign marking the entrance to the park.

Driving from Carcross, Yukon continue north of the South Klondike Highway (Hwy#2) for 40 kilometres towards Whitehorse. On your right, before the intersection of the Alaska Highway and the South Klondike Highway, will be the entrance to the park.