Mayo
A Small Village On The Stewart River That Was Once A Steamboat Landing For The Silver Mines Of Keno Hill And Now Has A Small Museum And The Nacho Nyak Dun First Nation, And Is The Start Of The Silver Trail Road. Quiet And Peaceful, With Fishing, Camping And Trails On The River, And A Long Drive From Whitehorse · Mayo, Yukon
Mayo is a small Yukon village on the Stewart River, about 400 km north of Whitehorse by the Klondike Highway and the Silver Trail turn-off. It began in 1903 as a steamboat landing, when sternwheelers carried silver-lead ore from the Keno Hill mines down the Stewart to the Yukon River and on to market. The ore trade ended, but the village stayed as the home of the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyak Dun, whose traditional territory covers the river valley, and it is the start of the Silver Trail road. A small interpretive centre, often called Binet House (confirm the name and season), tells the story of the river, the mines and the people. There is a campground, a boat launch and a few services, with fishing for grayling and pike in the Stewart. Summers are short and bright, winters long and cold. Streets are quiet, shops are few and the hydro dam and old mine roads add a working-north feel. Plan fuel, food and gravel-road time before you come.
Mayo, a village on the Stewart River at the start of the Silver Trail, about 400 km north of Whitehorse; coordinates approximate, Mayo, Yukon, Canada
The village is open all year, but visitor services run mainly from about late May to early September. The interpretive centre, any craft stop, the campground and the small cafe or store keep short summer hours and may close in winter, so confirm dates and daily hours by phone before driving up. Walking the river bank, the street grid and the boat launch is free and open at any hour. The Silver Trail road is usually open all year but is gravel in places and can be slow in rain, spring thaw and snow. Evening light in June and July lasts very late.