Wilderness Travel Tips
The Yukon is like no other place in the world. We have unspoiled water, pristine forests and rugged mountains, just as they have been for thousands of years. Fish and wildlife populations are healthy. It’s important that travelers tread lightly.
Leave No Trace is a practice for anyone traveling in the backcountry to help minimize their impact. It includes things like:
- packing out all trash
- building fires in existing fire pits or portable fire pans
- respecting wildlife
- burying or packing out human waste.
Please obtain proper licenses for camping, fishing and hunting. Learn about and follow regulations. Read the pamphlet Into the Yukon Wilderness. It provides clear guidelines on how to best travel in the backcountry. You can download a PDF or pick up a copy at any Visitor Information Centre or Environment Yukon office
If you are planning a river trip, please read up on Best Environmental Practices on Yukon Rivers.
Bear Safety
There are lots of bears in the Yukon, but your chances of encountering one are low. Still, it’s best to learn how to avoid one – and better yet, how to act if you do come across a bear. Here are some helpful tips:
- Carry bear spray and know how to use it properly.
- Learn how to identify signs of bear activity.
- Know if the area you’re in is good bear habitat.
- If possible, choose trails with good visibility
- Approach thickets from upwind
- Make lots of noise
- Travel in groups
- Avoid traveling at dusk or night
- When camping, set up your tent away from wildlife trails
Summer Insects
While it’s true there are bugs in the Yukon, they’re not as bad here as in other parts of Canada. Mosquitoes are out in June, July and August and black flies appear in late August and September. Numbers of both pests tend to increase after a rain. Most Yukon communities have control programs to manage mosquito populations. When you’re out in the wilds, bugs can be a nuisance – especially in low-lying, marshy areas without a breeze. Pack along repellent or a bug jacket, just in case.
