Haines Junction
A Village Founded In The 1940s As A Highway Maintenance Camp, Now The Main Gateway And Visitor Centre For Kluane National Park And Reserve, With Flightseeing Over The Icefields, Hiking, Rafting On The Alsek And A Small Champagne And Aishihik First Nations Cultural Centre. A Small Base With A Few Lodges, Busy From June To September · Haines Junction, Yukon
Haines Junction is a small Yukon village where the Alaska Highway meets the Haines Road, about 160 km west of Whitehorse. It began in the 1940s as a highway maintenance camp and is now the main gateway to Kluane National Park and Reserve, whose visitor centre stands in the village. Behind it the Saint Elias Mountains rise in a wall of rock and ice, and flightseeing planes lift off from the local airstrip to cross the icefields. The Champagne and Aishihik First Nations have a cultural centre here, which gives the place a Southern Tutchone voice beyond the highway story. There is little to see in town itself: a few lodges, a gas station, a small grocery and some cafes. The value is the base it offers, with Kathleen Lake and the King's Throne trail a short drive south. The season is short, roughly June to September, and many businesses close the rest of the year. Grizzly bears are common, services are limited and the next big town is far, so fuel up and confirm opening dates before you drive out.
Haines Junction, a Yukon village at the junction of the Alaska Highway and the Haines Road, about 160 km west of Whitehorse and at the edge of Kluane National Park; coordinates approximate, Haines Junction, Yukon, Canada
The village is open all year, but most visitor services run only from about late May or June to September. The park visitor centre, the First Nations cultural centre, flightseeing operators, cafes and some lodges keep summer hours and may close completely in winter, so confirm dates and daily hours before you plan around them. Gas and basic groceries are usually available, but stocks and closing times are limited and shorter in the off season. Walking the village, looking at the mountains and driving to the lake are free and open at any time of day. In June and July the sun is up very late, which gives long usable evenings for hiking.