Travel to the Yukon
The Yukon Territory (482'443 km2, twice the size of
the United Kingdom) is located in Canada’s far northwest corner
bordering to Alaska/USA and offers a surprisingly well developed
traffic infrastructure, despite of its low population and vast areas of
unspoiled wilderness. The capital city of Whitehorse (pop. 28,000)
features an international airport and the entire territory (pop.
37,000) is criss-crossed by a network of major highways.
Domestic air connections to Whitehorse exist from
Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Additionally, Air North – Yukon's
Airline – offers some seasonal flights from Victoria, Kelowna and
Ottawa. In summer, Condor, a
German air
charter company, has weekly non-stop flights from Frankfurt (Germany)
to Whitehorse, flying every Sunday. More Condor flights exist to
Anchorage (Alaska), which allows you to combine a Yukon-Alaska round
trip directly from Europe.
Two overland routes lead from southern Canada to the
Yukon: the famous Alaska Highway and the adventurous Cassiar Highway.
The Alaska
Highway, as the name indicates, continues on to Alaska. Another option
for travelling to the Yukon is by ferry — from Vancouver or Bellingham
(near Seattle/USA). These routes lead along the west coast northbound
through the legendary fiord system of the Inside Passage to Skagway
(Alaska) and from there either by car/camper or by train/bus to
Whitehorse.
Where is Frances Lake?
Frances Lake is located about 300 km (as the
crow
flies) east of
Whitehorse in the largely unspoiled southeast Yukon. The Campbell
Highway, a well-developed gravel road, provides the only road access
leading through the hilly backcountry to Frances Lake. The lodge proper
is another 20 km
down the lake in a secluded bay with wonderful views to the mountains.
We are the only year-round residents on the lake, which has two arms of
about 40 km length each.
Detail
Map of Frances Lake
Travel options to Frances Lake
Wilderness Lodge
You can travel in your own vehicle (rental
car,
motorhome) to Frances Lake, where we pick you up at the boat
ramp and
bring you by motorboat to the lodge. This boat transfer is included in
the lodge rate and takes about 30 minutes. Or you can fly in
by
floatplane
from Whitehorse (or Watson Lake) directly to the lodge. Another option
is our minivan shuttle service from Whitehorse or
Watson Lake. Unfortunately, as of 2018 both Greyhound Bus and Alkan Air
have discontinued their Whitehorse – Watson Lake service.
Please note that some of our
multi-day canoeing and hiking trips depart from Whitehorse, hence
the transfer to the lodge and back is included in the rate.
It is also possible
to fly one way and use our minivan shuttle the other way.
We gladly help you planning
your travels, charter floatplanes, arrange for the minivan
shuttle or
book rental cars and accommodation along the way
for you.
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Self-drive
by car/campervan
Getting here is part of the experience and can
be easily built into a
Yukon round-trip. Along the road, you will experience the vastness and
fascinating landscape of the Canadian North.
There is free and safe parking for your vehicle
at the Frances Lake boat ramp, from where we will pick you up by
motorboat.
The pick-up time at the
Frances
Lake boat ramp is usually at 5:00
pm.
On the day of departure, we will bring you back to your vehicle after
breakfast in the course of the morning.
We recommend the following 3 road routes
from
Whitehorse:
- The
fastest and easiest way via
Watson
Lake: On the Alaska Highway (Hwy 1) 450 km east via Teslin to
Watson Lake (4.5 – 5 h driving time). Afterwards 170 km on the Campbell
Highway (Hwy 4) north to Frances Lake (2.5 – 3 h driving time). All in
all 620 km or 7 – 8 h driving time. Allow one full day for this drive. Details (PDF)!
- The
worthwhile alternative via
Carmacks:
On the North Klondike Highway (Hwy 2) 180 km north towards Dawson City
until Carmacks (2 h driving time). Afterwards 410 km on the Campbell
Highway (Hwy 4) east, past Faro and Ross River to Frances Lake (6
– 7 h driving time). All in all 590 km or 8 – 9 h driving time. This
trip can be completed in one long day, but there are good options for
staying overnight along the way (motels, B&Bs, campgrounds). Details (PDF)!
- The
adventurous option via South
Canol
Road: On the Alaska Highway 130 km east to Johnson’s Crossing
(1.5 h driving time). Afterwards along the South Canol Road (Hwy 6) 220
km north just before Ross River (about 5 – 7 h driving time) and
another
180 km east along the Campbell Highway (Hwy 4) to Frances Lake (about
3 h driving time). All in all 530 km or 10 – 12 h driving time. The
South Canol Road is a narrow and winding mountain road. Take your time
and allow two days for the entire trip; there are nice campgrounds
along the way. Details
(PDF)!
Information on current road conditions is
available at any Yukon Visitor Information Centre or online at
www.511yukon.ca.
If required, we will gladly arrange for a rental
car
from Whitehorse for you. Rates 2020:
- from $60 CAD + GST per day
(including
compulsory
liability insurance and 150 km per day,
excluding voluntary collision insurance and $0.20 per extra km).
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Fly
in by floatplane
Would you like to save time on the transfer and
have an unforgettable experience on top of it? If so, we recommend
flying in by floatplane from Whitehorse directly to the lodge! The
flight across spectacular mountains, forests and lakes takes about 1
hour and 45 minutes. Rates 2020 for a one-way flight:
- Floatplane for 1 – 2 passengers, max. 250 kg
payload*: $2112 CAD + GST
- Floatplane for 3 – 4 passengers, max. 365 kg
payload*: $2285 CAD + GST
- Floatplane
for 5 – 6 passengers, max. 550 kg
payload*: $3552 CAD + GST
*Payload = total weight
of all passengers plus baggage.
These rates are guiding
prices only and are subject to
change without notice. Charter flights are possible daily (weather
permitting). You can also fly one way and use our minivan shuttle the
other way
(see below).
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Minivan
shuttle service
If you neither want to drive yourself nor want
to
fly, we provide a minivan shuttle service from Whitehorse or Watson
Lake. Daily departures are possible. Driving time takes about 8 hours
from Whitehorse and 3 hours from Watson Lake. Rates 2020:
- from Whitehorse (one-way, per group):
$1200 CAD + GST
- from Watson Lake (one-way, per group):
$400 CAD + GST
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