Overland Trail (Yukon)
Encyclopedia
The Overland Trail was a Klondike Gold Rush
-era transportation route between Whitehorse, Yukon
and Dawson City in the Canadian
Yukon Territory. It was built in 1902 at a cost of CDN$129,000 after the White Pass and Yukon Route
railroad won a contract to deliver mail to the Dawson City gold fields from the Canadian government. The trail consisted of a 330 miles (531 km)-long, 12 feet (4 m) wide graded surface with culverts in some locations. Before its construction, transportation to Dawson City required a steamboat trip on the Yukon River
during the brief arctic summer or sled dog
freight trains after the rivers had frozen. After its construction, horse-drawn stagecoach routes soon were established. Even with this regulated travel, it took five days to travel the distance between the two towns. Sleighs were substituted for coaches once snow began to fall, and passengers were charged CDN$125 for a one-way trip.
The first automobile used the trail in 1912, but soon afterward, declining returns from the gold mines caused the population of the Yukon to drop precipitously. In 1955, a new automobile highway was built north from Whitehorse to Mayo
, with a spur to Dawson City. This highway made the Overland Trail obsolete, and it fell into disrepair. That road itself was replaced by the Klondike Highway
. Today, the Overland Trail is primarily a recreation route for sled dog teams, snowmobile
s, and other tourism-related activities. Artifacts relating to the Gold Rush-era use of the trail are plentiful along the route, which is used in February as part of the Yukon Quest
, a 1,000-mile sled dog race between Whitehorse and Fairbanks, Alaska
.
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush, also called the Yukon Gold Rush, the Alaska Gold Rush and the Last Great Gold Rush, was an attempt by an estimated 100,000 people to travel to the Klondike region the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1897 and 1899 in the hope of successfully prospecting for gold...
-era transportation route between Whitehorse, Yukon
Whitehorse, Yukon
Whitehorse is Yukon's capital and largest city . It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1476 on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas occupy both shores of the Yukon River, which originates in British Columbia and meets the Bering Sea in...
and Dawson City in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Yukon Territory. It was built in 1902 at a cost of CDN$129,000 after the White Pass and Yukon Route
White Pass and Yukon Route
The White Pass and Yukon Route is a Canadian and U.S. Class II narrow gauge railroad linking the port of Skagway, Alaska, with Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon. An isolated system, it has no direct connection to any other railroad. Equipment, freight and passengers are ferried by ship through the...
railroad won a contract to deliver mail to the Dawson City gold fields from the Canadian government. The trail consisted of a 330 miles (531 km)-long, 12 feet (4 m) wide graded surface with culverts in some locations. Before its construction, transportation to Dawson City required a steamboat trip on the Yukon River
Yukon River
The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The source of the river is located in British Columbia, Canada. The next portion lies in, and gives its name to Yukon Territory. The lower half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska. The river is long and empties into...
during the brief arctic summer or sled dog
Sled dog
Sled dogs, known also as sleigh man dogs, sledge dogs, or sleddogs, are highly trained types of dogs that are used to pull a dog sled, a wheel-less vehicle on runners also called a sled or sleigh, over snow or ice, by means of harnesses and lines.Sled dogs have become a popular winter recreation...
freight trains after the rivers had frozen. After its construction, horse-drawn stagecoach routes soon were established. Even with this regulated travel, it took five days to travel the distance between the two towns. Sleighs were substituted for coaches once snow began to fall, and passengers were charged CDN$125 for a one-way trip.
The first automobile used the trail in 1912, but soon afterward, declining returns from the gold mines caused the population of the Yukon to drop precipitously. In 1955, a new automobile highway was built north from Whitehorse to Mayo
Mayo, Yukon
Mayo is a village in the Yukon, Canada, along the Silver Trail and the Stewart River. The population was 248 in 2006. It is also the home of the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun, whose primary language is Northern Tutchone. Nacho Nyak Dun translates into "big river people". It is serviced by Mayo...
, with a spur to Dawson City. This highway made the Overland Trail obsolete, and it fell into disrepair. That road itself was replaced by the Klondike Highway
Klondike Highway
The Klondike Highway links the Alaskan coastal town of Skagway to Yukon's Dawson City and its route somewhat parallels that used by prospectors in the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush....
. Today, the Overland Trail is primarily a recreation route for sled dog teams, snowmobile
Snowmobile
A snowmobile, also known in some places as a snowmachine, or sled,is a land vehicle for winter travel on snow. Designed to be operated on snow and ice, they require no road or trail. Design variations enable some machines to operate in deep snow or forests; most are used on open terrain, including...
s, and other tourism-related activities. Artifacts relating to the Gold Rush-era use of the trail are plentiful along the route, which is used in February as part of the Yukon Quest
Yukon Quest
The Yukon Quest 1,000-mile International Sled Dog Race, or simply Yukon Quest, is a sled dog race run every February between Fairbanks, Alaska, and Whitehorse, Yukon...
, a 1,000-mile sled dog race between Whitehorse and Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
.