Yukon River

The Yukon River is a major waterway in the Yukon Territory. The historic river flows north passing through the Yukon Territory and Alaska, USA. The name "Yukon" comes from the Gwich'in First Nation word "Yu-kun-ah" when translated it means "great river." And it is a great river - the 5th largest in North America measuring 3,185 kilometres long.

The Gwich'in First Nation people for decades traveled the Yukon River hunting, fishing and moving from summer and winter villages. The Yukon River was an important part in maintaining their traditional way of life for many years - long before the arrival of the Europeans.

The first non First Nation to discover the Yukon River was a Russian in 1831. However it was discovered in 1831 but not explored. The Yukon River was not explored until 1848 when a Hudson Bay Company fur trader by the name of Robert Campbell paddled up the Pelly River to the Yukon River and Fort Selkirk.

In the early 1900s the Yukon River became a very popular paddle route during the Klondike Gold Rush. It did not take long before the riverboats and sternwheelers arrived transporting miners and supplies up and down the river. The sternwheelers operated on the Yukon River until the early 1950s. In the 1950s the construction of the Alaska Highway transformed the Yukon River into, what it is now, a popular recreation river.

The source of the river varies on who you talk to. Some say the source of the Yukon River is the Llewellyn Glacier near Atlin, British Columbia while others say the river originates from Tagish Lake. However, most do agree that the Yukon River empties into the Bering Sea in Norton Sound, Alaska.

The Yukon River is fed by 4 major Canadian waterway systems. Many of these waterways are also part of canoe and kayak routes which connect to the Yukon River directly or through a chain of lakes.

The Teslin River (393 kilometres), the Pelly River (608 kilometres), the White River (320 kilometres), the Stewart River (644 kilometres) in Canada and the Porcupine River (720 kilometres) in Alaska, USA all feed into the Yukon River.

Today, the Yukon River is a popular destination for wilderness adventures. There are hiking trails, viewpoints, wilderness campgrounds, parks, canoe paddle routes, picnic areas, boat tours, floatplane bases, marinas, suspension bridges and fishing holes located on the Yukon River.