Carmacks is a very interesting city in that it houses one of only four bridges that crosses the nearly 2,000 mile (3,190 kilometer) long Yukon River.  The Yukon River is home to one of the longest salmon runs in the entire world.  Villages like Carmacks rely on the return of the salmon every year for their cultural, subsistence, and commercial needs.  Only recently has there been problems in numbers for all of these villages.  Some people blame global climate change which has been said to have affected all wildlife including freshwater salmon while others say its because of the number of people fishing and the methods being used.  The village Carmacks was named after George Washington Carmack who discovered coal nearby in 1891.  It started out as just a trading post and eventually a coal mining operation was installed.  Western Silver currently operates a zinc-copper mine near Carmacks.  There are several ways to get to there.  You can take the Klondike Highway South from Dawson, Yukon through Pelly Crossing or North from Whitehorse, Yukon.  The other way by driving is the Robert Campbell Highway which can be reached from Watson Lake, Yukon and dead ends in Carmacks.  This “highway” is mainly gravel though so your best bet is to stick to the Klondike Highway.

Name: Carmacks, Yukon
Population: 493
Elevation: 1,768ft (539m)
Website: www.carmacks.ca

Things to do:

  • Frenchman Lake
  • Tage Cho Hudan Interpretive Centre
  • Carmacks Recreation Centre
  • Snowmobiling
  • ATV Adventures
  • Fishing
  • Hiking
  • Terry Fox Run
  • Ridge Walk Trail

Places to stay:

Food to eat: