Kluane National Park and Reserve is composed of two parts: a national park and a national park reserve in the southwest corner of Yukon. It is part of the Kluane-Wrangell-St. Elias-Glacier Bay-Tatshenshini-Alsek UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kluane National Park Reserve was established in 1972, and covers 22013km2, making it larger than El Salvador.
Contact the park office at +1-867-634-7250 ext 216, or email kluane.info@pc.gc.ca
Kluane National Park was established in 1972 in the southwestern corner of the Yukon, near Haines Junction.
The bi-national Kluane-Wrangell-St. Elias-Glacier Bay-Tatshenshini-Alsek park system comprising Kluane, Wrangell-St Elias, Glacier Bay and Tatshenshini-Alsek parks, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 for the spectacular glacier and icefield landscapes as well as for the importance of grizzly bears, caribou and Dall sheep habitat.
Kluane National Park lies within the traditional territories of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations and Kluane First Nation who have a long history of living in this region. Through their respective Final Agreements with the Canadian Government, they have made into law their rights to harvest in this region.
The reserve includes the highest mountain in Canada, Mount Logan (5,959 metres or 19,551 feet) of the Saint Elias Mountains. Mountains and glaciers dominate the park's landscape, covering 83% of its area. The rest of the land in the park is forest and tundra—east of the largest mountains and glaciers—where the climate is colder and drier than in the western and southern parts of the park. Trees grow only at the park's lowest elevations. The primary tree species are white spruce, balsam poplar and trembling aspen.
The flora of Kluane National Park consists of a blend of pacific, arctic and maritime flowers. Some examples are: moss campion, mountain heather, fireweed, purple saxufrage and more.
Mammalian species that inhabit this park include wolf packs, coyote, mink, lynx, river otter, caribou, Alaskan moose, muskrat, snowshoe hare, marmot, red fox, Dall sheep, beaver, wolverine, mountain goat, and arctic ground squirrel. This park contains about 120 species of birds, including the rock ptarmigan and the golden and bald eagles.
Fishing per permit:
- Daily $ 9.80
- Annual $ 34.30
- A day-use area with boat launch, picnic facilities and campground is located at Kathleen Lake, and is operated from mid-May to mid-September.
- Hiking is a popular activity on trails such as St. Elias Lake, Mush Lake Road, Shorty Creek, Cottonwood, Rock Glacier, King's Throne, Kokanee, Auriol, Dezadeash River Trail, Alsek Trail, Sheep Creek Trail, Bullion Plateau Trail, Slims West or Soldiers Summit.
- Rafting on the Alsek River (a Canadian Heritage river).
- Mountain biking on old mining roads, horseback riding through the Alsek Pass.
- Boating on Kathleen Lake and Mush Lake.
- Fishing for lake trout, Arctic grayling, rainbow trout, northern pike and sockeye salmon.
- Flightseeing. Several local companies offer flightseeing tours that take visitors deep into the park’s untouched interior. Get a high-altitude view of the Icefield Ranges, home to Canada’s highest peaks and largest icefields, from a prop plane or helicopter. Some tours touch down in the midst of the icefields, enabling visitors to stay and explore for a few hours or a few days.
A day-use area with boat launch, picnic facilities and campground is located at Kathleen Lake, and is operated from mid-May to mid-September.
Hiking is a popular activity on trails such as St. Elias Lake, Mush Lake Road, Shorty Creek, Cottonwood, Rock Glacier, King's Throne, Kokanee, Auriol, Dezadeash River Trail, Alsek Trail, Sheep Creek Trail, Bullion Plateau Trail, Slims West or Soldiers Summit.
Rafting on the Alsek River (a Canadian Heritage river).
Mountain biking on old mining roads, horseback riding through the Alsek Pass.
Boating on Kathleen Lake and Mush Lake.
Fishing for lake trout, Arctic grayling, rainbow trout, northern pike and sockeye salmon.
Flightseeing. Several local companies offer flightseeing tours that take visitors deep into the park’s untouched interior. Get a high-altitude view of the Icefield Ranges, home to Canada’s highest peaks and largest icefields, from a prop plane or helicopter. Some tours touch down in the midst of the icefields, enabling visitors to stay and explore for a few hours or a few days.
There are no facilities in the park.