Hidden Gems of the Southern Lakes: Carcross, Tagish & Marsh Lake

Carcross: desert, lake, and mountain

The historic village of Carcross packs a startling amount into a small footprint. Wander the restored Carcross Commons with its First Nations carvings and shops, stand on the shore of Bennett Lake, and visit the Carcross Desert, a pocket of sand dunes often billed as the world's smallest desert, left behind by an ancient glacial lake. Bennett Beach itself is bigger than it first looks; in spring, before the water rises for the season, you can walk out surprisingly far across the exposed sand.

Emerald Lake

On the drive between Whitehorse and Carcross, pull over at Emerald Lake, whose impossibly green-blue water comes from light reflecting off white marl on the lakebed. It's one of the most photographed spots in the Yukon, and for good reason, stop for photos and simply to stare. Local First Nations stories tell of the lake as the place where the aurora goes to rest through the summer months, waiting for the dark nights to return.

Montana Mountain and the trails

Above Carcross, Montana Mountain holds a world-class network of hand-built mountain-bike and hiking trails, created through Singletrack to Success, a Carcross/Tagish First Nation initiative launched in the mid-2000s that employs local youth each summer to build and maintain the trail system. What started as a way to reconnect kids with the land and give them summer jobs has grown into more than 40 km of trails, including Mountain Hero, one of only a handful of Canadian trails inducted into the International Mountain Bicycling Association's Epic Trails list. The program's story is told in the documentary SHIFT, which won awards on the mountain film festival circuit. Even if you don't ride, the area is superb for walking and views.

Tagish and Marsh Lake

Further along, Tagish and Marsh Lake offer beaches, boat launches, and quiet lakeside relaxation. In late spring, the open water at Swan Haven, on M'Clintock Bay at the north end of Marsh Lake, draws swans by the thousands during migration, a spectacular, lesser-known wildlife event. Roughly 10 percent of the entire North American population of Trumpeter Swans passes through here on its way north, and the Swan Haven Interpretive Centre hosts A Celebration of Swans each April to mark the event. Tagish Narrows, further along, is another good viewing spot when the birds are moving through.

If you're driving the loop anyway, it's worth knowing that a fair number of locals build their route around the community free stores at the waste transfer stations in Mount Lorne, Carcross, Tagish, and Marsh Lake. Drop off what you don't need, pick up what someone else didn't, it's genuine drop-off, pick-up reuse, and finds range from nothing worth a second look to the kind of thing people still talk about years later. The Tagish store has earned itself an affectionate nickname locally: Tagish Tiffany's.

Making a day of it

The whole loop is easily done from Whitehorse in a day, but it rewards an unhurried pace. Pack a picnic, a swimsuit in summer, and a camera, and leave time to detour. Better yet, stay a night at a lakeside cabin or resort to catch the region's dark skies and quiet mornings.

The Southern Lakes prove that in the Yukon, some of the best experiences are hiding just off the main route, close enough for a day, memorable enough to plan a trip around.