Kluane National Park--Tucked into the southwestern corner of the Yukon, a 2-hour drive from Whitehorse, these 22,015 sq. km (8,500 sq. miles) of glaciers, marshes, mountains, and sand dunes are unsettled and virtually untouched. Bordering on Alaska in the west, Kluane National Park contains Mount Logan and Mount St. Elias, respectively the second- and third-highest peaks in North America.
The park also contains an astonishing variety of wildlife. Large numbers of moose, wolves, red foxes, wolverines, lynx, otters, and beavers abound, plus black bears in the forested areas and lots of grizzlies in the major river valleys.
Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kluane Park lies 158km (98 miles) west of Whitehorse -- take the Alaska Highway to Haines Junction. There, just outside the park's boundaries, you'll find the Visitor Reception Centre, open year-round (tel. 867/634-7250). The center has information on hiking trails and canoe routes and shows an award-winning audiovisual presentation on the park. Admission to the park is free.
The Chilkoot Trail & White Pass--South of Whitehorse, massive ranges of glacier-chewed peaks rise up to ring the Gulf of Alaska; stormy waters reach far inland as fjords and enormous glaciers spill into the sea (the famed Glacier Bay is here). This spectacularly scenic region is also the site of the Chilkoot Trail, which in 1898 saw 100,000 gold-rush stampeders struggle up its steep slopes. Another high mountain pass was transcribed in 1900 by the White Pass and Yukon Railroad on its way to the goldfields; excursion trains now run on these rails, considered a marvel of engineering.
To see these sites, most people embark on long-distance hiking trails, rail excursions, or cruise boats. Happily, two highways edge through this spectacular landscape; if you use the Alaska Marine Highway ferries (tel. 800/642-0066; www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs) this trip can be made as a loop from either Whitehorse or Haines Junction. Because the ferries keep an irregular schedule, you'll need to call to find out what the sailing times are on the day you plan to make the trip.
