More national parks reopening in Canada’s North, but Chilkoot will remain closed for rest of season
Parks Canada is opening up more Yukon parks and services in the coming days.
One major exception is the Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site which will remain closed for the rest of the 2020 season.
Beginning Thursday, the S.S. Klondike National Historic Site in Whitehorse will be offering guided tours of the vessel, documentary viewings in the theatre throughout the day, and public washrooms will be open.
At Kluane National Park and Reserve, daily programming — including guided hikes and campfire talks — resumes Thursday.
Visitors will also have access to the visitor centre located in Da Kų Cultural Centre and the Kathleen Lake day-use area shelter.
The Klondike National Historic Sites in Dawson City will resume daily interpretive programming on Saturday.
That includes town walking tours, the Robert Service program, and tours of Dredge No. 4 and Bear Creek.
Parks Canada said the Chilkoot Trail closure applies to all types of visitation and use, including the Log Cabin parking lot, outhouses, campgrounds, backcountry areas, and accessing the site from Bennett Lake.
Hikers with reservations for the Chilkoot Trail will be contacted and be given a full refund.
Visitors should check pc.gc.ca before travelling to see what locations are open and what services are available.
Related stories from around the North:
Arctic: Arctic cruise operators brace for coronavirus uncertainty, Radio Canada International
Canada: Scrapped 2020 cruise season will cost communities in Nunavut, Canada almost $1 million, Eye On The Arctic
Finland: Jump in, the water’s (mostly) fine in Finland, study finds, Yle News
Iceland: Iceland and Greenland implement COVID-19 testing for travellers, Eye On The Arctic
Norway: Norwegian cruise operator Hurtigruten reframes 500-guests ships for year-round expedition cruises, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: All Russia’s North Pole cruises rescheduled to 2021, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Swedish company Birka Cruises to shut down after 49 years, Radio Sweden
United States: ‘A little frustrating’: Northwest Canada tours, Alaska cruises cancelled this year, CBC News
