Carcross is mainly known for its world class mountain biking on the near-by Montana Mountain, and for the nearby Carcross Desert, often referred to as the "world's smallest desert."[4]
Caribou Crossing was a fishing and hunting camp for Inland Tlingit and Tagish people. 4,500-year-old artifacts from First Nations people living in the area have been found in the region.
Originally known as Naataase Heen (Tagish for ‘water running through the narrows’),[4] Caribou Crossing was named after the migration of huge numbers of caribou across the natural land bridge between Lake Bennett and Nares Lake. That caribou herd was decimated during the Klondike Gold Rush, but a recovery program raised the number of animals to about 450.
The modern village began in 1896, during the Klondike Gold Rush. At the time, Caribou Crossing was a popular stopping place for prospectors going to and from the gold fields of Dawson City.
Caribou Crossing was also a station for the Royal Mail and the Dominion Telegraph Line, and it served as a communications point on the Yukon River.
Silver mining was promoted nearby in Conrad, Yukon in the early 1900s, but there was little to be found and mining efforts soon ended.[5] Mineral exploration continues today,[6] but tourism is far more important to the economy of the community.[4]
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Carcross had a population of 317 living in 168 of its 229 total private dwellings, a change of 5.3% from its 2016 population of 301. With a land area of 15.56 km2 (6.01 sq mi), it had a population density of 20.4/km2 (52.8/sq mi) in 2021.[15]
Carcross 4 (self-government)
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Carcross 4 had a population of 37 living in 16 of its 16 total private dwellings, a change of 5.7% from its 2016 population of 35. With a land area of 0.58 km2 (0.22 sq mi), it had a population density of 63.8/km2 (165.2/sq mi) in 2021.[15]
Climate
Caribou crossing bridge in CarcrossIn winter, many businesses in Carcross close due to a lack of tourism.
Summer days are mild to warm with crisp, cool nights due to low humidity during summers. Winters are cold by Canadian standards, but not so much by Yukon standards. Annual snowfall averages 50 inches (127 cm) with peak snowpack reaching 16 inches (40.6 cm) during March.[16]
Carcross has one of the lowest amounts of precipitation days out of anywhere in Canada[citation needed], only having 76 precipitation days, with the rainiest month September only averaging 9 days with precipitation, and the driest month April only averaging 2 days with precipitation.
Tour buses at a large tourist stop in Carcross"Downtown" CarcrossLarge totem pole in the Carcross Commons.
Carcross relies on tourism to support the local economy. It lies on the Klondike Highway between Whitehorse and Skagway, Alaska and offers a variety of historic attractions and outdoor activities. Popular with road traffic including tour buses and RVs, in 2007 the White Pass railway also resumed service to Carcross railway station.
Alaska cruises stopping in Skagway will offer day tours to Carcross. The day tours offer stops at the Yukon sign, the Caribou Crossing Wildlife Museum, Dog Sledding Zoo and the actual town of Carcross.[18]
The city is served by Carcross Airport, which has no scheduled commercial flights. The closest Canadian airport with large airline service is Whitehorse Airport, which has domestic airline service as well as flights to Europe and the United States. Tourist buses serving cruise ships passengers at the port of Skagway, Alaska, USA make day trips to Carcross.[19]
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